Language Policy

Introduction

Language is the mirror of cultures and it is one of the most fundamental components in ensuring the continuity of societies and the reproduction of cultures. If there is no language, there is no system of concepts and thoughts. The determinant of thought is language, and the determinant of language is society. For a person, language is a type of behavior that allows them to socialize, develop their expression of thoughts, feelings and behavior step by step, and help them feel safe. People gain identity, acquire culture and socialize through languages. In addition to all these, past generations transfer their life experiences to new generations through language in the reproduction of daily life. Language carries the values, sensitivities, priorities and differences of a society in essence.

Being aware of the critical place of languages in the life of the individuals, Fenerbahçe University attaches great importance to both Turkish, English and other World Languages. In accordance with the language education philosophy it adopts, it aims to enable students who will graduate to express themselves correctly and effectively not only in their mother tongue but also in English and other languages. Fenerbahçe University aims to raise students who are proficient with English, the common language of the globalizing world, and also aims to make students familiar with other world languages.

The language policy of Fenerbahçe University has been designed withing the context of various units and departments in order to raise students who are confident in the use of both Turkish and English, the most spoken language in the world. It would be appropriate to mention these units and departments in order to express the language policy of the university.

Department of Foreign Languages

Good command of English has become a must in almost every field to build a strong career in the 21st century. Today, we are in a global competitive environment where even one foreign language is not enough. Each foreign language learned is extremely important for being a world citizen, getting to know different cultures and gaining international work experience. Being aware of this fact, Fenerbahçe University attaches great importance to language education of students both in English-medium and Turkish-medium programs.

Fenerbahçe University Foreign Languages Department language policy has been structured on student-centered learning. Being an indispensable stakeholder of the University, the profile and the needs of the students have had great influence on the way the principals of the learning-teaching model of the University has been shaped. As our students belong to the age of technology and they are digital natives, this means that their relationship with knowledge is undoubtedly different from previous and next generations. Being aware of the importance of this fact, Fenerbahçe University Foreign Languages Department has made the use of technology, interactive homework, hands-on experiences, teamwork and collaborative presentations a part of education, as part of our educational philosophy.

Through technology-friendly activities and integrated teaching and testing methods, the Department aims at enabling our students to benefit from English language education effectively and to help them graduate as competent language users who have advanced communication skills and academic skills. In this context, the Department provides our students with written and verbal communication skills that they can use in their academic studies and reflect them to their professional life by using the opportunities of information technologies.

Four different programs that meet different needs are carried out in the Department of Foreign Languages at Fenerbahçe University, which bases its language policy on the educational philosophy that it has created according to today's modern conditions, appropriate student profile and competitive conditions of the business world.

These programs are

A. English Preparatory Program

B. Optional English Preparatory Program

C. Associate and Undergraduate English Courses

D. Associate and Undergraduate Language Courses

The mission & vision of the programs, the contents of the programs, the activities, the participation conditions can be found on the website of the University of Fenerbahçe, under the Department of Foreign Languages, in detail: https://www.fbu.edu.tr/yabanci-diller-bolumu?dil=en

Turkish Language and Literature Courses

Turkish is a language creating its first written products in the eighth century. The fact that written documents dated back to the eighth century has not come to light yet highlights that Turkish has developed its verbal aspect until the eighth century and its literary aspect until it was written down. The Turkish language and cultural heritage, which is the voice flag of various empires, still carries the identity of a language with many speakers in different geographies. For this reason, it is extremely important to transfer the Turkish language heritage to new generations with new methods and to make sure that speakers gain language competence.

Turkish Language I and Turkish Language II courses, which are applied on a semester basis at Fenerbahçe University, are common courses in Fall and Spring semesters. The main goal is to improve the Turkish language competencies of our foreign students who have Turkish proficiency in the courses and our local students. Our students, whose native language is Turkish and who have learned Turkish as a second language, participate in Turkish Language lessons that are prepared in accordance with the dimensional structure of Turkish. They create a language map in their minds by acquiring information about the change that Turkish has gone through in the historical process and the interaction of Turkish with different world languages. As a result of the advancing technological possibilities removing the borders between languages, our students learn the position of Turkish among world languages and the effect of world languages on Turkish. In addition, it is aimed for our students to develop their vocabulary and language-related competencies by reading Turkish literature products and world literature products translated to Turkish and thus gain a critical perspective. It is aimed to help our students to have knowledge about artistic and scientific works in Turkish language and the genres that can be articulated into opinions productions and to help them complete their cultural development by reading the works written in these genres and to turn our students into intellectual individuals.

The mission & vision of the program, the content of the program, the activities, the participation conditions can be found on the website of the University of Fenerbahçe in detail: https://www.fbu.edu.tr

Turkish Teaching Application and Research Center

Fenerbahçe University Turkish Teaching Application and Research Center (FBÜ TÖMER) serves students who want to learn Turkish and who would like to know Turkish language and culture more closely by improving their existing Turkish knowledge. The Center reaches this purpose through focusing on the European Common Languages Proposals Framework and it covers the objectives determined in the Framework in order to teach Turkish to its students. Foreign students who want to continue their education and who would like to lead their daily lives in Turkey and who are eager to convey their feelings in the target language can benefit from the educational services in the Center. Those who attend the Center's language training program learn about the life, culture and intellectual heritage of the Turkish society, thanks to the Turkish language education program.

FBÜTÖMER leads to students to learn more about Turkey and Turkish friendship and hospitality by organizing various activities. A student-centered education approach is preferred in education programs planned with modern language teaching techniques. In addition, students can have the opportunity to get to know different cultures in multinational classes.