Globalization and English Language Policy in Turkey

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that globalization has made a considerable impact on multidimensional aspects of human life including the language policies of many countries. This article examines the adjustment of Turkey’s language policy in response to the global influence of English at different levels of Turkish national education, including its role in Turkish academia, as an indication of the status that English holds in the country by investigating the macro policy changes in connection with micro level implementations based on available research, official documents, and curriculum documents. The findings indicate that although there is much evidence pointing to the prominent role that English occupies in Turkish education system largely through the government’s planned language policy, there also exist problems at the instructional level largely due to the way in which English is propagated. Finally, implications for future direction of language policy, practice, and research are presented.