“ALL IN ALL, I AM BILINGUAL” A STUDY OF BILINGUALISM

Year 2016, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 171 - 179, 30.04.2016

Zeynep Canlı , Bekir Canlı

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate whether EFL instructors in a university preparatory school consider themselves bilingual, or not; and the reasons for the EFL instructors to consider themselves bilingual or not. For the purpose of the study, a qualitative research was carried out. Thirty EFL instructors participated in this study. The data were collected via an open-ended questionnaire. Analyzing the results indicated that most of the participants considered themselves bilingual. The results of the study emphasized the importance of awareness of being bilingual in order to empower EFL instructors, encourage them to use more L2 in the classroom, and raise their self-esteem as non-native speakers of English. The findings help instructors to make them less concerned about the grammar and focus more on communication, and explain their students that they would be bilingual too. This study might be pedagogical help and significance to teachers interested in bilingualism in EFL context.

Keywords

Bilingualism, bilingual, EFL teachers

References

• Verhoeven, L., & Vermeer, A. (2002). Communicative competence and personality dimensions in first and second language learners. Applied Psycholinguistics, 23 (3), 361-374. Webster, N. (1961) Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language. London: Bell & Sons.