Comparison of Hong Kong and Turkey's basic language education curricula in terms of reading - writing skills

This study aims at investigating formal language education curriculums developed for the basic education in Hong Kong and Turkey in terms of curriculum items within the context of groups responsible with curriculum development and needs analysis studies and reading-writing skills comparatively. In this study, which tries to reveal similarities and differences of two countries' formal language education curriculums, data have been collected through the document analysis method that gives a chance to compare and analyze written documents by using multiple case study design from qualitative research designs. Formal language education curriculums that has been developed towards basic education, curriculum reports and documents on the formal web sites of Hong Kong Education Bureau and Curriculum Development Council, Turkish language education curriculums, OECD, IEA, EURYDICE, EARGED reports, books and articles related to the research have formed the data set. Through the research, it has been found that studies on continuous and sustainable development, monitoring and evaluation of formal language education curriculums in Hong Kong have been conducted as disciplined processes. However, it has been determined that in Turkey, studies and policies carried out regarding the development of formal language education curriculums have not been continuous nor consistent. It has been found that in formal language education curriculums in Hong Kong, unlike in Turkey, reading and writing skills are approached in details and explained with applied examples at length, and curriculums are built on acquisition and development of writing and reading as skills. Another result is that the content item of formal language education curriculums in Hong Kong is presented in a more extensive, detailed and rich way in comparison with language education curriculums in Turkey. As a result, it is thought that the findings and results obtained about the language education curriculums of Hong Kong that has achieved significant success in international events, where reading skills are evaluated, will help researchers and educators participating in the preparation and application of the curriculum by being an example to the formal language education curriculum used in the basic education level in Turkey.