The adaptation of Ömer Seyfettin'in's stories "İnat" and "Sivrisinek" to A2 level within the framework of textlinguistic criteria in teaching turkish as a foreign language

This study was prepared within the scope of ongoing debates in the field of teaching a native language as a foreign language, particularly regarding whether authentic texts or simplified texts should be used at the elementary levels of language instruction. While one side of the debate advocates the use of authentic texts across all levels of language learning—from basic to independent users—, the other side emphasizes the necessity of employing simplified texts, especially at lower proficiency levels. Rooted in the latter perspective, this study aims to adapt two short stories by Ömer Seyfettin, namely İnat and Sivrisinek, to A2 level in order to provide teaching materials suitable for basic users of Turkish as a foreign language. Ömer Seyfettin, a foundational figure in modern Turkish storytelling, was chosen as the source author due to his relatively simple and clear style, his ability to derive narratives from the everyday life of ordinary people, and his faithful representation of the sociocultural realities of his time. In an increasingly globalized world, where learning the grammatical structures of a language alone is no longer sufficient, the cultural and sociological dimensions of the target language have gained vital importance. In this respect, the present study is situated in line with the contemporary understanding that values the integration of linguistic and cultural elements in foreign language education. The simplification process was carried out under the guidance of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with textlinguistic criteria (e.g., cohesion, coherence, intentionality) serving as the primary framework. In lexical adaptations, İlyas Göz's Word Frequency Dictionary of Written Turkish was utilized. Following the simplification, various pre-reading and post-reading activities were designed, along with a glossary built upon the key vocabulary of each adapted story, aiming to enhance learners' comprehension. By employing a systematic, criteria-based approach grounded in textlinguistic principles, this study eliminates practitioner subjectivity and avoids the limitations commonly associated with intuitive simplification methods. In this regard, it offers a replicable and academically reliable model for other practitioners. Additionally, the study contributes to the field by addressing the scarcity of graded reading materials and offering resource texts for both educators and learners.