The Evaluation of the Employment of Foreign National Teachers in Turkey in the Context of English as a Foreign Language Teaching

Abstract

It is known that students who learn English, which is the lingua franca of the world, as a foreign language in Turkey do not have satisfactory levels of competency. The present study evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of employing foreign nationals as English as a foreign language teachers in Turkey. As a part of the evaluation, foreign language teaching and teacher’s education in Turkey and the recruitment processes of foreign nationals as well as the potential contributions they could make to the Turkish education system are analyzed in line with the related literature, laws and regulations, and statistics. It is understood that foreign nationals could serve as role models for both teachers and students in terms of pronunciation and the use of grammar, pave the way for communicative use of the English language, and increase intercultural awareness of both Turkish citizens and themselves. However, considering the laws and regulations, it is understood that hiring foreign nationals as EFL teachers is not an easy process and that there are a number of factors which can restrict the process. For example, the criteria set by the Ministry of National Education (i.e. being a Turkish citizen and having obtained a sufficient score in the public personnel selection examination) makes it almost impossible to hire foreign nationals in elementary and secondary public schools. Lastly, although hiring foreign nationals to teach a language has the potential to make a positive impact in the Turkish education system, the emergence of such positive impact depends on Turkish educators being aware of foreign nationals’ contributions and ensuring a work environment that prioritizes cooperation rather than competition among Turkish and foreign national educators