Date

2014-6

Author

Önal, Burçin

Metadata

Show full item record

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Item Usage Stats

201
views

241
downloads

Cite This

In the field of ELT, there have not been many studies on North Cyprus particularly describing language policy, linguistic landscape (LL), whose practice may differ from language policy, and the use of LL in ELT. In this study, the LL of North Cyprus, especially around Güzelyurt and Girne, was explored in terms of the languages that were included, the addressees that were aimed at, and the underlying messages of the texts in which English was used. Data for the study was collected first by the author— for purposes of comparison with students’ findings— and then by students through photographing LL items to be analyzed. The study consists of the researcher’s and participants’ analysis of the items considering the current language policy and its daily practice, and the uses of English in LL depending on what it is associated with. Another purpose of the study was to explore the pedagogical benefits of engaging students with publicly displayed texts in their local LLs for the sake of encouraging them to realize different functions of English using LL. Beginner level students at English preparatory school and two groups of TEFL freshmen students took pictures of LL items where English was used in their neighborhood for four weeks. Two of the three groups had interviews with their teacher except the second group of TEFL program students, and all participants wrote weekly paragraphs commenting on their pictures that were to be presented at the end of the four-week data collection process. To get the thoughts of the students about the effectiveness of the experience, students answered a few questions given by their teacher at the conclusion of the project. The study revealed that students were able to analyze LL items with a wide perspective, explore how and why English, and also other languages, were used on signs and identify the functions that English gained in time in the northern Cyprus. With the analysis of students’ impressions of the LL, the benefits of using LL in ELT and students’ attitudes towards LL projects were identified. The results of the study indicated that students felt positive about LL projects in general.

Subject Keywords

Benefits Of LL In ELT, English Language Teaching, Language Policy Of North Cyprus, Linguistic Landscape, LL Items, Uses Of English

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/69866

Collections

Northern Cyprus Campus, Thesis