About

Description of the Department

The Foreign Languages Teaching Department was established as a sub-branch of The Department of Educational Sciences in The Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the year 2000 and it was restructured upon the foundation of The Faculty of Education in 2004. In the fall semester of 2012-13, the preparatory program  was launched in our department located on the Davutpaşa Campus. The curriculum consists of courses intended for teaching second language acquisition, approaches to teaching a second language, and improving teaching skills in foreign language education. Students have the opportunity to contribute to their own professional development by choosing courses in line with their areas of interest -  in addition to the required second foreign language courses (German). Courses taught in the first two years, help students form the basis of  how the English language works in general.  The purpose of courses taught in the third and fourth year  is to provide students with professional skills by taking courses  that include evaluation, material design, and teaching English to young learners. Senior students  prepare  for their prospective  teaching positions through implementing what they have covered  previously - both theoretically and practically throughout their education. Our students are better prepared for their teaching positions by participating in teaching internships in an actual classroom environment in schools governed by The Ministry of Education,determined byinstructors from the faculty.

In our department, we have 1 associate professor, 4 assistant professors, 4 instructors, and 4 research assistants. Our instructors and research assistants pursue their graduate degrees (both M.A. and Ph.D.).

 

Features of the Department

Even though it  was recently established, our department has a young, dynamic teaching staff  who have been developing  quickly in their areas of specialization. Although courses are conducted in a face-to-face  setting, faculty members support students by employing educational technologies in line with requirements of the new technological era. This training is provided to students in their free time. In addition,, students are equipped with skills geared toward foreign language education  that contributes to their professional development to a large extent. As for the requirements of the Community Service  Course - students initiate social responsibility projects in collaboration with non-governmental organizations such as Türkiye Eğitim Gönüllüleri Vakfı, Darülaceze, LÖSEV and they contribute to raise awareness of social responsibility in our society.

 

Job opportunities for Graduates

The primary goal of the Foreign Language Education Department is to  cultivate modern,sophisticated English teachers for an international ESL arena. There are a variety of job opportunities for graduates of our department. The first one is working as an English teacher in state or private schools governed by The Ministry of Education. Our graduates can also work as instructors and lecturers at The School of Foreign Languages in various state and private universities. Furthermore, some of our graduates pursue a Masters degree in academic life. Some of them are assigned to various administrative and executive duties within the boundaries of European Union studies. In addition, they have the chance to work in foreign exchange departments of banks, or to work as guides or translators/interpreters in national or international companies.

 

Accreditation and International Opportunities

Our department has been a member of The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and has completed the accreditation courses. The English Language Teaching field has the degree corresponding to the first phase of accreditation with 240 ECTS. The department has a bilateral agreement with 17 universities from different European countries  that include Germany, Austria, Spain, Sweden, and Italy. Furthermore, approximately 15 students and two faculty members from our department are involved in the Erasmus Program  each year. Similarly, both academicians and students from these European countries take part in the Erasmus Program and contribute to the productive teaching and learning environment in our department.

 

 

Internship Information and Research Facilities

Students in their 7th and 8th semesters, take school observation and practice teaching courses. For these courses, they visit primary and secondary schools for their observation and teaching tasks. Within the scope of these courses, they have the opportunity to do their internships in schools at different levels, such as Çapa Anatolian Teacher Training School, Şair Nedim Primary School and Adnan Menderes Anatolian High School that are located in various parts of Istanbul. In our department, there are many facilities, such as laptops, data projectors, video cameras and voice recorders that  can be used by both instructors and students in their presentations and projects.

 

Student Events and Activities

Students studying in our department can take part in the activities of student clubs and all social, cultural and sports activities that are held at Yildiz Technical University. In April and May, sports and cultural festivals are organized by student clubs and organizations. These festivals include sports competitions, conferences, panels, theater performances, concerts and films that are all run by students.

Students studying in our department create exhibitions to display foreign language teaching materials they have developed in their courses. Students get involved in volunteering within the scope of the Community Service Course and participate in activities for charity like our Charity Bazaar. Students also organize panels, conferences, trips and exhibitions both in the department and at the university. Academicians, writers, journalists and artists also take part in these activities. Students participating in cultural and scientific activities can gain broader and more diverse perspectives, expand their horizons and deepen their visions.