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A suggested syllabus for the advanced level English course at Gendarmerie Schools Command in accordance with NATO stanag 6001 level 3 perspective
The aim of this study is to prepare a suggested syllabus in accordance with NATO Stanag 6001 Level 3 perspective for the Advanced Level English Course at Gendarmerie Schools Command which is subordinate to Gendarmerie General Command. It is believed that this study will contribute to other studies in the context of NATO Stanag 6001 language standards at Language Schools of Armed Forces both at home and in the world.The data in this study collected from the trainees, teachers, graduates, and the organization by means of NATO Stanag 6001 Level 3 Questionnaire, Graduate Questionnaire, and Teachers Questionnaire, Trainee Questionnaire Trainee Interest Questionnaire, NATO Stanag Level 3 Exam and KPDS Exam. This data proves that the present course is insufficient in reaching language skills objectives; i.e. listening, reading, speaking and writing which are vitally important to be successful in international joint missions. Therefore, in the suggested syllabus, the aim is to improve four language skills and to put into practice a topic-based syllabus to meet the professional needs of the personnel. In addition, a task-based syllabus is given priority for speaking and writing skills which are usually believed to be insufficient in especially international missions.
Sexism in language coursebooks a study on gender representations in the visuals of the primary and secondary education English coursebooks
As materials, coursebooks have a great importance. With the texts and visual elements included, they transfer cultural and social elements of the target language and/or directly or indirectly cultural values, social norms or ideological views of their authors. This is called hidden curriculum. As nothing is explicitly stated in hidden curriculum, coursebooks should be analyzed to understand the hidden or unstated values.This study aimed to find out whether there is any sexism in ELT coursebooks used in the state schools of primary and secondary education, written by Turkish authors and published by the Ministry of national Education. Data was gathered in two ways, by using two questionnaires, ?Coursebook visuals evaluation scale? and ?student?s perception of gender in occupations inventory? and by the content analysis of 11 coursebooks. Questionnaires were applied to 779 students in 15 schools, which were selected by means of opportunity sampling in four districts Çankaya, Yenimahalle, Keçiören and Altındağ. The visual contents of the coursebooks used in the visited schools were analyzed considering the criteria such as appearance of female and male characters, family roles, occupations, household activities, spare time activities, sports they do, places they were shown in, which family member the child/teenage characters are pictured with, objects/toys and games that child/teenage characters shown with.The results of the analysis revealed that coursebooks used in secondary education have more sexist viewpoint compared to primary education coursebooks in terms of the criteria stated.
Efl state school teachers? perceptıons on ın-servıce teacher development programs ın the Turkısh educatıonal system
The aims of this study are to figure out the EFL state school teachers? perceptions on in-service teacher development programs, to determine the factors that force the EFL state school teachers to attend in-service development programs and to reveal the fields that need to be improved. The participants of the study were 100 EFL teachers working in state schools. The data was gathered through using a questionnaire. The gathered data was analyzed by using mean scores and standard deviation. The analysis of the obtained data revealed that the EFL state school teachers believe in-service development activities have beneficial contributions for their organizational and individual improvements. Furthermore, it has been seen that ??scientific, technological and social developments?? is the primary grounded factor that causes the teachers to get in-service development programs.
Vocabulary retention: A collocational study
Teaching young learners has been on the agenda of educationists and researchers for a long time. A lot of investigations have been carried out about techniques for how best to teach young learners. On the other hand, vocabulary that plays an important role in foreign language learning process has been neglected for decades. But recently with raising importance of vocabulary many techniques and approaches related to vocabulary teaching and learning have emerged. Using collocations, which accepts the vocabulary learning as a phrase acquisition, is one of the recent way to teaching vocabulary.The purpose of this study is to investigate whether teaching vocabulary through collocations will increase the learners vocabulary gain. The study was conducted at Mezitli Technical and Vocational High School for Girls. The participants were 33 ninth grade students. They were young language learners at the elementary level of proficiency. At the beginning of the study, 15 target words were selected according to curriculum. A paper, which presents the words via different activities, was prepared by the researcher for each word. The study lasted five weeks. A vocabulary test, which was administered as the pre- and post- test, was used as data collection device. In order to find out if there is a difference between the pre and post tests, t-test was used. At the end of the study interviews were made with the students and they asked what they think about the treatment. The results of the case study indicated that teaching vocabulary through collocations made a significant effect on the learners retention of the words. In other words, the young language learners improved their vocabulary as a result of using collocations.Keywords: Collocation, Vocabulary Retention
Bilingualism and attitudes towards foreign language learning
The aim of this study is to find out the significant differences between the attitudes of the monolingual and bilingual students who are learning English as a Foreign Language. For this reason, the Language Attitude Questionnaire which was developed by Cook and composed of six clusters of social, psychological and personal monolingualism and social, psychological and personal bilingualism was applied to them.The participants of the study were selected from the Preparatory School of Çağ University students who are studying English. Only eighty students were selected for the study and forty of those eighty students are bilinguals and the other forty of them are monolinguals.In Chapter One, the statement of the problem, background to the study, research questions, hypotheses, operational definitions and limitations are presented. The related literature on monolingualism, bilingualism, multilingualism and attitudes towards foreign language learning is reviewed in Chapter Two. In Chapter Three, the research design, participants, data collection and data analysis are provided. The data analysis and further comments on the collected and analysed data are included in Chapter Four. Conclusion takes place in Chapter Five.
Disruptive student behaviors in university preparatory classes observed by teachers of English
The purpose of this study is to identify the disruptive student behaviors observed by teachers of English in university preparatory classrooms. The teachers? perceptions on students? behaviors described as ?disruptive? and common disruptive student behaviors in the classrooms were investigated. This study seeks answers for the following questions: ?How do teachers of English in university preparatory classrooms perceive disruptive student behaviors? What types of disruptive student behavior do the teachers of English encounter in their classrooms? What are common disruptive student behaviors observed by teachers of English in university preparatory classrooms? Is there any significant relationship between the teachers? gender, age, the department they graduated from, experience, the number of classes they teach and the number of students they have in their classrooms and their perceptions of disruptive student behavior?? This research was a survey study. 40 teachers of English in preparatory classes of Çukurova University School of Foreign Languages participated in this study. The data was collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. In the first part, there were questions about the participants? gender, age, experience, the department they graduated from, the number of classes they teach and the number of students they have in their classrooms. In the second part, the perceptions of English language teachers in university preparatory classrooms of the disruptive student behaviors were investigated. The results indicated that ?Using a mobile telephone during the lesson?, ?Arguing or disagreeing with the teacher or other pupils?, ?Cheeky or rude remarks or replies to the teacher? ?Cheating?, ?Not studying regularly? were common disruptive student behaviors. Besides, ?Goofing off? was the most commonly encountered misbehavior type. Lastly, there was a significant relationship between the teachers? gender, age, teaching experience, the number of classes they teach and the number of students they have in their classrooms and their perceptions of disruptive student behavior. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between the department the teachers graduated from and their perceptions of misbehavior.
