ELT R esearch Journal [601310]

ELT R esearch Journal
Available online at:
http:// www.eltrj.com
International Association of Research
in Foreign Language Education and Applied Linguistics
ELT Research Journal
2014, 3(4), 201-221
ISSN: 2146 -9814

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram : A case s tudy

Enisa Mede1
Bahçeșehir University, Turkey
Serkan Uygun2
Yeditepe University, Turkey
Abstract
In today‟s globalized era, English has become a lingua franca serving as a medium of
communication for effective communication between people of different languages .
Variati onist language programs have been designed to develop English language competence
of students to the level sufficient to pursue successfully in their career or academic life.
However, to be able to teach English effectively , the identification and evaluati on of students‟
needs should be taken into consideration while designing language programs . In the light of
these observations, t he present study aims to evaluate whether the Language Preparatory
Program designed for English Language and Literature and Tra nslation departments has met
the students‟ language and learning needs. To this end, 64 preparatory students constitute the
working group of this research. The quantitative data were obtained through a needs analysis
questionnaire and the qualitative data were collected by means of semi -structured interviews.
The findings of the study revealed significant implications in relation to the evaluation of th e
Language Preparatory Program based on the language and learning needs of the preparatory
students .
Keywords: Program evaluation, language needs, learning needs, language preparatory
program.

1 Assistant Professor Doctor, ELT Department , Bahçeșehir University, Turkey.
E-mail: e [anonimizat]
2 PhD Cand idate, English instructor, Language Preparatory School, Yeditepe University, Turkey.
E-mail: [anonimizat]

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 202
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved Introduction
From various discussions on the effectiveness of different teaching methods to the
debates about particular programs, evaluation has typically been recogn ized as a crucial area
of second/foreign language education to measure whether the program is functioning as it was
planned. Several definitions of program evaluation have been formulated. The two most
widely used are probably the ones offered by Lynch (19 96, p. 2) who views this process as
“the systematic attempt to gather information in order to make judgments or decisions ” and
Brown (1995, p. 18) who describes program evaluation as “the systematic collection and
analysis of all relevant information neces sary to promote the improvement of a program and
evaluate its effectiveness within the context of the particular institutions involved.” Although
these two definition s seem similar to that given for needs analysis, there is a difference. While
a needs anal ysis is typically conducted in the initial stages of curriculum development relying
on interview procedures, questionnaires, linguistic analyses, conjecture and a good deal of
professional judgment, evaluation can take advantage of all these to assess the effectiveness
of a program, but can also utilize the information gathered during developing objectives,
writing and using the tests, adopting, developing and adapting materials, and teaching.
Since evaluation has gained attention in education, a great dea l of evaluation studies
that differ in terms of their purposes, emphasis and methodologies have been conducted in a
variety of instructional settings . The studies generally investigated whether the institutions
met their goals and objectives at the end of the program by identifying the perceptions of the
course instructors, students and principals about the program followed (Henry & Roseberry,
1999; Nam, 2005; Tarnapolsky, 2000; Yıldız, 2004 ).
Henry and Roseberry (1999) , for example, evaluated the teaching method and
materials used in the writing course based on the process -genre approach at the University of
Brunei Darussalam. The aim of the study wa s to investigate whether the participants would
improve their ability to texture their writing, and whether they would produce texts closer to
the allowable structure after genre -based language instruction. Findings from the essay
written before and after instruction revealed that students showed progress in their ability to
structure their essay introductions and their ability to texture their writing effectively.
Another study with parallel results was carried out by Tarnopolsky (2000) who
evaluated the p rocess -genre approach in the writing course at the language program in
Ukraine. The past and present situations in teaching writing and the reasons for avoiding
teaching communicative writing skills in English courses in that country were considered. The
findings of the needs analysis indicated a necessity of introducing writing using the process –
genre approach. The first version of the course was evaluated and it was concluded that there
were certain problems with the activities used after the process -genre approach was integrated
in the program. Although the course was communicative, the activities that are more fun
needed to be added. After adapting the course in terms of students‟ needs, the second version
of the course was found to be more successful.

