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Presenter
Associate Prof. Dr. Yasemin Kırkgöz
Çukurova University
Faculty of Education
Department of ELT, Adana –TURKEY

 Title
The Global Role of English on Language Policy in Turkey

Abstract
Turkey is located in a strategically important part of the world: the intersection of Europe and Asia, a pivotal zone. The strategic and geopolitical status of Turkey raises the importance of English, the world’s lingua franca of science, technology and business, in Turkish foreign language education.  This paper presents an overview of how Turkey has responded to the global influence of English in its education system by examining the relationship between globalisation, language policy at the macro-national level and the effects of this policy at micro teaching level in foreign language education – in particular, the increased importance of English in primary, secondary and higher education. The article is structured in three parts. The first part begins with the theoretical framework which examines the rise of English as a global language in Turkey. The next part of the paper looks at a historical overview of policies and expansion of the English language provision in Turkey in three periods; (1) the introduction of English in Turkish education; (2) a major ELT curriculum reform, and (3) the recent language policy reforms which attempt to standardize ELT in line with the norms of the European Union.  Then, the paper discusses the challenges created by the expansion of English language in-practice in relation to the existing problems at instructional level. Finally, implications for future direction of English language policy are given.