The Education and teaching of Turkish in order deparments of universitics except the deparment of Turkish language and literature

ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to find out whether the writing skill of the university students could be increased to a better level or not. In the 1995-1996 academic year, this researc was carried out and 20 students were chosen among the first year students. Before the researc, we referred to the ideas of the studens and the lecturers in all the departments except for the department of Turkish Language and Literature about the Turkish courses given. According to this preresearch the findings are as follows: A) The lecturers giving the Turkish courses at universities claim that it is essential to increase the lesson hours, to decrease the number of the students in classes, and to prepare a frame programme to achieve the desired success. B) The lecturers working in different departments of universities demand that Turkish language courses should aim at correcting student mistakes they make in speaking. C) Some students find the course unnecessary while some others believe that it is necessary, but the subjects should be revised. In accordance with the aim of our researc, students in the experimental group were only given writing exercises in their two- hour- lessons given in a week, and we focused on writing mistakes. At the and of the academic year, we evoluated the writing studies of the students according to the dates they were written on and we tried to find out whether there was only decrease in mistakes in expressing themselves or not. Our studying material consists of 400 papers of twenty students. As a result of our research, we came to this conclusion: The general mistakes in speaking decreased 24.09 % when the last ten compositions compared with the first ten. This is 26.91 % when the last and first five compositions are compared. Gramatically wrong sentences decreased 41.64 % in the last ten compositions when compared to the first ten; and decreased 52.38 % in the last five compositions when compared to the first five. Reading, listening, speaking and writing make up language skills. The desired result cannot be achieved even if one of these skills are not improved enough. Besides, many aspects and levels of life are effective in language teaching. Despite these facts, we have some limitations but the result we have is prospective. According to us, if the necessary conditions are met, speaking and listening skills can be achieved in university level.