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 203
ELT Research Journal Yıldız (2004) aimed to investigate the Turkish Language Teaching Program for
Foreigners at Minsk State Language University (MSLU) in Belarus. The purpose of the study
was to identify the discrepancies between the current status and the desired outcomes of t he
Turkish program at MSLU. The study also tried to find out the aspects of the Turkish program
that should be maintained, strengthened, added or deleted. Data were collected from the
prospective students and their parents, instructors teaching in the prog ram, the graduates of
the program, the former instructors, the authorities at the institution and the employers of the
graduates of this program. Questionnaires and interviews were administered to the target
groups and written documents were analyzed. The results of the study indicated that the
language program at MSLU partially met the needs and demands of the learners since the
Turkish language proficiency among the current students, graduates and the university
authorities was higher than expected.
Finally, Nam (2005) investigated the development of communication -based English
language instruction in a Korean university context by (a) evaluating/critiquing a specific
college English program at Pusan National University (PNU), (b) describing and exploring
perceptions regarding English instruction at the collegiate level in Korea among Korean
college students and their teachers in the EFL program, and (c) identifying the strengths and
weaknesses of the college EFL curriculum of the university in terms of ho w close it was to the
perceptions of the students‟ and teachers‟ needs about English. The findings gathered from
the surveys and interviews revealed that while students generally seemed to have somewhat
negative opinions, teachers were more positive about the effectiveness/quality of the new
curriculum. Additionally, the possibility of the current communication -based EFL curriculum
might not be closely related to the students‟ desires, due to several weaknesses of the
curriculum itself and the institutional system.
Apart from the program evaluation studies carried out in various second or foreign
language contexts abroad, m any program evaluation studies in terms of English language
teaching and learning have been conducted in Turkish EFL context as well . While some of
these studies made a thorough program evaluation, some others tried to evaluate only one
particular aspect of a program ( Karataș, 2007; Mușlu, 2007; Özkanal, 2009; Sarı, 2003;
Toker, 1999).
To begin with, Toker (1999) evaluated the Preparator y School Program at Gaziantep
University in terms of the students‟ attitudes. The participants included 120 freshmen students
and 35 instructors selected randomly from the program. Two questionnaires including 25
items were used to collect data. The questi ons were either in yes -no format or open -ended.
According to the results of the study, the program was reevaluated in terms of the needs of the
students, the objectives, the duration, language skills, materials, teaching methods, laboratory
hours and the ESP course.
In another study, Sarı (2003) investigated th e English teaching program at Gü lhane
Military Medical Faculty and suggested a new program based on the Monitor Model. The
participants of the study were 230 students, 25 doctors and 7 teachers. Th e instruments used

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 204
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved for data collection were two questionnaires for the students, a structured interview for the
doctors, two questionnaires (in the form of structured interview) for the teachers and random
written student reports. The findings reported th at speaking and reading were considered to
be the priority skills. Additionally, to understand and translate medical material, to get an
overseas assignment, to talk to foreigners, and to follow lectures were identified as the
common language -related goals in the study.
Similarly , Mușlu (2007) aimed to find out the teachers‟ view on the writing curriculum
in terms of the materials, the process -genre approach, journal writing, portfolios, project work
and the writing competition at Anadolu University Schoo l of Foreign Languages (AUSFL).
48 writing course instructors working at different proficiency levels at AUSFL participated in
the study. A questionnaire was designed to identify the teachers‟ views on the writing
curriculum. In addition, a semi -structured interview was conducted with 40% of the teachers
to get their further thoughts. According to the results of the study, there were problems with
the course packs and supplementary materials used during the terms. They were inappropriate
for the students an d needed to be revised. As for the process -genre approach, most of the
teachers stated that the genre and the approach taught in the program were parallel to the
students‟ needs. Additionally, the grammar syllabus was considered to be crucial while
prepari ng the writing syllabus particularly in the lower levels. As for journal writing,
portfolios and project work the teachers believed that it was a good communication
opportunity between the teacher and the students. Finally, the teachers suggested that the
award and the topics should be changed in terms of the writing competition.
In a different study, Karataș (2007) evaluated the syllabus of the English II instruction
program applied in the Modern Languages Department, Yıldız Teknik University (YTU)
Schoo l of Foreign Languages by using Stufflbeam‟s (2000 ) context, input, process and
product (CIPP) model. 35 teachers implementing the English II program and 415 students
were chosen randomly to participate in the study. Data came from two questionnaires given to
the teachers and students. The findings revealed some significant differences between the
teachers‟ and students‟ opinions in terms of context, input, process and product. Specifically ,
the suitability of the program‟s objectives for the students‟ impr ovement, the proficiency level
and the comprehensibility of the textbook and the use audio -visual materials used in the
program for the improvement of the students were among the crucial concepts that were taken
into consideration while redesigning the pro gram.
Finally, Özkanal (2009) investigated the English Preparatory Program of Eskișehir
Osmangazi University, Foreign Languages Department to find out whether the program was
successful and suggest a new Preparatory Program model. Two questionnaires and in terview s
were carried out with 354 students who were either enrolled in the program, finished the
program or studied at the faculties and 27 instructors of the program. The results of the study
showed certain problematic elements particularly in technical English, and suggested the
necessity for an English Preparatory model and increase the qualities of the program.

