Language Learning Beliefs of Syrian Refugees Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language
Yabancı Dil Olarak Türkçe Öğrenen Suriyeli Sığınmacıların Dil Öğrenmeye İlişkin İnançları

Author : Ahmet AKKAYA -- Ömer Gökhan ULUM
Number of pages : 1-11

Abstract

Language is an entity of common spoken, hand-operated, or written indications through which people− the individuals of community assert themselves by transmitting emotions and thoughts. Language, which bears human characteristics, is a complex structure that is closely related to such fields as psychology and sociology, and this relationship may be reflected on the language development of the individuals of a society. The language learning beliefs of learners have significant effects on their language skills. Besides, being aware of the language learning beliefs of students may reflect on language learning approaches and activities within this context. Regarding the mentioned point of view, the aim of this study is to investigate the language learning beliefs of Syrian refugees learning Turkish as a foreign language by means of the scale of language learning beliefs designed by Horwitz (1987). Syrian war victims living in Adana city participated in this study. SPSS 24.0, a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, was utilized to collect the data of the study. The findings of the study represent that Syrian refugees learning Turkish as a foreign language have developed positive attitudes towards foreign language learning. Besides, the respondents suggested that Turkish is a foreign language of medium difficulty and can be learnt easily if given enough time, children can learn a language more easily compared to adults, some languages are easier to learn compared to other languages, and practicing the language is vital in foreign language learning.

Keywords

Learning Turkish as a foreign language, language learning beliefs, Syrian refugees, foreign language learning, Horwitz.

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