Investigation of the achievement scores of the people learning Turkish as a foreign language according to linguistic distance

Derya Çobanoğlu Aktan,Kayhan İnan

doi:10.14527/pegegog.2018.002

Derya Çobanoğlu Aktan, Kayhan İnan

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14527/pegegog.2018.002

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Abstract

In this study, predictor variables (age, gender, region and language family) affecting the scores of Turkish language learners are examined through multiple regression method. The study group consisted of 280 international students registered to Turkish Language Teaching Centers located at Gazi and Hacettepe Universities. The research data were obtained from the Turkish course completion exam papers and personal information forms. According to the results, the average scores of the students from the Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European, Bantu, Sino-Tibetan and Austronesian language families were lower than those from the Altai language family. Additionally, the writing scores of the students from the Afro-Asiatic and Austronesian language families; the speaking scores of the students from Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European language families; reading comprehension scores of the students from Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European, Bantu and Sino-Tibetan language families and grammar scores of the students from Sino-Tibetan and Austronesian language families were lower than the scores of the Altai language family. In addition, while the age variable was found to have a positive effect on speaking scores, it was observed that area and gender variables were not significant predicators of scores. Findings are discussed in the light of literature and suggestions for further research are provided.

Highlights

In the world of living beings that surrounds us, language that gives a great advantage to humans over the other creatures is one of the greatest obstacles in communicating with their own kind
Foreign language was used as a term to describe languages other than mother tongue, but today the term "foreign language" is used to refer to "language that is learned to communicate with people from other nations, or to read a book written in a foreign language or a scientific writing" (Stern, 1991, p.16)
When the t-test results on the significance of the regression coefficients are handled, it is apparent that age as a predictive variable is a significant predictor over the writing scores of Austronesian and the Afro-Asiatic language families

Summary

Introduction

In the world of living beings that surrounds us, language that gives a great advantage to humans over the other creatures is one of the greatest obstacles in communicating with their own kind. While the diversity and complexity of the human language creates a great barrier for communication, humans’ activities on earth have led them to know different languages. As in the past, knowing more than one language today and having the ability to communicate with people from different languages keep much of its significance. Foreign language was used as a term to describe languages other than mother tongue, but today the term "foreign language" is used to refer to "language that is learned to communicate with people from other nations, or to read a book written in a foreign language or a scientific writing" (Stern, 1991, p.16). Learning a foreign language involves acquisition of a new linguistic system composed of meanings and sounds; learning different styles of communication functions and conversational rules appropriate and valid for this system

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