PRIMARY EDUCATION ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM REVIEW

MIDTERM ASSIGNMENT

Elif Mukime KARA 101020092

Şevval KURUMEHMETOĞLU 101020036

Zeynep ŞAHIN 101020057

ELT301

Assistant Professor Zeynep Cumhur ÇAMLIBEL ACAR

Marmara University

Ataturk Faculty of Education

October 25, 2022

Chronological outline of TEYL – Zeynep ŞAHİN

Curriculums change over time to keep up with developments and innovations in the
world we live in, and to prepare students for the ever-changing world. Over the years,
teaching English to young learners has been altered and undergone reforms as well with the
curriculums. The most significant changes can be listed as the 1997 education reform, the
update in 2006, the 4+4+4 system arrangement in 2012, and the 2014 English course’s
addition to the 2nd grade curriculum.

In 1997’s education reform, 8 years of compulsory education was introduced instead

of the previous 5-year. With this implementation, 4 th and 5th grade curriculums included
English as a course (Kirkgöz, 2007, p. 220). The 4 th and 5th grades curriculum included three
hours of compulsory English lessons a week (Kandemir, 2016, p. 37). Thus, teaching English
to young learners had been mentioned for the first time. With this reform, it has aimed to
improve student's communicative ability in English with 4 different skill types (Kirkgöz,
2007, p. 221), In this reform, it can be observed that communication and arousing the interest
and curiosity of the students towards English were emphasized (Kandemir, 2016, p. 37).
Therefore, attuning the students has become an objection.

In 2006, an update has been implemented by the MEB. While before this update the
main focus was on the product, the focus became the process (Kandemir, 2016, p. 40). Instead
of the grade and weekly hours, this update focused on the way of teaching.

In 2012, the education system drastically renewed and the 4+4+4 program was
implemented. In this system, it was decided that 2nd grade students take compulsory English
lessons. (Bayyurt, 2012, p. 98).
Currently, in the Turkish education system constructed by the Ministry of Education,
Young learners in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades have two hours of English lessons while the 5 th
graders have 3 hours ("İlköğretim kurumları (ilkokul-ortaokul) haftalık ders çizelgesi," n.d.).

Summary of the curriculum – Şevval KURUMEHMETOĞLU

According to the English Curriculum published by Turkey's Ministry of National

Education in 2018, we will examine the English lesson curriculum of the 3 rd graders. In the 3rd
grade English curriculum, which consists of a total of ten units, it is possible to see that each
unit focuses on listening and speaking, which are only two language skills of English. This
means that none of the ten units focus on the remaining English language skills, writing, and
reading.

When the context of the curriculum is examined, a pattern can be seen. It is possible to
see that there are songs, videos, rhymes, and illustrations in the context of the ten units. While
there are conversations in nine units, cartoons and signs are in seven units and captions are in
six units. In addition to these, there are many different contexts, although they are not used
often. These can be listed as blogs, fairy tales, podcasts, stories, radio recordings, maps,
weather reports, websites, e-mails, dictionaries, formal letters, personal letters, diaries, and
charts.

When tasks and activities in the 3rd grade English curriculum are examined, it is
possible to see that certain activities are used in all units, like it was examined in the context.
Arts and crafts, chants and songs, drama, drawing and coloring, questions and answers are
tasks and activities used in ten units of the 3rd grade English curriculum. In addition to these, it
is possible to see the following activities used in the curriculum: making puppets, labeling,
reordering, matching, and games.

Finally, when the assignments given to the 3rd graders are examined, it can be seen that
the assignments are about improving the vocabulary of the students, allowing them to talk
about their families and things they love and their interests, and also to motivate them to
interact with their classmates.

Evaluation of the curriculum – Elif Mukime KARA

The need for curriculum revisions is related to the evolution of cultural, social, and
political trends, but the fundamental principles of teaching foreign languages and young
learner characteristics remain the same. On this page, the English Curriculum published by
Turkey's Ministry of National Education in 2018, the 3rd grade English curriculum, which
consists of a total of ten units will be evaluated.

As it is obviously seen in the curriculum, which is examined, it is aimed to teach

students some important basic words about places and things that are used in daily life
through certain themes while relating the words with the phonetic guide. A 3rd grader young
learner can understand through spoken words and physical words. An approach that makes
the students mainly use their listening and speaking skills is adopted by this curriculum.
 It is observed in the curriculum analyzed, almost in all unit students are taught to ask
other types of questions such as ‘Who is…? Where is...? Are you..? etc.’ As young learners
like to ask questions, learning these questions is likely to attract their attention successfully. If
this curriculum is applied as planned, it will be really easy for a learner to ask basic questions
about places, the things they have, and relationships and answer the same questions.

As identified in the mentioned curriculum, the themes and subjects are highly
supported with illustrations, pictures, and symbols. Young learners understand symbols so in
this curriculum, there are illustrated dictionaries, fairy tales and cartoon characters, and game-
based activities such as painting and cut & paste. Students are expected to learn the aimed
language with enjoyable and developed visuals through these activities.

Taking everything into account, young learner characteristics are considered and
presented carefully. A game-based and illustration-enriched teaching strategy is likely to be
effective and respond to needs successfully.

References

Bayyurt, Y. (2012, November). 4+4+4 eğitim sisteminde erken yaşta yabancı dil eğitimi

[Paper presentation]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi 1. Yabancı Dil Eğitimi Çalıştayı, Ankara.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258112407_444_Egitim_Sisteminde_Erken_

Yasta_Yabanci_Dil_Egitimi

İlköğretim kurumları (ilkokul-ortaokul) haftalık ders çizelgesi. (n.d.). MEB Temel Eğitim

Genel Müdürlüğü. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from

https://tegm.meb.gov.tr/meb_iys_dosyalar/2017_02/22163752_Yizelge.pdf

Kandemir, A. (2016). İlkokul 2. sinif ingilizce öğretim programinin katilimci odakli program

değerlendirme yaklaşimiyla değerlendirilmesi [Unpublished master's thesis].

Pamukkale University.

Kirkgoz, Y. (2007). English language teaching in Turkey. RELC Journal, 38(2), 216-228.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688207079696
T.C. MEB. (2018). İngilizce dersi öğretim programı. T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı Talim

Terbiye Kurulu Başkanlığı.

https://mufredat.meb.gov.tr/ProgramDetay.aspx?PID=327