Project Collaboration between the US Embassy and Our University’s Department of Foreign Language Education
The project titled “Play & Learn English!: Gamifying Language Teaching and Designing Game-Based Language Activities” of the Department of Foreign Languages Education at the Faculty of Education of our University was awarded the support of the United States Embassy in Turkey.
The project primarily aims to increase the capacity of English teachers working in Muş to use games in language teaching through a training program. Contributing to the professional development of teachers through the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on how to design game-based language teaching activities is also among the aims of the project.
Meeting with Officials
The opening meeting of the project, in which Muş Alparslan University Foreign Language Education Department lecturer Dr. Yusuf Öztürk, Dr. Sabahattin Yeşilçınar, Res. Ass. Samed Yasin Öztürk, Department of Instructional Technologies member Dr. Fevzi İnan Dönmez and Dr. Jeffrey Kuhn from Ohio University Teaching Innovation Unit take place, was held online on Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 13.00 with the participation of the project team and embassy officials. In order to carry out the project activities in coordination with the Provincial Directorate of National Education, a meeting was held with the officials of the directorate.
Greeting from the US Education Attache
US Embassy English Education Attaché Roger Cohen congratulated the project team for supporting the project, which went through a highly competitive review process. Cohen expressed his happiness that such a project will be actualized in Muş and stated that they are ready for all kinds of support and assistance. After receiving information about the project, embassy officials, Aycan Yaman and Özlem Bakır Aytaç, wished the team success.
Will Add Value to Language Teaching
Yusuf Öztürk from the project team expressed his gratitude for the decision to support the project and made a presentation to the Embassy officials about the implementation process of the project. Sabahattin Yeşilçınar emphasized that the project will add value to the language education of our country, as the project will both contribute to the professional development of English teachers in Muş and improve the knowledge and skills of English teachers on the use of games in language teaching on a wider scale.
Provincial Director of National Education Kıvanç: “We are ready to support.”
In order to carry out the project in coordination with the Provincial Directorate of National Education, on Friday, September 10, 2021 at 09.00 a.m., the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Esin Kaya and the project team visited the Provincial Director of National Education, Enver Kıvanç in his office. At the meeting, to which the Provincial National Education Branch Manager, Çetin Han, responsible for R&D, attended, ideas were exchanged on the execution of the project. Provincial Director of National Education, Kıvanç stated that they are ready to support the project, which aims to contribute to the professional development of English teachers. Prof. Dr. Esin Kaya also stated that they attach importance to cooperation and coordination between the Faculty of Education and the Provincial Directorate of National Education and underlined that the project will make language teaching more fun and efficient.
--Translated by Kader GUZEL