Gazi Tömer Yabancılara Türkçe Öğretim Seti Dinleme Metinlerinin Konuşma Hızı Açısından İncelenmesi

This study comprehensively examines the speech rates (words per second – WPS) of listening texts in the Gazi TÖMER Turkish as a Foreign Language Teaching Set across all proficiency levels from A1 to C1. A total of 101 listening texts from five different levels of the set were analyzed using quantitative research methods. The number of words and the duration of each recording were calculated, and these data were used to determine the speech rate of each text. The results were evaluated through descriptive statistics as well as comparative analyses such as Welch ANOVA and Games-Howell post hoc tests. Findings indicate that the number of words and recording durations increase steadily with proficiency level. While A1 texts average 50.68 words and 33.14 seconds, C1 texts reach 233.74 words and 144.68 seconds. Interestingly, speech rate did not show a linear upward trend as might be expected. The highest speech rate (1.916 WPS) was observed at the A2 level, whereas the lowest (1.613 WPS) occurred at the C1 level. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences, particularly between A2–C1 and B1–C1 levels. These results suggest that the relatively slow speech rate in advanced-level listening texts may reflect an inconsistency in material design. In particular, the reduced pace at the C1 level could hinder learners’ ability to adapt to natural speech rates in real-life communication. Based on these findings, the study emphasizes the need to calibrate speech rates appropriately across levels and maintain authentic speaking tempos at higher levels. This research provides valuable data that can inform the design of listening materials in teaching Turkish as a foreign language.