Preparing Future Primary Education English Teachers in Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to critically evaluate the current teacher education for primary school English teacher in Turkey in terms of how adequately it prepares prospective teachers to teach young learners at schools in light of the available research studies and the author's own ongoing research predominantly English language teaching (ELT) in local context. The current state of ELT in Turkish primary education has been investigated, and an innovation into the primary school English teacher education programme that is intended to prepare future teachers more effectively for their teaching profession has been proposed. The new programme comprises real-life problem-based scenarios from the actual classroom practices of primary teachers to give hands-on problem solving experiences to teacher candidates, as well as video recordings from young learner classes, and practice teaching in real young learner classes. Baldauf and Kaplan's (2005) framework of language-in-education policy goals is employed to analyse primary English as a foreign language (EFL) policy context in Turkey, and some recommendations are made on curriculum policy for a proposed teacher education course to teach English to young learners. Although these recommendations are relevant to the present context of primary EFL teacher education in Turkey, they may inform policymaking in other Asian countries.