Journals / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics / 2018 / Cilt: 4 - Sayı: 2
Strengths and Weaknesses of Primary School English Language Teaching Programs in Turkey: Issues Regarding Program Components
- Pages
- 325–347
- DOI
- —
Abstract
Today, the ability to communicate in English is a need brought about by the globalization processencompassing developments in many fields such as science and technology. To address this need, Englishlanguage teaching programs in Turkey (henceforth ELTP) underwent substantial changes within thelarger curriculum reform movements taking place in 1997, 2006 and 2013, the last of which is also calledthe 4+4+4 education system. In these ELTPs, major differences were based on primary school Englishlanguage teaching and learning. However, there is a growing claim that these ELTPs did not achieve theintensions in equipping primary school students with the necessary communicative skills in English.Thus, this integrative literature review study aims to explore the results of the evaluation studies so asto understand the strengths and weaknesses of each ELTP regarding such program components as aimsand outcomes, content, materials, and testing and assessment. In line with this, studies conducted toevaluate the 1997, 2006 and 2013 ELTPs were examined thoroughly, and their findings were identifiedfor the analysis. The analysis of the studies showed that problems with the ELTPs under evaluationincluded not carefully written aims and outcomes failing to include all domains. It also reveals problemswith the selection and design of the content and materials which failed to be adequate and effective.Lastly, reliance on paper-based assessment even failing to include productive skills is seen to be anotherproblem. All these issues seem to be persistent over all the ELTPs, thus they call for carefulconsideration and action for the improvement of further program changes.© 2018 EJAL & the Authors. Published by Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics (EJAL). This is an open-accessarticle distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY-NC-ND)(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).