An Analysis of Writing Activities in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language Textbooks (Yedi Iklim Turkce Sample)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the writing activities in Yedi Iklim Turkce textbook series, that was published to teach Turkish as a foreign language, according to different writing approaches. With this purpose in mind, we analyzed the writing activities in both textbooks and workbooks of this series in terms of the principles of (1) focus on language structures, (2) focus on text functions, (3) focus on creative expression, (4) focus on the writing process, (5) focus on content and (6) focus on reader. We also aimed at discovering how compatible these activities are with the recent writing instruction approaches. As a result of the analysis, many of the writing activities were observed to follow the principles of the traditional writing instruction approaches such as focus on form and focus on text functions. Some of the few writing activities exemplified focus on creative writing. Although students are asked to write on several genres, these writing activities are not done within the principles of focus on reader approach but mostly within the principles of focus on text functions that emphasize language structures and their functions in use.