Foreign Language Education in Türkiye and the History of Bilkent University English Language Preparatory Program (1986-2000)
This article, written for the HIST 200 course, provides an insightful exploration of foreign language education in Türkiye, with a particular focus on the Bilkent University English Language Preparatory Program. It examines the establishment and evolution of the program, shedding light on its pivotal role in shaping English language education across the country. The article delves into changes in the program’s curriculum and organizational structure over time, revealing how it has adapted to meet evolving educational needs. To provide a comprehensive understanding, it also reviews English language provision in Türkiye before and after the Republican Era, illustrating the broader context in which Bilkent’s Preparatory Program operates.
Meet the Authors
This in-depth study is the result of collaborative efforts by a team of Bilkent University students, each bringing their unique background and perspective:
Cevdet Cem Kılınç – Born and raised in Elazığ, Kılınç is a Political Science and Public Administration student at Bilkent University. Actively involved in numerous student clubs, he has held various roles in GazetteBilkent, the Bilkent Travelers Society, and the Marketing Club Bilkent. Elected as the Student Representative to the High Council of Student Clubs and Societies in 2023, he enjoys sports and reading in his spare time. He contributed the “Changing Stages of the Curriculum” section.
Muhammed Yıldırım – Born in Diyarbakir and raised in Bodrum, Yıldırım is a 2nd-year Economics student at Bilkent University. Throughout his academic journey, he has actively participated in several student clubs, most recently the Economic Policy-Making Society. His contribution to the article covers the “Establishment Phase of Bilkent Preparatory School.”
Elif Bayburtlu – Hailing from Tokat, Bayburtlu is a 3rd-year Law student at Bilkent University. She completed her high school education at Tokat Bahçeşehir College Science High School and is an active member of TDP, one of the university’s student clubs. An avid reader, she wrote the “Change Stages of Administrative and Academic Structure in Terms of Organization” section.
Aslı Türker – An Ankara native and a scholarship student in Bilkent’s Interior Architecture and Environmental Design department, Türker successfully completed the university’s challenging Preparatory School year. Her extracurricular involvement includes the Photography, Travelers, and Music Societies. She enjoys playing guitar and bullet journaling. Türker contributed the “Foreign Language Education in the Republic Period” section.
Salih Elçiçek – Born and raised in Istanbul, Elçiçek moved to Ankara to study in Bilkent University’s CTIS department. He is an avid sports enthusiast, playing for the university’s American football team. Having learned English for the first time through Bilkent’s preparatory program, he brought his personal motivation and experience to this project.
This comprehensive study showcases their combined efforts to highlight the significant milestones in English language education in Türkiye.
- History of Preparatory Programs in Türkiye
The Ottoman Empire, which existed in the geographical area of the Republic of Türkiye for many years, continued to provide foreign language education for some time during the Republic Period as well. However, due to changing state policies, the process was renewed over time. Among the new institutions established during this period were preparatory schools at secondary and tertiary levels, which aimed to provide language education at the desired level within a specific timeframe to students with insufficient foreign language skills.
1.1. Foreign Language Education in the Republic Period
Starting from the Republic Period, the state began to change its policy to provide foreign language education and aimed to establish new institutions. The first innovation in this regard was the Tevhidi Tedrisat Law, enacted on March 3, 1924, aimed at achieving national unity in education across the country. With this law, madrasahs affiliated with foundations were closed, and Arabic and Persian education in schools ended in 1927. After this period, the focus of “foreign language teaching” shifted from Middle Eastern languages to Western languages, which were taught as mandatory and elective courses in schools.
Foreign language education in the Republic Period can be categorized into four groups. In foreign schools that provided education in a foreign language, lessons began to be taught in Turkish after 1923. In official institutions that provided education in a foreign language (Anatolian high schools), foreign language education was supported by a one-year intensive foreign language program. However, the absence of preparatory classes in many Anatolian high schools may be a factor in the underdevelopment of foreign language education. The first private Turkish school providing education in a foreign language was Darüşşafaka High School, and the number of such schools increased with the establishment of TED College in 1931, which was a product of the Turkish Education Association. In secondary schools providing foreign language education, the time allocated for foreign language lessons in general secondary schools does not exceed three to five hours per week.
While foreign language education at the secondary school level was like this, the insufficient number of students knowing foreign languages at universities prompted the state to take action. At the first Ministry of National Education Council Meeting held in 1939, it was decided that students should receive a year of foreign language education in their fields before starting university. Thus, it was aimed for university students to be qualified through the foreign language they acquired in their fields. Robert College (Istanbul American Robert College), which existed before the Republic Period and was founded in 1863, began providing higher education services in 1912 and acquired the name “Boğaziçi University” in 1971-1972. Thus, Boğaziçi University became the first university providing English medium instruction. The institutionalization of English medium instruction in higher education, which began to spread with state support, started with the establishment of the Middle East Technical University in 1956, which was closest to the state university and American model. Subsequently, in 1967, Hacettepe University was established with the influence of İhsan Doğramacı and had a one-year English preparatory class, and in 1984, İhsan Doğramacı founded Bilkent University, Türkiye’s first foundation university. By establishing preparatory classes, the Hacettepe model was followed. However, over time, there have been changes and developments in the foreign language education provided based on feedback received. Today, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University holds an important position in Türkiye regarding both foreign language education and education in foreign languages.