A content analysis study on the use of literary texts and multimodality in language classes
The purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of literary works as a medium for the multimodality principle in language classes. The study has two focal points, the first of which is to highlight the efficiency and advantages of literature usage in language classes. The second is to emphasize the strenghts of multimodality. Both conclusions have come after a wide and detailed literature review supported by the analysis and comments of the contributors of the field; a content analysis based study. Conclusions are based on the comparison of methods concerning language instruction. The research in the field demonstrates that rather than using traditional, uni-modal approaches in language learning environment, literary works presented in a multimodal context enchance the learning process. The use of more modern methods such as multimodal literature and language instruction have proven to be more successful than traditional methods.
Enhancing EFL students' vocabulary knowledge by using web 2.0 tools
The astonishing rise in the use of Web 2.0 tools has led researchers to consider their potential for educational purposes. Current studies in literature mostly deal with descriptions of students' attitudes towards the reasons of the use of Web 2.0 tools in general. This study aims to contribute to the field by investigating the feasibility of Web 2.0 tools as a supplement to the traditional classroom environment. The present research examined the use of Web 2.0 tools to improve students' vocabulary knowledge at Higher School of Foreign Languages, Gaziantep University. It is an experimental study supported with semi-structured interviews and field notes. The study was carried out during the spring semester of 2012-2013 academic span and lasted for three months. The researcher assigned one experimental and one control group randomly from Level A (A1-A2 according to the CEFR). A pre-test was created in order to measure students? vocabulary knowledge from upcoming vocabularies students were going to learn throughout the semester and it was applied to the groups. Both groups followed the same curriculum to learn the target vocabulary but the experimental group received a treatment by using various Web 2.0 tools and field notes were taken. At the end of the treatment, a post-test was applied to the groups and results were analysed with the Independent Samples t-test. Following the post-test, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students in the experimental group. The analyses of the test results showed that both groups had gains but the mean of the experimental group was higher and this difference was statistically significant. Findings suggest that this research is viable and worth the effort. Also, almost all students have positive attitudes towards the educational use of Web 2.0 tools.
The effect of a selected graphic novel on reading comprehension
Literacy in the 21st century is constantly evolving. To teach literacy effectively, educators need to embrace and understand linguistic, cultural and textual practices that are relevant for students. Reading graphic novels is one of the 21st century literate practices. This study focuses on how 18 preparatory school students who are in intermediate level develop their reading comprehension after reading a selected graphic novel and a non-graphic novel. In addition, it focuses on whether reading a graphic novel has changed students' attitudes toward reading at the end of the study. The study evaluated the reading comprehension scores of these students after reading selected non-graphic novel and selected graphic novel through reading comprehension check questions. The results were considered. These two sets of scores were then compared. In addition, a reading attitude questionnaire was administrated to these students as pre- and post-test to learn students' attitudes toward reading and whether this graphic novel implementation has changed their attitude at the end of the study and the mean of the responses were compared through SPSS. The results of this study did not conform the hypothesis that graphic novels increase the reading comprehension scores of students and students' attitudes toward reading will change in a positive way.
Implementation of writing portfolios at a preparatory school in a university context
This study aims to investigate the implementation of writing portfolios at a preparatory school and the effects of portfolios on students in becoming aware of their strengths and weaknesses. 17 students of Zirve University English Preparatory School participated in this study for eight weeks. Data collection tools were the researcher?s diary and cover letters of students. The results of the data analysis indicated that the use of portfolios could be implemented and portfolios helped students become aware of their strengths and weaknesses in writing.
EFL learners' conceptions of learner autonomy
Promoting learner autonomy in EFL classes has been one of the most fundamental objectives of education. It is known that Turkish educational system has traditional educational methods that constrain autonomous language learning. Learner autonomy is a concept that has many dimensions. The concern of this study is to find out EFL learners' conceptions of different autonomous behaviours that learners need to have in their learning. Those areas include learners' readiness for self-direction, learners' conceptions of independent work, learners' beliefs related to the role of class and teacher, learners' conceptions of the role of the teacher in explanation/supervision, learners' attitudes towards particular language learning activities, learners' readiness to share responsibility in selection of content, learners' roles in determining objectives and self-evaluation, learners' conceptions of external assessment in their motivation, and learners' attitudes towards the culture of the language they are learning. As the data collection tool Autonomy Learner Questionnaire was used. The survey was administered to 114 7th grade students at Şehit Selahattin Elemantary School in Hakkari, Turkey. The data analysis was carried out through quantitative (frequencies, percentages) analysis techniques. The findings of the study showed that while the learners have more autonomy over some aspects of learning, they have less readiness and awareness over the others.
Students' and teachers' attitudes towards interactive whiteboards used in english courses via Fatih Project and the effects of iwbs on speaking skill
Today many countries increase the level of using technology in their education systems as technology plays an important role on the quality of education. In this sense, Ministry of National Education has initiated Fatih Project which aims to deliver technological equipments to state schools across Turkey. This study aims to explore students' and teachers' attitudes towards interactive whiteboards (IWBs) used in English courses via Fatih Project. The study also investigates the effects of the use of IWBs on teaching and learning English speaking skill.The study conducted in eight state schools in Muş and 183 students and 19 teachers participated in the study. Data about students' and teachers' attitudes towards use of IWBs were collected through questionnaires. The questionnaires also contained open-ended questions for gathering information about teachers' and students' ideas on the effects of the use of IWBs on English speaking skill. The results of questionnaires indicated that both students and teachers have positive attitudes towards the use of IWBs. Responses given to open-ended questions indicated that both teachers and students believe the use IWBs have a lot of positive effects on teaching and learning English speaking skill. Key Words: Interactive Whiteboard (IWB), Attitude, Fatih Project.
