An Analysis of Theses Written on Teaching English to Young Learners in Turkey

Year 2021, Volume: 7 Issue: 2, 356 - 370, 22.10.2021

Şeyda Selen Çimen Betul Bal Gezegin

https://doi.org/10.31464/jlere.958734

Abstract

This review study examines all the master’s and doctoral theses completed on teaching English to young learners (TEYL) between the years 2014 and 2020 in Turkey. Eighty theses and dissertations indexed in the Turkish National Theses Database were included in the study. The tendencies in the theses in terms of sub-subjects covered, research designs applied, sampling methods used, research contexts targeted, and overall findings were identified and discussed. This paper provides an account of recent graduate research in TEYL to be a reference for researchers and supervisors in the field by presenting the results of a conceptual and descriptive analysis of the theses. Furthermore, by interpreting the tendencies in research methodology and over/under-studied areas in the field, the study reveals possible gaps and research opportunities in the field of TEYL.

Keywords

Teaching English, Young Learners, Theses, Review, Graduate Research

References

• Alpaslan, R. S. (2015). Digitalized learning activities to promote speaking skills. Unpublished M.A. Thesis, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
• Ayas, N. (2014). An investigation of teachers’ conception and practices concerning assessment in English for young learners classroom. Unpublished Master's thesis. Çağ University. Mersin, Turkey.
• Bayrak, S. (2017). Comparative effectiveness of input-based instructions on L2 grammar knowledge: Textual enhancement and processing instruction. Unpublished M.A. Thesis, Sakarya University, Sakarya, İstanbul.
• Bayyurt, Y. (2010). Task based language learning and teaching. In B. Haznedar, & H. Uysal (Eds.). Handbook for Teaching Foreign Languages to Young Learners in Primary Schools (pp. 89-118). Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
• Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Çakır, N. (2020). Comparative analysis of teachers' beliefs and practices on the assessment of 4th grade-EFL students in Turkey, Italy and Finland. Unpublished M.A. Thesis, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey.
• Çelik-Korkmaz, Ş. (2016). Effects of multi-sensory language teaching on learners’ achievement in English vocabulary knowledge and listening and reading skills. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, Turkey.
• Çiltaş, A., Güler, G., & Sözbilir, M. (2012). Türkiye’de matematik eğitimi araştırmaları: Bir içerik analizi çalışması. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri, 12(1), 565-580.
• Copland, F., & Garton, S. (2014). Key themes and future directions in teaching English to young learners: introduction to the Special Issue. ELT journal, 68(3), 223-230.
• Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge, U.K: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.
• Doğar-Kayadelen, B. (2018). Peer editing as a writing assessment to young learners in English writing classes. Unpublished Master's thesis, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
• Ellis, G. (2014). ‘Young learners’: clarifying our terms. ELT journal, 68(1), 75-78.
• Emerson, R. M., Fretz, R. I., & Shaw, L. L. (1995). Writing ethnographic fieldnotes. University of Chicago Press.
• Enever, J. (2011). ELLiE. Early Language Learning in Europe. London: British Council.
• Fişne, F. N. (2016). An integrated language testing program for the 4th grade young EFL learners: An attainment-based perspective. Unpublished Master's thesis, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
• Garton, S., Copland, F., & Burns, A. (2011). Investigating global practices in teaching English to young learners. ELT Research papers, 11(1), 1-24.
• Göktaş, Y., Kucuk, S., Aydemir, M., Telli, E., Arpacik, O., Yildirim, G., & Reisoglu, I. (2012). Educational technology research trends in Turkey: A content analysis of the 2000-2009 decade. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 12(1), 191-199.
• Göksu, A. (2014). The effects of corrective feedback on the grammar acquisition of young learners through the focus-on-form instruction in an EFL context. Unpublished Master's thesis, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
• Gülşen, E. (2018). Effects of online differentiated reading in reading comprehension skills and learner autonomy of young Learners. Unpublished Master's thesis, Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Turkey.
• Güngör, M. N., & Ekşi, G. (2019). A Review of Research on Teaching English to Young Learn-ers in EFL Contexts (2008-2018). Research trends in English language teacher education and English language teaching, 481-504.
• Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. Longman
• Haznedar, B. (2010). A Story-Based Methodology for Young Learners. In B. Haznedar & H. H. Uysal (Eds.), Handbook for Teaching Foreign Languages to Young Learners in Primary Schools, (pp. 253-276). Ankara: Anı Publications.
• İstifanoğlu, E. G. (2020). The influence of voki on learners' speaking skill in the EFL context: A case study with young learners. Unpublished Master's thesis, Çağ Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
• Kırkgöz, Y. (2018). Fostering young learners’ listening and speaking skills. In S. Garton and F. Copland (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English to Young Learners (pp. 171-187). New York: Routledge.
• Lenneberg, E. (1967). The biological foundations of language. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• MoNE. (2018). English curriculum (primary and middle school 2nd-8th grades). Ankara.
• Murphy, V. A. (2014). Second Language Learning in the Early School Years: Trends and Contexts. Oxford Applied Linguistics: Oxford University Press.
• Pehlivan, D. S. (2020). The use of EBA (education information network) in teaching vocabulary and grammar to EFL young learners. Unpublished Master's thesis, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Tukey.
• Phillips, S. (1993). Young learners. Oxford University Press.
• Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching Young Language Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Özdemir, Ö. (2017). The effect of language portfolio on young learners’ self-assessment and language learning autonomy. Unpublished Master's thesis, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
• Spolsky, B., & Moon, Y. (2012). Primary school English-language education in Asia: From policy to practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Tatar, S., & Yıldız, S. (2010). Under use of technology: Perspectives from Turkish teachers of English. The 35th Annual Conference of the Association for Teacher. Education in Europe (ATEE), Budapest, Hungary.
• Walsh, S. (2002). Construction or obstruction: teacher talk and learner involvement in the EFL classroom. Language Teaching Research, 6(1), 3– 23.
• Yurchak, M. (2016). The role of culture in a young learner’s EFL context. Unpublished Master's thesis, Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Turkey.
• Zimmer, L. (2006). Qualitative meta‐synthesis: a question of dialoguing with texts. Journal of advanced nursing, 53(3), 311-318.