International Journal of Language Academy

12-26

Authors: Gülten KOŞAR & Hasan BEDİR

Speaking skill has been claimed to be at the core of language learning. The claim has been expanded with the assumption that aptitude for accomplishing successful oral production is the equivalence of successful language learning. Many factors such as motivation level, methods and materials used in the classroom, atmosphere of the setting where learners are taught, the amount of chances for practicing target language can be mentioned among the broad range of factors exerting influence on speaking skill. One of the compromised conceptions about the proficiency of Turkish adult EFL Learners regarding their speaking skill is upon the entanglements encountered by them in due course of oral communication. Thus, this study which was conducted on 72 university prep-class students whose age rank differed between 18-21 years monitored the progress in the speaking skill of the experimental group (N=37) exposed to strategy training relevant to speaking for four months and compared the collected data with the data of the group (N=35) not trained specifically on language learning strategies. Speaking strategies questionnaire, speaking test, semi-structured interview, researcher’s diary, and minute papers were the instruments utilized in order for data collection. Findings obtained from the qualitative and quantitative data showed that the students in the training group made a meaningful improvement in their speaking skills as compared to those in the comparison group.

40-73

Authors: Haluk GÖKALP

Throughout history, the Turks have established numerous states, these states political, military and economic advantage of a variety of methods have to make it successful. With the experience of centuries of the Ottoman Empire brought the state understand the importance of intelligence, and it has been used as an important tool in the state administration. Between these intelligence dil almak widely used is one of the methods. This method can be defined as an enemy combatant, and get information from the prisoners. Intelligence about the enemy army in times of war and peace, the method used to get the Ottoman Empire's political, social, economic, and even cultural life is also affected. Which has an impact on Ottoman land system, the method of historical texts in the field of classical Turkish literature has found a wide cultural. The word dil is used as a military term, used as independent for centuries and in different fields such as dil almak, dil getirmek, dil tutmak in different ways, such as keeping statement has found its place in the Turkish language and literature. Which consists of three sections, the first section of this article as a way to capture intelligence from a historical perspective, after reviewing the literature, how to couch the issue in the second part we will try to reflect that. In the third section as a military term language words and phrases derived from this word since the beginning of the adventure in the history of the Turkish language will endeavor to demonstrate. In our study, all three sections located, historical document-i Al-i Osman, etc. gazavat-name. verse or prose works on history and scanning divans which are above hundred divan.History, literature and languages that are related to the field at the end of each chapter in this study the results of the section are also indicated.

88-98

Authors: Gökhan ÇETİNKAYA & Hakan ÜLPER & Nihat BAYAT

There are two main aims of this research. The primary aim is to develop a reliable and valid connectives test to determine students’ connectives knowledge. The secondary aim is to determine whether students connectives’ knowledge significantly varied in terms of gender, grade level, reading frequency and writing frequency. This descriptive study was conducted on 934 students who were studying at secondary school fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade in 2013-2014 academic year in Antalya, Burdur, Niğde, Ordu, İstanbul and Gaziantep. The data were collected using connectives test which was developed by authors and personal forms to describe personal traits of the students. As a result of research, a valid and reliable 28-item scale was developed to measure students’ connectives knowledge. On the base of research findings; the students’ connectives knowledge test points are significantly differenced interms of gender, grade level, reading frequency and writing frequency. It was seen that, mean scores of girls are higher than boys, as well as in terms of grade levels eighth grade participants have a higher success than fifth and sixth grade level participants. In addition, it is found that, the average of students who never or rarely read is lower than the students who read more frequently. Similarly, students average with low writing frequency was found lower than students with more frequent writing.

120-132

Authors: Meliha R. ŞİMŞEK

Thanks to the technological innovations and the rapid diversification in the demography of its speakers, English has emerged as a lingua franca for a multilingual community worldwide, while centennial myths like the use of the students’ native language (L1) in the EFL class have come under question with the increased interest in learner needs and learner autonomy. In this study, an exit survey consisting of three open-ended questions were given to 24 Turkish learners of English studying at the preparatory class (Dokuz Eylul University), after receiving contrastive grammar instruction for five weeks. During the form-focused instruction, the students were enabled to capitalize on the L1 concepts of modality as a resource for the restructuring of the target items with the help of the bilingual grammar activities. When their responses to the exit survey were subjected to descriptive analysis, the following results were obtained: the majority of the participants approved the use of the mother tongue during grammar instruction, as it not only facilitates and accelerates the learning process, but also results in a more meaningful, comprehensible and memorable kind of learning. They also indicated that native language use reduces their anxiety as well as promoting interest and confidence in their learning process.