İngilizce öğretmenlerinin çocuklara İngilizce öğretme tutumları
The aim of the study was to explore the profile of English language teachers' attitudes towards teaching English to young learners. The researcher investigated the teachers' choice of pedagogical strategies (quality in planning and organization, views about the use of L1 and L2, using materials and activities, methods, classroom language and language skills, classroom management, assessment and feedback). The researcher visited 8 different private primary schools in the Adana city center to collect data. Quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used to collect data. The quantitative data was collected through a Teachers' Attitude Questionnaire, which was designed by Doğan (2009). The qualitative data of the study was collected via semi-structured follow-up interviews. The data was obtained from 62 English language teachers who teach2nd, 3rd and 4thgrade students in private primary schools in Adana. The quantitative data were subjected to SPSS 17.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and Chi-square test. This study showed that language teachers use variety of pedagogical strategies; however, there is no statistically significant relationship between the teachers' years of teaching experience and their choice of pedagogical strategies. It also revealed that the teachers are not ready to use performance-based assessment strategies.
Mesleki̇ İngi̇li̇zce alan öğrenci̇leri̇n konuşma beceri̇leri̇ni̇ ti̇yatro i̇le geli̇şti̇rme vaka çalışması
Bu çalışmanın amacı mesleki ingilizce eğitimi alan Fizyoterapi ve Beslenme Diyetetik bölümü üçüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin konuşma becerilerini incelemek ve tiyatro yöntemi kullanarak bu öğrencilerin konuşma becerilerini artırmaya yardımcı olmaktır. Bu çalışma Hasan Kalyoncu Universitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Yüksekokulu'da mesleki ingilizce alan öğrencilerin konuşma becerileri ve stratejilerini tiyatro süreci ile birlikte etksini incelemek için yapılmıştır. Bu çalışma hem nitel hem nicel veriler olarak tasarlanmıştır. Veriler yüzdelik alınarak, doğru orantı ve rubrik/ özdeğerlendirme formları ile içerik analizi yapılarak toplanmıştır. Bu araçlar sayesinde tiyatronun mesleki ingilizce alan öğrencilerin konuşma stratejilerini geliştirme üzerindeki etkisi test edilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın diğer bir amacı mesleki inglizce alan öğrencilerin konuşma becerilerinin tiyatro ile geliştirilebileceği ve mesleki ingilizce alan öğrencilerin konuşma stratejilerini artırmak için farklı yöntemleri denemek ve son olarak öğrencilerin tiyatroya karşı tutumunu incelemektir. Veri analizlerinin ışığında, özdeğerlendirme formlarının ve tiyatro performans rubriklerinin sonuçları ve analizleri öğrencilerin konuşma becerilerini ve stratejilerini artırmada başarılı oldugunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Konuşma Stratejileri, Mesleki İngilizce, Tiyatro
The effects of drama on students' self-confidence and motivation in language learning process
In modern education system, the most effective ways of teaching English have been researched. Motivation, self-reliance and the methods that are used in language classroom are closely related to each other. Drama can be an alternative way to integrate into the language learning process to make language learning more effective. In this respect this study aims to find out if drama effects the motivation and self-confidence of students in learning English. To achieve this, an 8-week lesson plan was designed. The study was carried out with 100 elementary level students at the Preparatory school of Hasan KALYONCU University. The aim was to find the answers for the following research questions which are (1) Is using drama activities effective for developing students' self confidence and motivation? (2) What are the students' perceptions towards using drama activities? Regarding these questions, three different data collection tools were used; the teacher kept weekly diaries after the drama classes for 8 weeks. Also students answered questionnaires. Lastly, at the end of the term, an interview was conducted with 10 students. The results from the interviews were analyzed by content analysis and the questionnaire data was calculated based on a five-point Likert scale. The findings showed that using drama in language learning was quite effective. Also students reflected positively about the drama lessons in terms of improving their motivation, and developing their self-confidence.
The reduction of speaking anxiety in efl learners through drama techniques
This study addresses the problem of speaking anxiety in foreign language learning settings and role of drama in the reduction of speaking anxiety. The researcher gives a general overview of anxiety sources in language training environments as a background for the discussion of speaking anxiety. The study is also concerned with ways to reduce anxiety levels in the classroom. The study was conducted with 24, 12th grade students, in the first term of 2013-2014 academic year at Kozan Anatolian Medical Vocational High School. To collect quantitative data, FLCAS, developed by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1986), was administered as a pre and post-test. To triangulate the data, semi-structured pre and post-interviews, and students' diaries were also used. Additionally, the teacher's reflections on students' speaking anxiety, and the use of drama strengthened the qualitative dimension of the study. On the basis of the findings of the pre and post-tests (FLCAS), interviews, students' diaries, and the teacher's reflections, the researcher found that drama gives motivation, and encourages students to speak. It also helps them to overcome their fears related to language classes. The use of drama techniques has significantly positive effects on lowering the speaking anxiety of EFL learners.
The influence of peer feedback on students' writing performance and their attitudes towards writing
This study investigated the influence of peer feedback on students' writing performance and attitudes towards writing. The sample of the study consisted of 20 male and female students from preparatory school students writing course offered by the English Department at Toros University in the academic year 2013/2014. A pre- ,mid-, and a post-tests were applied to check the students' performance before and after the feedback sessions also, a pre-attitude paragraph and a post-attitude paragraph were asked students to write to see whether the students' attitudes change or stay same after the study. At the end of the study, the number of the students who had positive attitude towards writing skill increased significantly also, students' grades improved significantly, too.
A case study of the reasons for anxiety and its reduction in english as a foreign language classroom
This study contributes to literature by examining how anxiety reveals itself in language learning and by revealing possible causes of anxiety. This study aims at helping teachers investigate in details the students who experience the speaking anxiety problem. This study also gives teachers some suggestions about helping the students overcome their problem. As this study is a collective case study, the researcher has found the chance of investigating the anxious students and their common problems. The participants in this study were four students at Gaziantep X Medical Vocational High School. In this study, two of the students were female and the other two of the students were male. They were all ninth graders, and all of these students were afraid of speaking a foreign language as well as they are lack of self- confidence.