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 205
ELT Research Journal Based on the above overviews, it can be implied that considering the changes in
language teaching, recent research has focused on the process of evaluating a program based
on students‟ needs. Despite the high number of studies that investigated the role of program
evaluation in language teaching and learning process, most of them attempted to identify the
general needs of the students enrolled i n School of Foreign Languages or Preparatory
Program. To fill in this gap , the present study aims to evaluate the preparatory program
primarily designed for students who will major in English Language Literature and
Translation departments based on their l anguage and learning needs , and also provide
evidence for the modifications to be done in t he program .
Methodology
Research Design and Aim
The present study is built with a structure appropriate for mixed methods as a research
design where quantitative and qualitative methods are used together during the data collection
and analysis phases. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether the Language
Preparatory Program designed for the students who will major in English Language and
Literature a nd Translation departments has met their language and learning needs. The
research questions posed for this study are as follows :
1. Do the students enrolled in the language preparatory program designed
for English Language and Literature and Translation depa rtments feel
that the program has met their language and learning needs?
2. Are there any differences between the perceptions of the students
enrolled in the language pre paratory program in relation to their
department and proficiency level?
3. What are the po ssible side effects of the language preparatory program?
Setting and Participants
In Fall 2008 academic year , a language preparatory program was designed and started
to be implemented for prospective students who are going to major in the field of English
Language Teaching (Mede, 2013 ). The nature of the program was based upon the perceptions
of the student teachers‟ language and learning needs. The program employed an integrated
syllabus design to meet the perceived language needs of the student teachers and help them
reach the expected level of proficiency in English. To fulfill these goals, a skills -based and a
structural syllabi were developed which aimed to promote both receptive and productive skills
by mastering and internalizing the grammatical rule s, stimulating interactive language use and
encouraging personal involvement during the learning process. By the end of the program, the
student teachers were expected to reach the competence to use English in oral and written
form both accurately and flue ntly.

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 206
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved After the implementation of th is particular program for one academic year, a parallel
preparatory program was designed for students who are going to major in English Language
and Literature and Translation departments . Based on the needs analysis fin dings gathered
from the questionnaires and semi -structured interviews, a skills -based syllabus and a
structural syllabus are designed for two proficiency levels namely, low-intermediate and high-
intermediate. As for the skills -based syllabus, relative emph asis is given to each language
skill. The primary purpose is to raise the student teachers‟ awareness of the language
strategies appropriated for their proficiency levels, and provide them with the opportunity to
use them in meaningful contexts. Additional ly, the aim of the structural syllabus is to enhance
the student teachers‟ grammatical knowledge and provide them with the opportunity to
practice the related structures in the given tasks. The program for the high -intermediate level
comprised twenty -nine hours of weekly instruction (reading: 6 hours, grammar: 6 hours,
listening: 5 hours, speaking: 5 hours, writing: 6 hours, and writing feedback: 1 hour) whereas
the program for the low -intermediate level comprised 30 hours (reading: 6 hours, grammar: 9
hours, listening: 3 hours, speaking: 6 hours, and writing: 6 hours). At the end of the program,
the student s are expected to reach the competence to use English accurately, by internalizing
and mastering the grammatical structures, and also fluently, by applyi ng the language
strategies in related tasks effectively.
Within this framework , a sample of 64 preparatory students participated in th e study.
29 participants were preparatory students who will major in the English Language and
Literature department while 35 were preparatory students who will major in the Translation
department. Besides, 44 participants were female and 20 participants were male students. As
for the ir proficiency level , 35 preparatory students were at the low-intermediate level whereas
29 we re at the high -intermediate level.
Data Collection Instruments
After the implementation of the preparatory program for 5 years, a needs analysis
questionnaire together with the semi -structured interviews were administered to find out
whether the program h as met the language and learning needs of the students enrolled in the
Language Preparatory Program.
The Needs Analysis Questionnaire
The needs analysis questionnaire used for the purposes of this research was adapted from
a study conducted by Mede (2013) which aimed to design and evaluate a language
preparatory program for the students who will major in the department of English Language
Teaching. The questionnaire comprised two main parts (see Appendix A) . The first part (Part
1) was designed to gather de mographic information about the students to identify their
gender, proficiency level and the department they will pursue their BA degree . As for the
second part (Part 2) of the questionnaire , the aim was to gather information on the following
concepts rela ted to the students‟ perceived language needs: the importance of the
improvement of the language abilities namely, reading, writing, speaking and listening ( Part