157-169

Authors: Melis MÜLAZIMOĞLU ERKAL

This study aims to explore the change in vampire identity in contemporary supernatural fiction. As Auerbach (1995) has stated, vampires are personifications of their age and thus, their appeal is generational. Vampires are strong metaphors that tell a lot about national fears and traumatic past of one society. This fascinating dark image talks about ideological and generational spirit of a culture. Earlier, vampires have been literary characters that point to otherness and the fears of one culture. Vampire was an outsider, a threatening stranger with fangs and old-fashioned clothes, living on the outskirts of the town and who killed for a reason behind. However, the monster image has been changed so far. Not to forget their monster nature all together, vampires with leading roles represented in contemporary supernatural fiction have become mainstream, civilized, tamed, vulnerable and almost human in many ways. In order to exemplify this argument, two narratives are chosen: The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight 2005, New Moon 2006, Eclipse 2007, Breaking Dawn 2008) and The Southern Vampire Mysteries (2001-2010) -aka True Blood- by Charlaine Harris. Their evolution or rather demystification of their true vampire nature can be explained in terms of globalization of consumer capitalism, postmodernity and audience reception theory. Additionally, purpose of this study is to discuss the change in contemporary representation of the vampire from “anti-Christ to sympathetic next-door neighbor” (Zanger, 1997) as reflected in the texts, Twilight Saga and True Blood.

186-193

Authors: Arzu ÖZYÖN

The aim of this study is to analyse German author Gretel Wachtel’s novel called Gretel’s Story in relation to the theme of opposition. In this context, mostly the text-based method will be used along with the secondary sources that will be used to handle the theme of opposition in a detailed way. Therefore, a pluralistic approach will be handled during the study. In the study, Gretel’s opposition to the power (Hitler regime) which takes place during the II. World War in her memoirs will be discussed in terms of humanism and politics. For this reason, firstly the definition of humanism will be given. Then the initiation of Gretel’s opposition to the power individually and with hümanist feelings and the development of this opposition in time taking a political dimension will be focused on. The reasons of Gretel’s opposition to the Nazi regime, and to what extent her grandfather’s being a Democrat and her best friend’s being a Jewish, has affected her opposition against the power will be discussed. The role of the injustices and the torments done to the Jewish people, in her decision to carry her opposition to a political dimension will be expressed, and how several illegal events she witnessed as she was working at Wehrmacht base shaped her opposition into1 a political one will be emphasized. However, it will be reached as a result that despite this humanist and political opposition and the minor success she gained in her struggle, Gretel’s opposition hasn’t gone beyond an individual opposition, and she could only save the lives of a few Jewish people, apart from that she couldn’t gain a great success.

208-231

Authors: Ahmet Zeki GÜVEN & Sercan HALAT & Mazhar BAL

Turkish course books are the most important equipment for turkish language teachers. Thanks to the coursebooks consisting of qualified texts,including affective and cognitive skills and prepared considering turkish language curriculum's objectives, students develop their word attract skills besides their language awareness and language proficiency. The most commonly used materials for turkish lessons are the course books, so the quality of texts in the course books becomes more important. Therefore, when creating text in the book, which examines the text from the field of science is necessary to use adequately. Text linguitics is the main science that analyses the texts in the course books. The subject of text linguistics is to analyse not only sentences in the text but also the whole text. Moreover, text linguistics deals with the relation with the elements that compose the text. Analysing the structure and function of text are the subjects of text linguistics. To commentate the appropriateness of informative texts which are in Turkish for 6th graders, fictional texts and poems in terms of textuality criteria is the aim of this paper. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. In this paper, the appropriateness of the texts which are in Turkish for 6th graders coursebook is analized according to the textuality criteria scale that Iºeri (2010) designated. As a result of this analysis, the texts in Turkish for 6th graders coursebook are not designed and selected taking account of textuality criteria.