EFL teachers' perceptions of teaching vocabulary learning strategies
Although 11 years of teaching English as a compulsory subject in state schools in Turkey, students can not achieve their goals in terms of communication or academic purposes. There might be a number of reasons for this issue, however, inappropriate vocabulary teaching seems to be one of the reasons despite the fact that it crucially contributes to language proficiency. Through my teaching experience as an EFL teacher, teachers' approach to vocabulary teaching always drew my attention. Therefore, in this research, it was aimed to investigate Turkish secondary state school EFL teachers' perceptions of teaching Vocabulary Learning Strategies and to explore the most and the least popular strategies regarding usefulness degree and teaching practice among teachers. One hundred Turkish state school EFL teachers from central of Malatya in Turkey participated in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative research design were employed. The results of the research showed that the majority of teachers implement the strategies that they believe useful in their teaching practice. Memory strategies were appeared to be the most popular VLS in this research however; Metacognitive Strategies are more beneficial for gaining independency in learning. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that expanding teachers' awareness of Metacognitive Strategies might be a key for developing learner autonomy.
The effect of peer feedback on students' overall writing performance and their attitudes toward peer feedback
This study aims to investigate if peer feedback has a positive effect on students overall writing performance and their attitudes toward peer feedback. This study was carried out with 32 students studying in level D at the School of Foreign Languages of Zirve University. There were 16 students in both the experiment and control groups. It lasted for 7 weeks. A pre-test, a post-test, and a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions were used to collect data. The pre-test and post-test results were compared using SPSS, and questionnaire was analyzed using content analysis method. According to the results of the study, there was a statistically significant difference between the pre-test and post-test results of the experiment group. The results of the questionnaire also showed that students had a positive attitude toward peer feedback.
A case study on the benefits of using songs in teaching vocabulary to young learners of English
The purpose of this study was to find out the benefits of songs in teaching vocabulary to young learners of English. The research was carried out with second grade students studying at private Tarsus Toros Primary School. The study was conducted for six weeks in 2013-2014 academic year. The researcher collected the data using a researcher diary. The results of this study showed that songs are beneficial in teaching vocabulary to young learners of English. The songs used in this study were: Numbers and jobs, Animals and Abilities, Animals and Senses, If You Are Happy and You Know It, Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes, Countries and Capitals Song and Row Your Boat Song.
A case study on the effect of video on the motivation of high school students in english language classes
This master's dissertation tried to find out if educational, short and subtitled videos, with different activities before, while and afterwards, have a motivational effect on first year students' language learning process in a Turkish high school. The study also had the purpose of finding out the motivational factors affecting students and getting the opportunity to learn more about their attitudes through an adopted version of the AMTB questionnaire. The results obtained from the study indicate that: 1. The students showed only a little positive motivation and attitude difference toward learning English as a second language in general with the help of videos, which is not statistically significant. 2. It would be true to admit that the motivations and attitudes of students may differ and cannot be generalized because the age may affect the results. 3. The study does not deal with the scores of the students taken from a test but their motivation and attitudes toward learning a second language, English. A further study can be implemented to find if and how much scores of the students taken from a test affect their motivation and attitudes toward learning English a second language. Finally, this thesis contributed to my research understanding as well as to my perceptions on motivation and attitudes.
Teachers' role in motivating students in the course of foreign language learning
Language learning is a long, complex and demanding phenomenon and the factors that influence this phenomenon can vary. Motivation which is one of the most substantial components of language learning needs the understanding of diverse factors. In line with this, teachers play a prominent role in this long run by considering all the issues that comprises this context. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of EFL teachers in motivating their students. This was a qualitative case study in nature. The participant s consisted of one male and six female teachers. The study was conducted in an Anatolian High School in Adana between February 2014 and January 2015. Data were gathered by means of a 7-item-open ended questionnaire and a group discussion. The findings of the questionnaire were content analyzed under specific themes and then connected with the findings of the group discussion. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that teachers' use of methods and activities such as songs, games, films, TV serials and the internet sources would highly contribute to the motivation of students in language learning to foster their interests, raise awareness of the target culture and maintain motivation out of class. Key Words: Motivation, Teacher Motivation, Foreign Language Learning
Teaching vocabulary to young learners through drama
This study examines whether drama helps instructor to teach English vocabulary to young learners and if young learners enjoy learning vocabulary through drama activities. The study was conducted with 2nd grade students in a Private Primary School in Mersin. 20 students took place in this study. The researcher used observation form, daily journal; video recordings and open-ended, follow-up interview questions were asked to each student at the end of every lesson. It took 4 weeks to implement the study. It addressed teaching vocabulary through drama with the drama club students for two hours every week. No post-tests or quiz were applied to the students. They were observed in their natural learning process, instead. Key Words: Drama, ELT, Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Vocabulary through Drama
A study on the university students' perceived sources of foreign language anxiety
Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has always been a source of interest for the researchers. It is a known fact that recent literature in language learning process mainly focuses on the attitudes and perspectives towards language learning. One of the essential ways in foreign language teaching is to create an effective classroom atmosphere in which students can develop positive attitudes, express their ideas freely and adopt high motivation in language learning environment. Our role as educators is to be good models and facilitators to moderate learning and to provide students with opportunities to use suitable strategies to realize the goals of language learning process. The main purpose of the current study was to find out the possible sources of anxiety in EFL classes. The instruments used in this study were a foreign language classroom anxiety scale (FLCAS), which was developed by Horwitz and Cope (1986), and semi-structured interviews. Then, one research question was built up to investigate the answers throughout the study. The findings gathered through the instruments indicated that the anxiety, which was encountered by learners in language classes, was mainly caused by communication apprehension, test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and classroom procedures.
An investigation on socially disadvantaged Primary school students' perceptions of doing homework
Homework plays a significant role in education. Especially for young learners, doing homework is quite important due to their inability to reason abstract notions. Therefore, it is a necessity for language teachers to assign homework according to their students' own needs. A great number of educators are aware of the importance of assigning homework to their students, however young learners' perceptions of homework is still questionable. The main purpose of present study is to investigate primary school students' perceptions of doing homework in EFL classrooms. Therefore, the researcher selected 60 students from Akçakale Primary School, in Kars Province. A questionnaire and interviews were employed as the data collection tools in this study. Descriptive statistics and the content analysis were used to interpret the results from the questionnaire and interviews. The findings of this study show that homework has been an important part of the students' education life. Most of the participants hold positive opinions about doing homework. In addition, the amount and the timing of a homework assignment is another concern in the study. A great majority of the participants want to have more than 2 hours of English homework in a week. Furthermore, they prefer to do enjoyable, interesting, and pictorial assignments.
