Assessing Turkish students' performance in English as a foreign language at secondary level within common European framework

This research was carried out mainly because of the integration process of Turkeyto the European Union as a member of Council of Europe since it is predicted that, itwill be highly useful to dwell upon the subjects of Language Policies of Europe forthe future steps to be taken in this process by Turkey.The study aimed to investigate the Turkish student performance in English as aforeign language at secondary level (grade 1) within Common European Frameworkof References for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) and also toinvestigate the qualities of course books used in foreign language courses at thislevel. The study also investigated the foreign language course hours, course content,curriculum and foreign language teachers? need for in-service training aboutCommon European Framework and the developments in language policies ofEurope.Following the purposes previously mentioned the research was conducted througha survey methodology. After the piloting, the main study was carried out with theinstruments a pre-test and post-test self-assessment CEFR and Cambridge KETexam for the students in all (Common, Vocational, Anatolian and Science) secondaryschools? classes grade1 in Central town of Çanakkale Province in 2006-2007 schoolyear and a course book evaluation questionnaire for the teachers of these coursesThe data obtained from the instruments analyzed Paired Samples T-test,Frequency and Reliability Scale Analyses design by using Statistical Package forSocial Sciences (SPSS 10.00). Analyzed data provided the findings that theperformance of the students in English as a foreign language in secondary schoolsgrade 1 increased through the school period but still not equal to the CEFR A2 Basiclevel as expected in the curriculum however other findings about the self-assessmentof the students indicated that students self-assessment decreased from the beginningto the end of the school period. On the other hand the findings for the course booksdisclosed that the course books used in ELT process in secondary schools grade1 isinadequate within the CEFR criteria as well as the course hours, content andmethodology of the curriculum. Consequently the study concludes by outlining thaturgent steps must be taken to solve the problems in foreign language learning andEnglish language teaching process in secondary schools in terms of multilingual andmulticultural curricula, course books, content, methodology and in-service trainingof foreign language teachers.