Teachers` opinions and current linguistic approaches regarding the optimal age to start teaching a foreign language

ivABSTRACTTEACHERS? OPINIONS AND CURRENT LINGUISTICAPPROACHES REGARDING THE OPTIMAL AGE TO START TEACHINGA FOREIGN LANGUAGEOlcay ÇAYIROĞLU ŞGÖRENMaster?s ThesisDepartment of Primary School EducationAdvisor: Research Assistant Mehmet CANBULATJune 2005, 114 pagesThis study aims to investigate what the optimal age of starting to teach of aforeign language is based on the data acquired from the related studies which havebeen carried out by researchers and the data acquired by interviewing foreignlanguage teachers.The study includes the opinions of foreign language teachers, who wereworking at the public primary school of Bolu and the private schools of zmir,regarding the age of learning a foreign language of in 2004-2005 academic year andthe related studies which have carried out. The study is qualitative study usinginterview method.Sixteen foreign language teachers were interviewed using the method ofsnowball sampling in the course of the study. While nine of these teachers wereattending to a public school in the centre of Bolu, the others were attending to privateschools, in the centre of zmir.This study is a descriptive study using context analysis, intented fordetermining the current situation. The findings of the study were also acquired bystudying the resources and interviewing foreign language teachers.According to data acquired as a result of the study, the age factor issignificant in the acquisition and learning of a foreign language. Besides, socio-economic background, family, school, physical and genetic factors have greatveffects, as well. Teaching of foreign language at an early age may be an opprunityproviding necessary conditions and teaching the native language well.Key Words: Foreign Language, Native Language, Second Language,Learning Language, Optimal Age