Teachers' perceptions of Secondary school students' discipline problems and techniques to deal with these problems
Classroom management is the basic step of educational administration and is one of the challenging tasks. Foreign language teachers come up against different types of classroom management problems everday. The purpose of this study is to investigate the secondary school English teachers' opinions regarding the most frequently encountered discipline problems in the classrooms and the most common discipline techniques used to deal with these problems. This research was a survey study. 63 teachers of English in state and private schools from 4 different parts of Adana (Seyhan, Çukurova, Yüreğir, Sariçam) participated in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative research design were employed. The data was collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three parts. The first part consisted of two parts of questionnaire entitled as "Student Discipline Problems in the Classroom" and "Discipline Techniques Used to Deal with Discipline Problems" was adapted from Aksoy (1999). Also, there were two open-ended questions asked to the teachers about any other discipline problems and discipline techniques that were not mentioned in questionnaires. The second part consisted of an open-ended question inquired if students' negative attitudes on learning English might cause undisciplined behaviors in the classroom and teachers' suggestions about this issue. In the third part, there were questions about demographic information. For questionnaires the data was analyzed by employing a descriptive data analysis procedures including frequencies, percentages and mean scores. For open-ended questions, the data was analyzed through the use of content analysis method. The results indicated that the most frequently encountered discipline problems to be identified were "Talking without permission", "Interrupting others while talking" and " Not doing homework assignments". The most frequently used three techniques to deal with students' problems identified were "Encouraging them to join pair/group activities", "Encouraging them to speak English", "Talking with the student after class" and "Using grading stickers or other kinds of rewards according to their behavior".
The role of foreign language anxiety in english lessons of 8th grade students
It has been clearly seen that the positive and negative emotions of the learners have a significant role on their foreign language learning process. As unfavorable emotions have negative effects on most areas, the impact of them on language learning process might be said to be the same. Therefore, many educators or teachers' pay attention to the emotions of their students during language learning or teaching process. Among all of the negative emotions, foreign language anxiety one of the vicious cycles is an important factor that needed to be explored from the past to the present. It is an obvious fact that, students rather than a language environment in which they feel more comfortable do not likely to choose an atmosphere full of stress. So, the aim of this study is firstly to find out the anxiety levels of the students including in this research. After finding the anxiety level of the participants, it tries to determine whether the difference of anxiety level in gender is significant or not. The study at last focused on finding the causes, effects of the foreign language anxiety and the ways how to cope with this feeling from the perspective of the subjects. This study conducted at a state school in Esenyurt, İstanbul and 297 students (152 females and 145 males) participated in the research. The data related to the anxiety level of the participants were collected through a questionnaire including 33 items of four categories such as communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, test anxiety and general feeling of anxiety. On the other hand, a semi structured interview and an open ended questionnaire involving the same questions in the interview were used in order to find the causes, effects of foreign language anxiety and ways how to cope with it from the participants' perspectives. 32 students participated in the interview process and the data obtained from them were analyzed by means of content analysis. The results of the study revealed that the participants could be accepted slightly anxious due to the results of the applied questionnaire. Additionally, the findings showed that there was no significant difference in anxiety level of the participants in terms of gender. Lastly, according to the data taken from the interview process, students indicated that there were some causes, effects of foreign language anxiety. They also mentioned about some ways which they put emphasis on in order to overcome or decrease this feeling.
A comparative study on EFL instructors' attitudes towards professional development activities in State and Foundation universities
In accordance with the latest search for change and improvements in education and teaching activities, the professional development of English instructors at universities in language programs has gained importance. The aim of this study was to investigate the language instructors' perceptions, both those working for state and those working for foundation universities towards professional development activities and the factors hindering their participation. 40 language instructors from Erciyes University School of Foreign Languages constituted the state university sample, and 40 language instructors from Melikşah University School of Foreign Languages represent the foundation university sample. The data collected through questionnaire was analyzed descriptively to find out instructors' perceptions and differences in the different universities. The analyzed data indicated that language instructors working for the different type of universities perceived professional development activities as important to varying degrees. A difference in the frequencies of instructors' working for different type of universities was also noted. Instructors' participation in professional development activities were hindered by different factors depending on the university types, too.
English language instructors' beliefs towards the objectives of English language teaching regarding culture teaching and culture teaching activities at university contexts
By the 21st century, with the affects of globalization, there has been an increase in international dialogues among nations. In this multicultural interaction, the idea of teaching culture besides teaching a foreign language has gained significance in education environments. The aim of the study conducted in March 2015 in Kayseri is to question the beliefs of English language instructors about the objectives of foreign language teaching, objectives of teaching culture in English language teaching context and explores the frequency of specific culture teaching activities practiced in English courses at both Melikşah University and Erciyes University. A total of 100 Turkish instructors and instructors from other nationalities participated in this study. A survey based research was used in the study. The original of the questionnaire was created by Sercu et al. (2005). In the present study, Kılıç (2013) version of the study was adapted and used as a data collection tool. The findings indicated that instructors don't consider teaching culture and intercultural competence among their primary objectives for learning English. Instead, knowledge for general English and language skills are among the top objectives. Providing information on daily lives and routines of target culture and develop attitudes of openness and tolerance towards other people and cultures are seen as the main objectives of teaching culture by the participants. Sharing and illustrating fascinating and interesting aspects of target language and also talking about their own experiences or familiar things are the most frequent activities conducted in English Language classrooms.
The role of starting age to learn English as a foreign language in young learners' attitudes towards English
This study aims to find out the attitudinal differences of students who have started to learn English at 2nd grade and the ones who have started to learn English at 4th grade towards English. For the purposes of the study, a quantitative research was carried out. The study was conducted with 290 3rd grade students and 395 5th grade students in eight different state schools in Mezitli district of Mersin in the academic year of 2014-2015. Data were collected by means of a Smiley Face Language Attitude Scale. The study results revealed that students who have started to learn English at 2nd grade show more positive attitudes towards English than the ones who have started to learn English at 4th grade. The study also demonstrated that female language learners have more positive attitudes towards English than male language learners.
EFL students' perceptions of pragmatics and their level of pragmatic competence
The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions of Muş Alparslan University students on pragmatics and their level of pragmatic competence. For the purpose of the study a quantitative research method was carried out. The 130 university students were participated in this study. Data were collected my mean of a questionnaire. According to the results of the study the students believed the pragmatic knowledge was as important as linguistic knowledge in language learning process. Although MAU students have positive attitudes towards the pragmatics, the results indicated that the students have limited pragmatic knowledge.
