مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - The Analysis of Profiles of English Teaching Assistants Employed Through English Teaching Assistantship Program

Abstract :

With the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Program, which first started during the 2010-2011 academic year in Turkey through an agreement between the Council of Higher Education and the Fulbright Education Commission, American university graduates are employed as speaking assistants in newly-established universities in Turkey. This program aims to improve students’ speaking skills and let them practice English with a native speaker. This research aims to analyze the selection criteria of countries offering ETA programs and the profiles of English teaching assistants currently employed at 20 Turkish universities for the 2011-2012 academic year. This research has been carried out by using the descriptive survey method. The data have been collected via document analysis and a survey prepared by the researchers. The data gathered from the document analysis have been subjected to descriptive analysis and for data gathered from the survey, statistical analysis has been implemented. Research results have shown that although ETA program is offered in five world regions and fifty-three countries, there is not standardization in the implementation of the program. According to the research results, a considerable number of English teaching assistants do not have teaching formation education and those who have it got it with short-term education. Furthermore, it has been found that all the English teaching assistants know Turkish although it is not a prerequisite for them to know Turkish. As a result, this study is thought to be important in terms of drawing attention to the application of ETA program in Turkey and the suggestions that are made in order to improve the program’s weaknesses.