243-261

Authors: Derya ADALAR SUBAŞI

Layla and Majnun is a universal story which attracted the attention of readers from all walks for centuries. It has been an inspiration to many writers. At every turn it has been trying to revive in various fields of theater, cinema etc. and also in every artistic areas. In accordance with this inspiration in various versions of the story began to be seen in Turkish and world literature, so the story has gained an intertextual dimension. This love story attracting the attention of readers for centuries will be presented accompanied by a sample article translated by me from Arabic. So that it will be discussed and re-discussed how texts, events, historical personalities from east to west, past to present has changed, In this context, it will be evaluated how to re-emerge originally Arabic Literature love story Leyla and Majnun story with French Aragon’s Elsa’s Majnun in Andalus. The article is beginning with an introduction which telling the story of Leyla and Majnun in Arabic Literature. It continues with a translation of an article that relates to Arabic and Persian origin story which handled by Aragon. In this translated article, the work of Aragon from Elsa's Majnun historical, religious, mystical and the love story of the main issues are considered in the context of space.After the translation, an evaluation will be presented about the study of Aragon and Arabic origin story of Layla and Majnun and the Turkish translation of that study. This article is an example of intertextuality’s intercultural and interlanguage appearance in literature.

283-301

Authors: Nihat BAYAT & Güçlü ŞEKERCİOĞLU

This study aimed to develop the Writing Sensitivity Scale, to determine its psychometric properties and to investigate how sensitivity toward writing differed according to participants’ demographic characteristics. The research group of this survey study involved preservice Turkish language teachers studying at Akdeniz University, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Dokuz Eylül University and Niğde University. In order to develop the instrument and to determine its psychometric properties, data were collected from 396 participants for the pilot study and from 375 participants for the main study. The Writing Sensitivity Scale involving 37 items is scored with a 5-point rating scale. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha analysis were carried out for data analysis. As a result of the analyses, the construct validity of the scores obtained through the Writing Sensitivity Scale and the reliability of the scale in terms of internal consistency can be considered high. In addition, common effects of the variables of sex and grade point average as well as the variables of sex and class level on writing sensitivity were significant. The main effects of the variables of grade point average and frequency of writing on writing sensitivity were significant as well. On the other hand, common effects of the variables of sex and frequency of writing; frequency of writing and frequency of reading books; and lastly frequency of writing and grade point average on writing sensitivity were not significant.

319-336

Authors: Serdarhan Musa TAŞKAYA

There are various stages in education. Primary schools from one of these stages and arranged according to the ages of the students are admitted as the main stage of the education. In primary school, student is intended to be educated and improved in all respects. In Turkey, teachers who have been responsible for the education teaching agency in primary school lasting four years since 2012 are primary- school teachers. Primary-school teachers must be well educated so as to provide the qualification in primary schools education. In Turkey, one must graduate from primary-school teaching department within faculty of education in universities to be able to be a primary-school teacher, which is a requirement. One of the courses of this department is ‘Turkish Language Teaching course’ that is the course the primary-school teachers have mostly. The subjects of this course are expressed in the curriculum prepared by Higher Education Council; however, how to teach it falls on the teacher responsible for its teaching. That’s why here it is aimed to have the point of views of the primary-school students relating to teaching the course ‘Turkish’. The study has been patterned as the descriptive research in scanning model. The data have been examined with descriptive analysis method. The research was executed in the academic year of 2013-2014 in Mersin University. Participants were made up of 80 students studying primary-class teaching in third class. That ‘Turkish Language Teaching ‘ course should be implemented with micro teaching method, that micro teaching is helpful, besides, the opinion that teaching theoretical knowledge more would be useful were all expressed by most of the participants. Also, it was noted that when lecturing the course ‘Turkish Language Teaching ’ there were not so many problems, and the problems experienced were mostly because of the excitement resulting from taking camera, time limit and also because of the technological deficiency in infrastructure of the class. At the end of the research, the duration of this course was proposed to be prolonged by two terms and to be taught with micro teaching method.