University preparatory students' perceptions towards native and non-native English speaking teachers
The aim of this study is to find out the thoughts and perceptions of university preparation class students who study at the Departments of English Language and Literature, English Language Teaching, Nanotechnology Engineering and the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences towards NESTs and NNESTs. This study also tries to reveal how much students benefit from NESTs and NNESTs in terms of motivation, communication and teaching/learning. The population of this study contains 186 preparatory class students at Sivas Cumhuriyet University School of Foreign Languages. A five point Likert-type questionnaire with 34 items was employed as data collection instrument. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard variation was executed for the descriptive statistics, and independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were applied for the inferential statistics. According to the results, students benefit from NESTs and NNESTs from different aspects. They think NESTs are better at teaching speaking, listening and pronunciation while NNESTs are superior to their NEST counterparts in terms of teaching grammar and writing. One of the most outstanding results of this study is that students believe the collaboration of these two groups of instructors. Besides, students' perceptions towards NESTs and NNESTs were analyzed in terms of gender, major and language proficiency levels, and it was found out that there were differences for these variables. Key Words: Preparatory Class Students, Native Speakers, Non-native Speakers, Motivation, Communication, Teaching/Learning
Turkish EFL teachers' perceptions towards feedback on writing
Providing written feedback has a vital impact in improving student writing and on student learning. Rea-Dickens (2006) states that feedback is valuable in identifying learners' strengths and weakness and guiding them to the next steps Thus, this study was conducted to find out the perceptions of English language teachers towards written feedback in Turkey. An online survey was used to collect the data. 157 English language teachers who work in different schools and have different teaching experience filled in the survey voluntarily from various cities of Turkey. The results of the study showed that teachers have positive perceptions towards providing written feedback. However, only half of them use process based writing in their class and they provide feedback to same points both in the earlier and later drafts. Majority of them prefer to give evaluative feedback.
Students' response to the use of multimedia and drama in literature classes
The aim of this study is to explore the use of multimedia and drama in literature classes. Another aim of this study is to investigate the students' response towards multimedia and drama in literature classes. This study was conducted on 35 students at Mersin University who were ELT students. Their ages varied between 19 and 32. The participants were observed for three hours per week over a period of six weeks. Two novels were used to observe over a period of six weeks. In data collection, observation, questionnaire, video-recording, and interview were used. The results of the data analysis showed that learning literature through multimedia and drama is entertaining and has many benefits. Furthermore, the results indicated that the response of the students were positive towards the use of multimedia and drama in literature classes.
An investigation on efl university students' perceived levels of foreign language anxiety
This study examines the sources and effects of foreign language anxiety of Niğde University Preparatory Class students. 297 students who study at Niğde University Preparatory Class participated in this study. The data was collected with the help of a Translated Turkish Version of Foreign Language Anxiety Scale by Horwitz (1986) and a personal information form. FLCAS that was designed by Hortwitz (1986) had 33 items. In the present study 32 items of the scale were used. The scale tries to identify communication apprehension, test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and classroom anxiety of the students. The personal information form asked the students about their gender, age, preparatory class application condition, high school and if they liked studying English or not. The results showed that the students experienced moderate level of foreign language anxiety. Data indicated that there is a statistical significance between the students who liked studying English and who did not like. Key Words: Learning English, Foreign Language Anxiety
A case study: University students' conceptions of writing apprehension
A number of research has been conducted to be able to find out students' foreign language writing anxiety and the present study aimed at finding out preparatory school students' conceptions of writing apprehension. It was conducted with 48 participants who studied at Toros University, Mersin, Turkey. An inventory called SLWAI (Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory) adapted by Cheng (2004) with three sub-categories; cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and avoidance behavior and three open-ended questions were used to measure students' writing apprehension levels. The data were analysed through descriptive and content analysis and the results of the SLWAI and the comments of the students on the three open-ended questions showed that students experienced moderate levels of writing anxiety. Students experienced the highest apprehension levels regarding the Avoidance Behavior and those who experienced Avoidance Behaviour stated that they abstained from writing in English because they had difficulties with learning how to write in English.
A study on vocational and technical anatolian high school students' motivational orientations and use of self-regulated learning strategies in language learning
This study mainly aims to determine the motivational orientations and self-regulated learning strategies which vocational high school students use in language learning. Another purpose of the study is to investigate both overall relation between vocational high school students' motivational orientations and their use of self-regulated learning strategies and the relation between all sub-factors with each other. The study was conducted with 190 students in Niğde Faik Şahenk Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. In this study, data was obtained by using quantitative research method. The quantitative data was collected through Motivated Strategies for Language Learning (MSLQ), which developed by Pintrich, Smith, Garcia and McKeachie (1991). The analysis of quantitative data was done with the help of SPSS20. Besides, in order to support the quantitative data and provide the participants to reveal their opinions in detail, semi-structured interviews were done. The results of the study showed that vocational high school students' firstly beliefs to learn English and extrinsic motivation is more important than other motivational orientations for these students. Also, it is found out that vocational high school students' motivation is least affected by test-anxiety. In addition to motivation, vocational high school students' use of self-regulated learning strategies in language learning is investigated and the results show that while the most frequent learning strategy is elaboration, the least frequent is peer-learning. Finally, it is determined that there was the correlation between motivational orientations and self-regulated learning strategies in a positive way.