- History of Bilkent University English Language Preparatory Program
Following Boğaziçi University and METU, Bilkent University became a pioneering institution in English medium instruction as Türkiye’s first foundation university. Unlike other schools, Bilkent University adopted a unique program in foreign language education. With radical changes in its curriculum, it solved the problem of inadequate foreign language teaching in Türkiye. In synchronization with this, quality in education was enhanced through agreements with internationally recognized experts and institutions in the field.
2.1. Establishment Phase of the English Language Preparatory Program
Bilkent University was founded on October 20, 1984, by the decision of the İhsan Doğramacı Education Foundation, İhsan Doğramacı Health Foundation, and İhsan Doğramacı Science and Research Foundation. Today, Bilkent University is an internationally recognized educational institution with 12,000 students, faculty members from many different countries, 29 undergraduate and 59 graduate programs within 10 faculties and 3 institutes. With the enactment of Law No. 2547 on Higher Education at the end of 1981, which allowed universities to provide education in foreign languages, Bilkent University, where all courses were taught in English in all faculties and departments, was added to Boğaziçi University and METU in 1986. The preparatory program, established in 1986 as a sub-unit of the School of Foreign Languages, became an independent preparatory school in 1988. At the time of its establishment, the teaching staff of the preparatory school was mainly composed of those with a background from Hacettepe University. Thus, the methods applied in Hacettepe University’s English preparatory education were transferred to Bilkent University’s Preparatory School. Consequently, Bilkent University’s Preparatory School shares similarities with the Hacettepe University model. Additionally, the Bilkent University Preparatory Program, through its development and change process over time, has inspired many universities’ English preparatory education processes. For instance, Bilkent University’s Preparatory Program was examined by the Foreign Languages Department of Osmangazi University in the 1995-1996 academic year, and recommendations from faculty members were incorporated, leading to changes in the Basic English Preparatory Program at Osmangazi University.
As a result of the new system, passing the preparatory program at Bilkent University has become more challenging due to the increasingly difficult education and exam system. Consequently, there has been a buildup of both newly enrolled students and those unable to complete the preparatory program, and the initial building for the preparatory program proved inadequate. A need for a new building arose, and what is now known as Building L was allocated as a prefabricated building in addition to the existing preparatory building. Subsequently, as these buildings also proved insufficient, the preparatory school was transferred from the Central Campus to the East Campus, and the East Campus has become similar to its current state.
2.2. Stages of Curriculum Changes
The curriculum system implemented in the preparatory program has undergone various changes as found necessary by either the preparatory program or university administration. These changes in the curriculum are not just about designing a new curriculum and implementing it at Bilkent Preparatory School. They also involve the reallocation of resources provided to students, the reorganization of new strategies based on feedback from teachers and students, the facilitation of decision-making processes, the administration’s monitoring of new opportunities, and sensitivity in decision-making processes. For these reasons, changes have been made not just to the content of the English supervision provided but also to how that content is taught to students.
One of the first changes was the appointment of Zeynep Köksal by İhsan Doğramacı because, prior to Zeynep Köksal, the curriculum implemented in the preparatory program resembled the approach of Hacettepe University, one of Türkiye’s prestigious universities. Although we cannot say that the Bilkent preparatory program completely followed the Hacettepe model, almost all of the teachers in the early years of the program were from Hacettepe. During that period, preparatory schools that were more dynamic and open to change were Boğaziçi and METU (Middle East Technical University).
The first major curriculum change was made with the appointment of Zeynep Köksal, and after the curriculum was renewed, a system change was implemented to align with the new curriculum. One of these changes was the selection of teaching staff whose native language was English. During this process, agreements were made with certain institutions for the recruitment of teaching staff. The renewal of the curriculum and the subsequent reorganization of the exam system to align with these changes involved collaboration with UCLES (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate), affiliated with Cambridge University. It can be inferred that the changes in the curriculum affected both the exam system and the criteria for selecting teaching staff. After the curriculum renewal, Bilkent’s alignment with the world’s leading institutions in terms of exam systems and personnel selection has positioned it as a reputable institution globally in English language teaching. Additionally, by integrating native English-speaking teachers into the preparatory program, Bilkent University has provided opportunities for students to develop their speaking and pronunciation skills.
