From perceptions to policy: Unpacking systemic and socio-ecological roots of false beginner identity in EFL education in Türkiye

Abstract

False beginner learners—those who remain stuck in beginner-level English classes despite repeated attempts—are commonly mislabeled as lazy or intellectually limited. This study re-examines false beginner identity in the Turkish EFL context through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model. The study draws upon qualitative data from 130 university students enrolled in pre-sessional English programs. Thematic analysis of learner attributions reveals systemic patterns of curricular redundancy, exam-driven marginalization of English, demotivating microsocial environments, and the absence of communicative exposure. Rather than viewing learners as deficient, the study locates the roots of false beginner status in macro-, exo-, and micro-level misalignments. Policy implications include integrating English into national high-stakes assessments, scaffolding vertical curriculum continuity, and utilizing digital resources for autonomous learning. This ecological reframing emphasizes that learner stagnation is not a personal failure but a reflection of fragmented language education systems in need of structural coherence and cultural revaluation.

Keywords

• false beginner
• ecological model
• EFL
• language policy
• learner perceptions
• Turkish education

Algıdan politikaya: Türkiye’de yabancı dil eğitiminde sözde başlangıç düzeyi öğrencisi kimliğinin sistemik ve sosyo-ekolojik Kökenleri

Öz

Sözde başlangıç düzeyi öğrencileri—İngilizce’ye daha önce çokça maruz kalmış olmalarına rağmen başlangıç seviyesi İngilizce derslerinde sıkışıp kalan bireyler—sıklıkla tembellik ya da zihinsel yetersizlikle damgalanırlar. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen öğrenciler arasında görülen sözde başlangıç düzeyi kimliğini Bronfenbrenner’ın ekolojik modeli çerçevesinde yeniden ele almaktadır. Hazırlık sınıflarına kayıtlı 130 üniversite öğrencisinden toplanan nitel verilere dayanan çalışmada, öğrenci atıflarına yönelik tematik analiz; program tekrarları, sınav odaklı sistemin İngilizceyi marjinalleştirmesi, motivasyonu düşüren mikro sosyal çevreler ve iletişimsel pratik eksikliği gibi sistematik örüntüleri ortaya koymaktadır. Öğrencileri yetersiz olarak değerlendirmek yerine, sözde başlangıç düzeyi durumunun kökenleri makro, egzo ve mikro düzeylerdeki yapısal uyumsuzluklarda aranmaktadır. Politika önerileri arasında İngilizcenin ulusal düzeydeki yüksek riskli sınavlara entegre edilmesi, müfredatlar arasında dikey bütünlüğün sağlanması ve dijital kaynaklar aracılığıyla özerk öğrenmenin desteklenmesi yer almaktadır. Bu ekolojik yeniden çerçeveleme, öğrenci başarısızlığını bireysel bir eksiklik olarak değil, yapısal bütünlükten ve kültürel yeniden değerlemeden yoksun bir dil eğitimi sisteminin yansıması olarak görmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• sözde başlangıç düzeyi öğrencisi
• ekolojik model
• yabancı dil olarak İngilizce
• dil politikası

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