The investigation of technological pedagogical and content knowledge level by Turkish teachers of English
This study aimed to explore the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) levels of Turkish EFL teachers and the relationship between gender/experience and TPACK levels of the Turkish EFL teachers. The study was carried out in high schools of Mersin between April 10 and 15. 33 teachers answered to the EFL TPACK questionnaire consisting of two sections. First section of the questionnaire was for gathering general information of the participants and investigating the relationships between gender/experience and TPACK levels of Turkish EFL teachers. Second section of the questionnaire was for detecting the participants' TPACK levels. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics including mean, frequency, standard deviation, t-test and One Way ANOVA. The findings of the descriptive statistics indicated high levels of TPACK of the Turkish EFL teachers. Furthermore, the results of t-test showed the relationship between gender and TPACK was not statistically effective on their TPACK level.One Way ANOVA also proved that there is a negative correlation between the teachers' teaching experience and TPACK levels. With relation to the aims of this study, valuable contributions were provided in terms of getting a picture Turkish EFL teachers' TPACK levels and the relationships between gender/experience and TPACK levels. Finally, some implications were suggested for teachers, teacher educators and educational authorities. Key Words: English teachers, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, TPACK
An investigation of the relationship between academic motivation and emotional intelligence levels of ELT students at a university in Turkey
Students who study in English Language Teaching department are teacher candidates of the future. Psychologists, educators and researchers who focus on the learning environment and the academic achievement, try to understand how they can provide the best effect of education in terms of individual differences in the process of education (Marcela, 2015). Thus, the purpose of our study is to investigate the relationship between academic motivation and emotional intelligence of ELT students at Atatürk University. 225 participants joined the study voluntarily. The data were gathered through personal information form, emotional intelligence evaluation scale and academic motivation scale. The results indicated that the participants have high levels of emotional intelligence and academic motivation. A positive and moderate relationship was found between emotional intelligence and academic motivation. MSE, EAW and EM sub- dimensions are affected by gender factor. Age has an impact on MSE and SM sub-dimensions. Students' education year factor influenced SM, EAW and MSE sub-dimensions. However, gender, age and education year are not influential in academic motivation. Key Words: Academic motivation, emotional intelligence, teacher candidates.
Study abroad experience: A qualitative case study
This qualitative inquiry aims to investigate the interpretations of a female lecturer in a Turkish university on her long-term study abroad experience and how the experience contributed to her ongoing professional development and language proficiency. Using a case design with multiple data collection tools, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews, recorded observations through informal discussions and collected retrospective e-mails from the participant. The research reveals interesting results contrary to the general ideas about the impact of study abroad on linguistic, intercultural and professional development. By analyzing the participant's voices, it was found that the experience had negative results on her language proficiency and shifted her towards the opposite direction than expected. This was the unexpected result of many factors including factors such as decision, preparation, challenges, target culture, length of stay and adaptation problems. A salient finding of the study abroad experience was that the participant ex¬pressed a commitment to her native culture and language which was shaped as a result of experiencing adaptation problems to the target culture. She expresses being tolerant and open to new things as one of the few contributions after her study abroad experience. The study is considered significant in terms of revealing several implications for foreign language educators and students as well as the researchers in the field of study. Keywords: Study abroad, target language, target culture, motivation, interaction,adaptation problems
Intercultural competence and its reflection in the beliefs of Turkish teachers of English with regard to their teaching practices
The aim of the study is revealing the views of Turkish teachers of English about IC and its reflection on their teaching practices. The participants of the study were 76 Turkish teachers of English, 52 females and 24 males. 12 of them are teaching at primary schools, 35 of them are teaching at secondary schools and 29 of them are teaching at high schools in Kahramanmaraş. Data for the study were collected by means of a questionnaire which is a shortened form of the one developed by Sercu et al. (2005). Data analysis was fulfilled according to the answers of teachers to the items in the questionnaire. Completed questionnaires were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis using SPSS 21.00 software and mean and standard deviation of each item were calculated. The results of the study show that teachers of English have the view that culture teaching is a fundamental goal of English language teaching to a certain extent, however they do not have a clear perspective to integrate culture teaching in their classroom practices to develop their learners' intercultural competence. Key Words: English Language Teaching, Culture and Language, Intercultural Competence
The students' perceptions of literary texts in university level reading courses
The main aim of this study is to show how effective and useful the literary texts may be in reading classes at universities. Above all, this study tries to reveal the advantages of literary texts over non-literary texts. In order to reach these aims, a qualitative and a quantitative methodology was followed, which makes the study more valid. The lessons were conducted at Toros University with 60 students. The qualitative part of the methodology includes an interview which has 4 open-ended questions. On the other hand, the quantitative part consists of two questionnaires, which include 20 items in total. A convenient short story was selected to represent literary texts. As a result of this study, when compared with the non-literary texts, it has been found out that literary texts may be more effective and useful in English as Foreign Language Teaching. Key words: Literature, Using Literature in EFL, Literary Texts in ELT, Reading at University
An evaluation of a course book in the development of intercultural competence
Turkey has started a new Foreign Language Teaching Programme, which is based on Common European Framework of References (CEFR). One of the aims of the New Language Programme is to teach intercultural competence in foreign language teaching courses. As the course books are the main teaching materials in Turkey, their contents have necessarily gone under changes to teach intercultural competence. The course book evaluated in this study was written according to the New Language Programme. As one of the outcomes of CEFR is the intercultural competence, this study aimed to find out whether this course book was sufficient for teaching intercultural competence or not. To achieve this aim, all the cultural elements related to the local, target and international culture and the language teaching activities in the course book were analyzed with specific reference to the cultural elements that aim to develop students' intercultural competence. The findings of the study revealed that although the book presents a well-balanced view of diverse cultures involving rich cultural elements from the local and the international culture, the proportion of the teaching activities that aim to improve learners' intercultural competence were not sufficient enough.