The second curriculum change, initiated in the 1992-1993 academic year and implemented in 1993-1994, aimed to improve students’ academic skills and self-learning abilities. This goal was monitored by the number of students succeeding in the COPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) exam. This resulted in a system where student success was measured primarily through exams. Due to the YÖK (Higher Education Council) regulation that cut off students who could not pass the preparatory program within two years from their universities, it is understandable that all preparatory program, including Bilkent, prioritized helping students achieve high scores on exams such as COPE, IELTS, and TOEFL. The implementation of the COPE exam, prepared by Bilkent University’s preparatory school instead of internationally recognized exams like IELTS and TOEFL, is a result of the university’s strategy to modify its own curriculum. By creating its own assessment and evaluation exam (COPE) as a natural outcome of both received recommendations and its unique curriculum, Bilkent has tailored its assessment methods.
The 1993-1994 curriculum change, which aimed to increase the number of students passing the COPE exam, also aimed to meet the expectations of Bilkent University departments. To this end, a workshop was held in January 1994, where the heads of various university departments and the preparatory management came together to study English language requirements of each department. Based on these studies, various changes were made to the curriculum to ensure that students did not face any difficulties in language skills after transitioning to their departments. Such changes continue to be made today, and the curriculum remains dynamic through small adjustments made over the years based on feedback from university department administrators.
2.3. Stages of Administrative and Academic Structure Changes
The main issue with old preparatory schools in Türkiye was that students often left without truly learning English. Although students theoretically knew the language, they were lacking in practical skills. Subjecting students to intensive grammar education does not equate to effective language teaching. While grammar is undeniably important, practical skills are just as crucial. Although many schools ignored this problem, Bilkent University took it seriously. Before the establishment of Bilkent University Preparatory School, Duygu Sezer, a instructor in the International Relations Department, voiced concerns about students’ inadequate English levels, leading İhsan Doğramacı to seek solutions, thus initiating the establishment of the preparatory school.
İhsan Doğramacı was not someone who merely sought quick fixes; his perspective was different from other educational figures in Türkiye due to his genuine effort to solve the problem. The system he sought to establish was a result of his desire to create a true educational model. Therefore, İhsan Doğramacı assigned Zeynep Köksal, who was then serving as the general secretary, to oversee the establishment of the preparatory school and the creation of its organizational structure. Additionally, İhsan Doğramacı negotiated with Alan Mountford from the British Council to bring in native English-speaking instructors and renew the curriculum, resulting in an agreement with an institution known as CFBT (Center for Foreign British Teachers) to employ native English-speaking instructors. This clearly indicates that a system consisting only of Turkish instructors may not be very successful in language education. Consulting and receiving help from professionals in this field is crucial for solving such problems. CFBT played a role in forming the initial academic staff of the preparatory school and made investments. Thus, Bilkent University completely abandoned the old-fashioned language teaching approach, and CFBT began to gain experience in discovering and correcting the issues in Türkiye’s language education system.
Following the resolution of this problem, the goal was to establish an academic staff consisting of both international and Turkish instructors. In addition to international instructors selected by CFBT, the Turkish instructors chosen must also meet CFBT’s criteria because the harmonious collaboration of these two groups of instructors is important for maintaining the integrity of the preparatory program. Creating an environment where both types of instructors can teach is a foundational step in training future generations of instructors. The process of selecting Turkish instructors was carried out through interviews conducted by a commission formed by CFBT’s management, and many instructors were transferred from METU, Boğaziçi University, and Hacettepe University. These transfers signify the employment and training of staff that will redesign the preparatory schools of many universities.
In the initial phase, the biggest concern for CFBT regarding the employment of international instructors was providing accommodation for them. CFBT requested accommodation guarantees from Bilkent University, leading to the construction of housing on the East Campus that currently hosts international instructors, thus solving the accommodation problem.
The performance of the teaching staff in Bilkent University’s English Preparatory Program is evaluated through classroom observations. Instructors undergo a probationary period upon starting their teaching. Additionally, the performance of current instructors is observed every two months. These evaluations play a significant role in the change and development of both the educator and the academic environment. Another method involves regularly evaluating the quality of teaching and academic environment provided to students through surveys administered to students throughout the semester. Necessary adjustments are made based on these results. Anonymous evaluations remove students’ concerns and allow for free assessment. Evaluations and surveys, facilitated by İhsan Doğramacı and supported by CFBT, have helped maintain the status of Bilkent University Preparatory School, which has become a pioneer over time. Thus, Bilkent University has distinguished itself from other preparatory schools in Türkiye.
3. Conclusion
In conclusion, Bilkent University has had a significant impact on other universities in Türkiye concerning English language provision. What sets Bilkent apart from other English medium instruction universities is its ability to offer students diverse cultural and academic perspectives through its academic staff, which includes both Turkish and international instructors. Although Bilkent University’s English language provision was initially influenced by different models, it has managed to remain dynamic by modifying its curriculum, organizational structure, and exam system based on feedback from students and other units of the university. In doing so, it has created its own model and has become a role model for many universities established after it. Ultimately, Bilkent University stands out as a prestigious educational institution in Türkiye, with strong academic staff and a forward-thinking educational approach, enhancing its international reputation and training students to become global citizens.
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