Bilingual Turkish Children Evaluation of Written Expression Studies in the Context of Bilingualism: New York Example

This research was conducted to bring to the fore the problem of bilingual children living in America learning their native language and to solve this problem, to prevent a generation from growing up without knowing the language, culture, and traditions of their country, to be conducive to the start of projects to be carried out by the state and to pioneer studies on this subject. It is needed for reasons such as. The number of studies on bilingualism among Turkish children living in America is relatively low. When the studies were examined, only one study was found to determine the written expression skills of bilingual children living in America. The studies generally provide information about Turkish teaching in America and the syllabuses and textbooks used while teaching Turkish. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the bilingualism of Turkish children growing up in America and to determine the current status of their knowledge and skills regarding their native language. In addition, this issue is essential in children's acquisition of belonging and identity and in developing their communication skills. There are various reasons for the problems experienced by our children living in America regarding learning and using Turkish and their belonging to the Turkish identity. These reasons can be listed as follows: In the United States, it is necessary to reach a sufficient number of students to provide education in the native language in schools at primary, secondary, and high school levels. Native language courses are taught as elective courses in schools, depending on the students' choices. Unfortunately, due to the low demand for Turkish lessons and the fact that Turks are distributed in many different states throughout America, unity on this issue has yet to be achieved. For this reason, our children are deprived of their right to receive education in their mother tongue. Due to the inability to provide education in the mother tongue, Turkish language schools were opened under Turkish-American associations to meet the need. However, these language schools opened under associations conduct their lessons online, mostly with Turkish teachers living in Turkey. Because it is pretty challenging to find a teacher in America who is an expert in his field and can teach Turkish to bilingual children. Therefore, the efficiency of online training decreases compared to face-to-face training. Another institution where Turkish is taught in America is community-based Turkish mother tongue schools. These schools are essential but cannot have the desired effect because classes are held only once a week and in minimal hours. Language schools opened under associations, and community-based Turkish mother-tongue schools are unavailable in every state. Therefore, many Turkish children cannot benefit from these opportunities. It is known that teachers working under the Ministry of National Education are assigned to some schools in Europe. This issue should not be carried out only with teachers in the Ministry of National Education. Researchers who have postgraduate studies on bilingualism and have improved academically should also be considered. However, opportunities remain limited due to the lack of a policy on this issue. Experts who want to teach Turkish abroad must have a work and residence permit in the USA to carry out their duties; this situation is not an issue a person can overcome alone. The support of state officials is required here, but unfortunately, there is no work on this subject. Due to the dense Turkish population in Europe, while many projects are carried out for bilingual children living in Europe, there are very few projects for children living in America. Institutions that teach Turkish to children in America follow different curricula. When the curriculum followed by the institutions is examined, it is seen that the knowledge and skills that each school aims to provide are different. Some parents think there is no need for a school to teach Turkish and that their children can learn Turkish at home in the family environment. Bilingual Turkish children living in various states of America go to Turkish language schools and learn both the Turkish language and Turkish culture. This study aims to evaluate the written expression works of 6 students, aged 9-11, from a Turkish school in New York, using the "false analysis method" and examine their language views in bilingualism. Students were asked to create a written expression, "Describe your best day." The research data was obtained through document analysis. The scanning technique examined written expression data obtained from first-hand sources, and prominent errors were identified and classified according to their frequency. Accordingly, it was understood that the students made the most spelling, punctuation, grammar, and phonology mistakes. These errors have been revealed by considering the principle of error analysis, linguistic development, and the achievements stated in the common framework of European languages. The mistakes were evaluated, and suggestions were made to solve the problem. This study will help organize the education plans of bilingual Turkish children in America according to their needs and provide effective native language teaching. In addition, it is thought that this study will contribute to updating existing research by revealing the current situation of bilingual Turkish children living in America, directing new studies, and helping to develop a systematic language policy for Turkish education in America