The use of songs in teaching vocabulary to young learners in a foreign language teaching classroom
This study aims to find out how the students can learn vocabulary through the songs and how the students respond to learning vocabulary through songs. It takes seven months from October to April. The study took place in Mehmet Fehmi Çankaya Primary School with secondary students in Antakya. The study was conducted on 26 students. The students were taught a song each month. This study is a qualitative study based on observations as a teacher diary and interviews. It was found out that the students like the songs and they could easily learn the vocabulary through the songs. It was an amusing study that the students felt motivated. It was also found out that the students could remember the words they had learned. Key Words: Music and Songs, Learning Vocabulary, Enjoyment and Motivation
An investigation into professional development perceptions of Turkish teachers of English as a foreign language
The main purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the professional development perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. Within this scope, their professional development activities, their perceptions with regard to the necessary features of an effective teacher, definition of professional development, the effects of professional development programs and activities on their profession as well as the possible effects of postgraduate education on their profession and professional growth were investigated. In addition, their perceived need areas were probed. The participants of the study were made up of 36 EFL teachers working at primary, secondary and tertiary levels in 17 cities in Turkey. Data was collected through an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that in-service training was the most prominent means of professional development. The data also indicated a distinction between the professional development activities of EFL teachers with and without a postgraduate degree; while the ones with such a degree mentioned many activities, the ones without such degree almost exclusively mentioned in-service training. With regard to their perceptions of an effective teacher, the findings indicated that they view an effective teacher as someone who has subject, methodology and pedagogical knowledge, skills like teaching, communication, assessment, and material use skills, various positive personal traits and virtues, and who continuously develops himself or herself in the profession. Regarding their perceptions of the definition of professional development, the findings indicated that the most frequently mentioned item was updating and improving oneself in the field followed by its being continuous and lifelong process. The findings also suggested their views regarding the ways to promote professional development such as following research studies and current trends in the field, collaboration with colleagues and keeping up with technological innovations in the field. The findings of the semi-structured interviews indicated that the interviewees viewed postgraduate education as a means of professional development. As for the effects of professional development programs and activities on their profession, the findings indicated that these programs and activities had positive effects since they provide professional improvement, academic improvement, and personal improvement. With regard to the effects of postgraduate programs on EFL teachers' profession, the findings indicated that these programs aided developing teaching, research, presentation and material use skills, gaining theoretical knowledge, promoting ongoing professional development and lifelong learning, gaining new perspectives, self-confidence and professionalism, learning about current trends and keeping up-to-date as well as promoting awareness of weaknesses and strengths, and fixing weaknesses, and integration of technology into the classroom. The findings also suggested that EFL teachers had a great many need areas. The most frequently mentioned need areas were speaking skills and pronunciation, implementing methods and techniques, and increasing student motivation and readiness. This study suggests that professional development programs and activities along with postgraduate education have positive effects on EFL teachers' profession and that EFL teachers need to be provided with more opportunities to professionally develop themselves.
The contributions of using key-pal as A communication tool for english as A foreign language secondary school students
This research was carried out in order to find out the contributions of key-pal in the process of learning English as a foreign language with 7th grade learners in a Turkish secondary school. The perspectives and reflections of ten secondary school students-participants about having a key-pal were also gathered in this study. Three types of instruments were used for data collection. First of all, after an initial social media interaction with their pals, the participants were interviewed via a semi-structured interview to collect the necessary data to answer the research questions. Thereafter, a further semi-structured interview was held with an English language teacher of the participants to gain a deeper understanding. Finally, notes of the researcher were used when necessary to supplement the findings. Due to the nature of the study, content analysis was used to describe the emerging themes. The classifications were shaped by the data shared by the participants, the English language teacher and the researcher. The content was then identified and the data from the various instruments was compared and cross-referenced. The findings were verified against the theory outlined in the literature review in order to identify the similarities and differences about the effects of using key-pal in the language learning process.
Intercultural competence and foreign language teachers: a case study of three teachers in a Turkish high school
The aim of this study is to examine the language teachers of English who are positively disposed to intercultural competence teaching. The study was designed as a collective case study and the participants of the study were three language teachers of English who work at a high school in Erdemli, Mersin. As data collection instruments, the Foreign Language and Intercultural Competence teacher questionnaire, interviews, narrations, and a focus group interview were conducted. In order to analyze data, descriptive technique for the questionnaire; a priori coding technique for the interviews, narrations, and the focus group interview were used. As a conclusion of the study, it was seen that in spite of their clear positive disposition towards intercultural competence teaching, these three teachers are not quite able to conceptualize and integrate it into their teaching practices.
Exploring the relationship between high school students' willingness to communicate and their self-efficacy perceptions in Turkish efl context
This research aimed to investigate high school students' willingness to communicate (WTC), their perceived self-efficacy in English and the relationship between these constructs.Theresearcher also aimed to explorethe underlying reasons for the participants' perceptions of themselves as being willing and/or unwilling to communicate and the reasons for the participants' perceptions of themselves as being efficient and/or inefficient in English. The participants (N=569) were 297 males and 272 females. For data collection, Self-Efficacy Scale for English, Willingness to Communicate Scale and interviews were employed. Descriptive statistics, frequencies and means were utilized to indicate participants' levels of WTC and Self-Efficacy. For investigating the relationship between the participants' WTC and Self-Efficacy levels, Pearsonr correlations were employed.Content-analysis techniques were utilized to analyze qualitative data.The results revealed the participants were somewhat willing to communicate (m=49,79). Also, participants had low self-efficacy perceptions of themselves regarding English (m=2,50).Asignificant and moderate correlation was found between participants' WTCand their self-efficacy in English (r=,426; p<,01). Regarding qualitative findings, the participants identified various reasons to account for their willingness or unwillingness to communicate in English.Among these, positive attitude towards English and interest in different cultures were the most commonly stated motives for being eager to talk in English. On the hand, affective concerns of the participants, such as fear of making mistakes or feeling anxious were mentioned as the reasons of unwillingness. As for their perception of inefficacy in English, the participants mostly highlighted the lack of vocabulary and grammar.
An investigation of freshman students' attitudes towards English at a Turkish university
This thesis investigated Bozok University freshman students' attitudes towards English in terms of English in general, the current English education policies of Turkey and the purposes for learning English. In addition, it purposed to find out whether there is any significant difference in the attitudes of students towards English in respect to three attitude domains according to some factors such as having and not having optional English preparatory education, having native or non-native English teachers, faculty type, having English intensive high school education and parents' education, and to understand whether these factors have an effect on their attitudes. The research was conducted with 226 freshman students at Bozok University in Yozgat utilising a survey design with a 6-point Likert type attitude questionnaire. The quantitative data were analysed via descriptive statistics, Independent Samples T- test and one-way ANOVA using SPSS. The results reveal that students have positive attitudes towards English in terms of English in general and the purposes for learning English, whereas they have neutral attitudes towards English in terms of the current English education policy in Turkey. The findings also suggest that studying in optional preparatory classes and having a native speaker of English teacher do not have an effect on freshman students' attitudes towards English in terms of English in general, while these factors have an effect on their attitudes towards English when their attitudes are examined with regard to the current English education policies of Turkey and the purposes for learning English. This research further finds that faculty type is not a factor on students' attitudes towards English regarding English in general and the purposes for learning English, whereas it is a factor on their attitudes towards English in respect to the current English education policies of Turkey. It is also understood that having an education at an English intensive high school does not affect students' attitudes towards three attitude domains. Finally, students' attitudes towards English in terms of English in general differ according to their parents' educational background; however, their attitudes towards English regarding the current English education policy in Turkey and the purposes for learning English do not change. The study has some implications for policy makers and English teachers and several suggestions are made for further research.