Comparison of language teaching programme prepared for immigrant children: The case of Turkey and Germany

This study compares two language teaching programs developed for refugee children: one for Syrian refugee children who came to Turkey due to the civil war that started in Syria in March 2011, and the other for Ukrainian refugee children who moved to Germany after the war in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions began in 2014 and later expanded with Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In Turkey, the program called "Promoting Inclusive Education for Kids in the Turkish Education System," carried out by the European Union (EU) and the Ministry of National Education (MoNE), aimed to help Syrian children adapt to a country where they initially did not know the language or the culture, and to support their language learning. This program was compared to the Internationale Vorbereitungsklassen (International Preparatory Classes) used in Germany for Ukrainian children. These classes follow the DaZ (German as a Second Language) curriculum. Both programs were designed based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This study analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of both language programs. A qualitative research method, specifically document analysis, was used during the comparison. The goal was to provide insights for language teachers and policymakers. The information gathered helped shape the study's theoretical framework and define its main focus. The findings were then used to meet the research objectives and answer the research questions. Keywords: Migrant children, foreign language, teaching program.