English is the leading foreign language enjoying a prestigious position in many
countries, including Turkey, since the end of World War II. It is neither a national
nor an official language in Turkey but it is the most widely taught foreign language
at all stages of education system. Many Turkish learners start learning English
during high school; some others as early as primary school or even pre-school, yet
the problem is that most are far from attaining the desired level of proficiency either
in comprehensive or productive skills or in both. Despite being exposed to English
instruction for a long time at different levels, the reasons for the poor foreign
language skills of students have long been a matter of discussion among educators.
Although a huge amount of time and effort are spent, learners either cannot go
beyond the basics or they experience difficulty in developing their level of
proficiency unless they are individually motivated (for a detailed sociolinguistic
analysis of English in Turkey, see Büyükkantarc›oğlu, 2004).