Views of the Students Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language on Distance Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 4, 71 - 91, 01.07.2022

Nurettin Kartallıoğlu

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.80.9.4

Cited By: 1

Öz

This study examines the views of international students learning Turkish as a foreign language (TFL)through distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is qualitative by nature and employed the case study method. The study group consisted of 31 nationals from different countries who had to take preparatory TFL courses in order to qualify as undergraduate students at the faculty of Engineering of the Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University during the 2019-2020 academic year. A semi-structured interview form was used to determine the views of the participating foreign students on distance education during the pandemic. The results showed a decline in the expected language levels of the students due to technology and education-related problems they experienced during their distance learning process. While the students expressed the positive aspects of distance education as protection from the virus, recording of the classes which allowed repeated viewing, gaining experience, and saving time; the negative aspects expressed by the students were lack of previous experience in distance education, feelings of isolation, and having trouble asking for clarification when a teaching point was not understood during classes. More than half of the students stated that their motivation had increased during distance education and that they reported improvement in all their language skills but speaking. While the TFL students expressed positive opinions about online exams stating that they experienced less exam stress and did not have to go to school to take them, they also mentioned negative aspects of those exams such as technical problems they experienced while taking the exams and a high likelihood of cheating. Suggestions were made by the researcher based on the findings.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, teaching Turkish to foreigners via distance education, language teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic., Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, teaching Turkish to foreigners via distance education, language teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kaynakça

• Ahmad, S. Z. (2016). The flipped classroom model to develop Egyptian efl students’ listening comprehension. English Language Teaching, 9(9), 166-178.
• Alan, Y., Biçer, N., & Can, F. (2020). Perspectives of pre-service teachers on distance education: covid-19 process. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica, 29(5), 1972-1984.
• Allo, M. D. G. (2020). Is the online learning good in the midst of covid-19 pandemic? The case of efl learners. Journal Sinestesia, 10(1), 1-10.
• Ariyanti, M. (2020). EFL students’ challenges towards home learning policy during covid-19 outbreak. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 167-175.
• Atmojo, A. E. P., & Nugroho, A. (2020). EFL classes must go online! Teaching activities and challenges during covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Register Journal, 13(1), 49-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18326/rgt.v13i1.49-76
• Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, K. E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. & Demirel, F. (2016). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri [Scientific research methods]. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Carrillo, C., & Flores, M., A. (2020) Covid-19 and teacher education: a literature review of online teaching and learning practices, European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 466-487, DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2020.1821184
• Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. A. (2015). Research methods, design, and analysis. UK: Pearson Education Limited
• Cohen, L. Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Council of Higher Education (2020). Üniversitelerde uygulanacak uzaktan eğitime ilişkin açıklama. Retrieved from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Haberler/2020/universitelerde-uygulanacak-uzaktan-egitime-iliskin-aciklama.aspx
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative research methods. In qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches. Ankara: Siyasal Bookstore.
• Dabbagh, N., & Brenda B. (2005). Online learning: Concepts, strategies, and application. Pearson.
• Doğan, Y. (2020). Turkish university students’ views on distance online foreign language learning. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 18(1), 483-504. https://doi.org/10.37217/tebd.655955
• Dolmacı, M., & Dolmacı, A. (2020). The views of lecturers in foreign language teaching via synchronous distance education: A Covid19 case. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 18(2), 706-732.
• Efriana, L. (2021). Problems of online learning during covid-19 pandemic in EFL classroom and the solution. Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature, 2(1), 38-47.
• Erzen, E., & Ceylan, M. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic and distance education: problems in implementation. Ekev Academy Journal, 24. 229-248.
• Famularsih, S. (2020). Students’ experiences in using online learning applications due to covid-19 in English classroom. Studies in Learning and Teaching, 1(2), 112-121.
• Farrah, M., & Al-Bakry, G. H. (2020). Online learning for EFL students in Palestinian universities during corona pandemic: Advantages, challenges and solutions. Indonesian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 3(2), 65-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25134/ijli.v3i2.3677
• Güngör, H., Çangal, Ö., & Demir, T. (2020). The views of learners and instructors as to distant teaching Turkish as a foreign language. Gazi University Journal of Gazi Educational Faculty, 40(3), 1163-1191
• Hernández, S. S. F., & Flórez, A. N. S. (2020). Online teaching during covid-19: how to maintain students motivated in an EFL class, Linguistics and Literature Review, 6(2), 157- 171. https://doi.org/10.32350/llr.62.14
• İşman, A. (2011). Öğretim teknolojileri ve materyal tasarımı [Instructional technologies and material development] (4. edition). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Karakış, Ö. (2020). The view of the relationship between university students’ opinions about distance learning environments and English course success. Abant İzzet Baysal University Journal of Faculty of Education, 20(4), 1711-1728.
• Kaya, Z. (2002). Uzaktan eğitim [Distance education]. Ankara: Pegem A Yayıncılık.
• Kırık, A. M. (2014). Historical development of distance education and the situation in Turkey. Marmara University Journal of Communication, 21, 73-94.
• Mahib ur Rahman, M. (2020). Challenges and solutions of teaching English as a foreign language online during a global pandemic like covid-19: Saudi EFL teachers’ perspectives. Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 55(6), 1-9. DOI：10.35741/issn.0258-2724.55.6.10
• Nenko, Y., Кybalna, N., & Snisarenko, Y. (2020). The covid-19 distance learning: insight from Ukrainian students. Revista Brasileira de Educação do Campo, 5, 8925-8925.
• Özaygen, A. (2000). Internet-based distance education. Journal of Science and Technology, 388, 100-103.
• Öztürk Karataş, T., & Tuncer, H. (2020). Sustaining language skills development of pre-service efl teachers despite the covid- 19 interruption: A case of emergency distance education. Sustainability, 12(19), 1-34, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198188
• Paker, T. (2017). Durum çalışması [Case study]. In Fatma Nevra Seggie & Yasemin Bayyurt (Eds.), Nitel araştırma: Yöntem, teknik, analiz ve yaklaşımları [Qualitative research: method, technique, and approaches] (pp. 119-135). Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
• Payne, J.S. (2020). Developing L2 productive language skills online and the strategic use of instructional tools. Foreign Lang. Ann. 53, 243–249
• Rahman, K. (2020). Learning amid crisis: EFL students’ perception on online learning during covid-19 outbreak. Eternal, 6(2), 179-194.
• Tawhida, A. (2020). Problems and challenges faced by elf students of Saudi Arabia during covid-19 pandemic. Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities. 12(5), 1-7.
• Tirtanawati, M.R. (2021). Virtual learning program in the midst of Covid-19 outbreak: EFL learners’ perceptions. A Journal of English Language Teaching Linguistics and Literature, 4(1), 21-31.
• Turkish Academy of Sciences, (2020). Covid-19 Pandemi Değerlendirme Raporu. Retrieved from http://www.tuba.gov.tr/files/images/2020/kovidraporu/Covid-19%20Raporu-Final%2B.pdf
• Uşun, S. (2006). Uzaktan eğitim [Distance education]. Ankara: Nobel Yayın Dağıtım.
• Yalın, H. İ. (2003). Öğretim teknolojileri ve materyal geliştirme [Instructional technologies and material development] (8. Edition). Ankara: Nobel Yayınları.
• Yanpar, T. (2009). Öğretim tasarımı ve materyal geliştirme [Instructional design and material development]. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri [Qualitative research methods in social studies] (10. Edition). Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.