Dear students,
When we all think of the word “teacher”, many features come to mind, features that cannot be molded into a single word. Although the word “teacher” is generally defined as the person who teaches, the 21st century has transformed the meaning of the word “teacher” making it more profound, and the responsibilities that come with the word have also been subjected to change.
Firstly, a teacher is no longer just the person who teaches. With information and communication technologies, which we have witnessed the rapid development of in the past years and which have become an integral part of our lives, accessing information is no longer difficult. Consequently, the teacher is no longer just the person who has knowledge but the person who can create the best environment conducive to learning, increase the awareness of students and convey the knowledge effectively while bearing the students' qualities in mind, and allow the students to internalise the knowledge and apply it in their lives. Years ago, Robert Frost stated this by saying, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener”. Therefore, the teacher is more of an awakener, so to speak, like a candle that shines on others.
At Sakarya University Foreign Languages Education Department, our priority is to train teachers who are competent in four skills in both written and spoken communication and equipped with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to teach English as a foreign language. In addition, our utmost goal is to train teachers who, like a candle, will enlighten the students and the community; who has the required skills of the day and age; who internalised the field and teaching knowledge and effectively practices; who will prove beneficial to the nation and the humanity; and who act with the awareness of universal values.
With our competent, young, and dynamic academic staff, our goal is to equip you with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values you will need while performing the teaching profession throughout the four years of your university life. I would like to stress that we attach great importance to our students’ both social and academic development by offering several opportunities, including Double Major and Minor Programs; Area of Interests and Social Transcript Practices; Student Research & Development (R&D) Compliance Program; Erasmus+, Farabi, and Mevlana Exchange Programs; internship opportunities at home and abroad, and Student Clubs. Our department's student club IDET (Sakarya University ELT Student Club) is also a highly active club organizing worthwhile events.
Since the medium of instruction in the department is English, we offer a year-long English Preparatory Program to equip you with the four skills accompanied by the necessary general and academic English knowledge. During the four years of our Bachelor’s program, you will undergo training centered on practice from the very first year. Having been accredited by the EPDAD (Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs) on 16.04.2022, we will continue to strive for the better with joy and pride.
We are hard at work to ensure that after graduation you will be an inspiring, multidimensional, curious, explorer, critical thinker, responsible, autonomous, just, equal, hospitable, collaborator, self-reflecting teacher grounded in national and universal values and aware of the individual differences. We aim to train teachers to become individuals with “free thought, free conscience, and free wisdom", who can raise individuals with “free thought, free conscience, and free wisdom” when they start teaching.
As teachers, we must act with the awareness of the responsibility that the future generations will be our legacy, and we must work together meticulously to raise citizens who will benefit our nation, society, and humanity.
We would be pleased to see you among us as our future colleagues, and we are ready to offer our support in any way possible.
Good luck to you all.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Merve SAVAŞÇI
SAU Foreign Languages Education Department Head
