Reforming English Language Teaching Undergraduate Programs for Age Divisions in Türkiye: Perspectives of In-Service English Language Teachers

Abstract

As opposed to their counterparts in many other countries (such as the USA, Poland, Finland, South Korea, China, Japan, etc.) and many other subject teachers (such as Science, Turkish Language, Mathematics, etc.), in-service English language teachers in Turkey are entitled to teach at all levels of schools. In this respect, the aim of the study is to; a) shed light on the degree to which their undergraduate training prepares in-service English language teachers for the school levels they work at, and b) reveal whether in-service English language teachers think that English Language Teaching (ELT) undergraduate programs should be reformed as ‘ELT for young learners’ and ‘ELT for teenagers/adults’ by employing a qualitative research design. The findings of the study clearly demonstrate that a great majority of in-service English language teachers feel neither prepared and/or competent enough for nor willing to teach at pre-primary and primary school levels. In addition, it has been concluded that, from the perspectives of in-service English language teachers, ELT undergraduate programs in Turkish context need to be reformed in line with the school levels specified by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE).