An important panel was held at Kastamonu University Cemil Meriç Hall of the Central Library within the scope of the Language Tree Project. The panel titled “Teaching Turkish as a Heritage and Foreign Language in Western Europe” was organized with great participation and attracted significant interest. The panel was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammed Hüküm from Sakarya University.
The panel featured speakers including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza Altınkamış from the Belgian Turkish Language Institute, Center for Integration and Research, Dr. Burcu Öztürk from Kastamonu University, Celal Aydemir from the Ruhr Teachers Association in Germany, and Şener Uğurlu from the Belgian Turkish Language Institute, Center for Integration and Research. Each of these experts addressed different aspects of teaching Turkish as a heritage and foreign language in Western Europe.
The opening speech of the panel was delivered by Lecturer Harun İlçioğlu from Kastamonu University. İlçioğlu discussed the aims of the Language Tree Project and emphasized the importance of such events, thanking the participants for their interest.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feyza Altınkamış from the Belgian Turkish Language Institute, in her presentation titled “What Kind of Turkish Language Teaching Program in Belgium,” shared her research and suggestions on the language education of Turkish communities in Belgium. Altınkamış provided detailed information on potential programs for effective and systematic teaching of Turkish in Belgium.
Celal Aydemir from the Ruhr Teachers Association in Germany shared his field studies and observations on teaching Turkish as a heritage language in Germany. Aydemir emphasized the importance of efforts to preserve and develop the Turkish language in Germany.
Şener Uğurlu, in his presentation titled “The Structure of Governance in Belgium and Its Impact on Turkish Language Teaching,” detailed the effects of Belgium’s governance structure on Turkish language teaching. Uğurlu discussed how Belgium’s multi-layered governance system shapes Turkish language teaching and highlighted the opportunities and challenges of this system.
Dr. Burcu Öztürk from Kastamonu University spoke about teaching Turkish as a foreign language in England. She shared her experiences and projects regarding the Turkish community’s language education in England, evaluating the impacts of different educational methods. Öztürk provided important insights into the current state and future of teaching Turkish as a foreign language.
Throughout the panel, speakers discussed various dimensions of Turkish language teaching and the challenges faced in this field in Western Europe, sharing their solution suggestions with the participants.
At the end of the panel, participants had the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers during the Q&A session, gaining more information on the topic. The event was followed with great interest and concluded successfully.
It was stated that such panels, which are part of the Language Tree Project, will continue to be organized with the aim of effectively teaching and promoting the Turkish language abroad. Project officials emphasized their goal to raise awareness both in the academic community and among wider social circles through these events.