Addressing the introduction program of the Professional Improvement of English teachers, Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk said that learning a foreign language is a need that entails national and international aspects and is also an important element of education. Selçuk stressed that making required investments for the development of foreign language skills in every level of education and developing strategies within this context is a national duty and the Ministry has included the roadmap of transformation of foreign language education to the 2023 Education Vision.

 

Setting the prior target of the project as the improvement of language teaching standards and classroom practices, Minister Selçuk went on to say, "Continuous Improvement of English Teachers Program and English Together project which is designed within this framework are the important steps of our target. We have developed a model special for Turkey. Primarily, we focus on the field rather than literature. We reach literature through the field. We have designed a practical and functional model that includes cooperation, best practice and activities. Within the context of the project, English teachers are receiving simultaneous distance training from the trainers of the Edinburg College. We have established "Professional Improvement Groups" in Ankara which was the place for the pilot implementation of the project. These 9 groups made up of English teachers from 19 districts of Ankara had face to face and online meetings."

 

Selçuk stressed that teachers shared troubles they experienced, solution suggestions, experiences and they also supported each other during these meetings adding that, "They have organized activities outside the classroom and inspire each other. We have disseminated the project and started training in 23 other cities of the country."

 

Meanwhile, The Ambassador of the United Kingdom Dominick Chilcott underlined the importance of the project for English teachers and students adding that "I consider this project as the most valuable cooperation between the United Kingdom and Turkey."

 

Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı Foundation Güler Sabancı attended the meeting through video conference. Sabancı stated that students will have the opportunity to directly reach scientific sources and establish stronger ties with the world when Turkey manages to provide quality English education all over the country and support of the British Council which is accepted as an authority in English education has made this project stronger.

 

Meanwhile, the Director General of Teacher Training and Improvement Adnan Boyacı said that 256 thousand and 700 teachers have applied to the seminar adding that, "We have prepared two books on education contents and shared these with our teachers. We are aiming at reaching a total of 37 thousand English teachers in the second and third phase of the project."

 

British Council Education Director Ayşen Güven pointed out that the priority of the project is to design long term cooperation that will allow the spreading of the project to 81 cities of the country in order to support the professional improvement of teachers.

 

The project aims at encouraging modern language teaching methods and training by supporting professional and personal improvement of English teachers and increasing the effectiveness of foreign language education.  Pilot implementation of the project which was conducted in 19 districts of Ankara with the participation of 550 English teachers and more than 50 thousands of students was completed and the aim now is to reach more than 37 thousand English teachers and approximately 16 million students all over Turkey within three years.