CLASSICAL COMMENTARY TEXTS AS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE TEACHING MATERIAL

Abstract

From the past till present date, many methods have been developed and tested in the language teaching field. Works written in different languages to read and understand the needs of the Ottoman period, led to the writing of grammar books. Beside that many works (Mevlana's Masnawi, Sa’di's Bostan and Gulistan, Attar's Mantıku't-Tayr and Pendnâme and the diwan’s of Hafize Shirazi, Molla Jamî, Saibe Tebrizi, Shawkate Bukhari and Orfi Shirazî etc.) had been translated and explained with the same purpose. The translated and explaned works which had been written in the same contex, has not only led to the understanding and commentary of the reader but also has an aim of teach the language of the work which is being annotated. The usage of the methods for teaching of base language like gramatical commentarys, base-suffix commentarys, word datas, word etymologies, synonymsantonyms examples, literary art commentarys, sentence translations etc. and the usage of commentary books for teaching Persian in Ottoman madrasah, support that idea. The presentation of the language teaching methods which had been used from the Ottoman Period to modern day in the field of teaching will bring new perspectives. In this study, beside the language teaching methods in classical commentary works written in Persian language, the culture of teaching which is a different point of language teaching technics will be detected and recommendations for the use of contemporary language teaching methods will be presented.As a term the Arabic word of "sharh" describing the poems. The commentarry texts written to the Masnawi of Mawlana, Mantıkut Tayr and Pandname of Ferududdin Attar, Bostan and Gulistan of Sadi Shirazi; the diwan of Hafeze Shirazi, Molla Jami, Saibe Tebrizi, Shawkate Bukhari, Orfi Shirazi etc. from Iran poetical geography in Ottoman period. The cultural materials, grammar, word and sentence explanations allow these texts to use as language teaching materials. The commeantators used different methods to explain the poets in their commentary works. Grammar Teaching Method, Word Teaching Method, Translation Method, Direct Method, Narrating Method, Sampling Method are examined examined in our study. Although the "Grammar Translation Method" one of the first methods used in language teaching, known as the Classical Method, is claimed to have originated in Western sources for the teaching of Latin in Ancient Grece, is a method that has been used in the Eastern education system since ancient times. The intensity of grammar explanations varies at commentary texts. Some commentators preferred to interpret the world of meaning rather than making etymology of words. In such annotations, word-based explanations and explanations do not take up much space. Some commentators translate and explain the poems by reducing them to words. In the tradition of classical comentary, words, compositions and sentences are analyzed from the grammar point of view as a teacher. It is also seen that the grammatical elements are explained comparatively in Arabic-Persian. According to commentator's method, the present and past structures of the werbs have been explained. Commentators gives information about suffixes, and prepositions, and explains some of the suffixes in different languages in Grammar Teaching Method. In the classical commentary texts, "Grammar Method" and "Translation Method" most commonly used methods. In this method, after grammatical and vocabulary explanations, vocabulary reading is carried out in the context of intensive text reading and translation. They preferred the word by word translation method by dividing poems. Word Teaching Method; dictionary (word) memorization method is an important teaching method in classical Ottoman education. In this method, words are seen as building blocks, and priority is given to teaching words. The text is divided into words and vocabulary teaching is the main point of language teaching. Before or after translations of the couplets, the meaning of the words are explained. In the classical commentary tradition firstly basic meaning of the words are explained by citations from different dictionaries and later special meanings are explained. In addition to the Persian-Arabic equivalents of the words, Turkish equivalents are explained in the form of "Turkî"(Turkish) or "be-Turkî (in Turkish)". When this concept is given, the commentary is been supported by referring to different dictionaries. Instead of explaining the known words again, "... maruftur (known), ... meşhurdur (famous), etc." expressions were used and the necessary words were explained etymologically. Commentators explain words spelling, pronunciation and context explainings too. Direct Method; the language is learned in this method is taught directly using only the source language without using another language. In classical text annotations, it is a feature of this method that similar examples is given from the source language. In addition, this method cultural elements are expalined by using texts that are intensive cultural materials in source language's culture. Explaining poems with another poems from source language is an important way of Direct Method. There are poems in classical Persian, Turkish and Arabic poetry expressing the same ideas, meanings or expressions. A closed symbol or meaning is explained in a open poem, and is understood by the reader. Narrating Method, (reciating stories, legends etc.) which is one of the oldest teaching methods that existed throughout history, is important in terms of keeping the motivation of the student strong and maintaining its continuity as well as providing the remembrance of the words in language teaching. The prophet and saint stories, legends in commentary texts are exemplifyied narrating method. Exemplying Method, explaining examples of words and concepts in language teaching are extremely important in terms of ensuring the permanence of words. We can see this method in th

Özet

Dil öğretimi alanında geçmişten günümüze birçok farklı yöntem ve metot geliştirilmiş ve denenmiştir. Osmanlı döneminde fethedilen topraklarla birçok farklı dili konuşan bir tebaanın yönetimi, farklı dillerde yazılmış eserleri okuma-anlama ihtiyacı, gramer, akaid kitaplarının ve lügatlerin yazılmasını gerekli kılmıştır. Bununla birlikte dolaylı olarak aynı amaçla özellikle Farsçadan birçok eser (Mevlânâ'nın Mesnevî'si, Sa'dî'nin Bostan ve Gülistan'ı, Attar'ın Mantıku't-Tayr ve Pend-nâme'si, Hâfız-ı Şirâzî, Molla Câmî, Saib-i Tebrizî ve Urfî-i Şirazî'nin vs. dîvânları) tercüme ve şerh edilmiştir. Bu çerçevede ortaya çıkan tercüme ve şerh çalışmalarının, metni anlama ve anlamlandırma amacının bulunmasının yanı sıra okuyucuya, şerh edilen eserin dilini öğretme amacı da bulunmaktadır. Bu durumu şerh metinlerindeki gramatikal izahlar, ekkök izahları, lügat bilgisi, kelime etimolojileri, eş ve zıt anlamlı kelime örnekleri, edebî sanat izahları, cümle çevirileri, kaynak dilin öğretimine yönelik tekniklerin kullanılması ve Osmanlı medreselerinde birçok şerh metninin Farsça öğretiminde ders kitabı olarak okutulmuş olması desteklemektedir. Osmanlı döneminde dil öğretiminde kullanılan ve geliştirilen tekniklerin günümüzde bu alanda eğitim veren eğitimcilere ulaştırılması dil öğretimine yeni bakış açıları kazandıracaktır. Bu çalışmada, Farsça eserlere yazılan klasik şerh metinlerinde yer alan dil öğretim tekniklerinin yanı sıra dil öğretiminin başka bir boyutu olan kültür öğretiminde kullanılan teknikler de tespit edilerek bu metotların günümüz dil öğretimi alanında kullanımına yönelik öneriler sunulacaktır