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 207
ELT Research Journal 2a), the students‟ performance in the tasks related to the four language skills ( Part 2b), and the
difficulties the students experienced with the application of the language strategies in given
tasks (Part 2c). Each item in the scale was accompanied by a 5 -point Likert scale ranging
from „ strongly agree’ (a) through „ strongly disagree’ (e).
Before the questionnaire was administered to the participants, it was piloted with 32
undergraduate student teachers. Reliability estimates for subscales were α = .781 for Part 1, α
= .86 for 2a, α = .80 for 2b and α = .98 for 2c and α = .96 for the whole needs a nalysis
questionnaire which indicates a high internal consistency of the items in the scale (Gliem &
Gliem, 2003).
Semi -structur ed Interview
In an attempt to support the data gathered from the needs analysis questionnaire, a
semi -structured interview was administered to the preparatory students to find out whether the
program has met their language and learning needs (see Appendix B) .
The questions were parallel to the ones in the needs analysis questionnaire by
primarily focusing on the aim of the program, the importance given to the four language
skills, the effective tasks used to improve the student teachers‟ performance in the four
language skills, the frequent problems observed in the program and the possible reasons
behind them. Finally, the data gath ered from the semi -structured interview were used to
identify the possible side effects of the program.
Specifically, t he interview included four different parts. Part 1 aimed to gather general
information in terms of the primary aim of the program and emp hasis given to the
improvement of the fo ur language skills. As for Part 2, questions in terms of improving the
students‟ four language skills were included. For example, the two groups of participants were
asked questions about the effective tasks that the student teachers could be engaged in to
improve their language ability. In Part 3, questions related to the difficulties the students
experience with the application of the language skills and strategies in given tasks were
included. Finally, Part 4 aimed to gather some information about students‟ perceptions in
terms of the side effects of the preparatory program.
Data Analysis
As for the evaluation of the language preparatory program related to the students‟
language and learning needs, first, the needs analysis questionnaire was tabulated and
analyzed statistically . Specifically, i ndependent samples t -tests were conducted to find out
whether there are any differences between the perceptions of the preparatory students enrolled
in relation to their profic iency level .
Furthermore, t he obtained quantitative data were supported via semi -structured
interviews carried out wi th the participating students which were transcribed and coded
according to Bogda n and Biklen‟s (1998) framework. Specifically, the qualit ative data

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 208
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved gathered from the interviews were first transcribed, and then , by reading each participant‟s
transcripts, the conceptual themes were identified by the researcher according to the recurring
words and ideas. These conceptual categories were used t o create a matrix of major themes
which were sorted under specific headings. Finally, the supporting quotes from each
participant were listed and discussed under each heading.
Results
As it will be discussed in the following pages, the findings related t o the needs
analysis questionnaire and semi -structured interview s are used to provide evidence for the
evaluation and modifications to be done in the language preparatory program designed for the
students who will major in English Language and Literature a nd Translation departments.
The Findings of the Needs Analysis Questionnaire
Data obtained from the needs analysis questionnaire were analyzed by independent
samples t -tests to find out whether there are any differences between the perceptions of the
students enrolled in the preparatory program with respect to their department and proficiency
level . Since the first part of the questionnaire attempted to gather demographic information
about the students, the second part of the questionnaire namely, Part 2 w as analyzed
according to the three subcategories, the importance of the students ‟ improvement of the four
language skills (Part 2a), the students‟ performance in the tasks related to the four language
skills (Part 2b) and the difficulty the students experi enced with the application of the language
strategies in given tasks (Part 2c).
To begin with , an independent samples t -test was conducted to find out if there were
any significant differences between the students from two different departments.
The first subcategory of the second part of the needs analysis questionnaire ( Part 2a )
focused on the importance of the improvement of the four language skills namely, reading,
writing, speaking, and listening. The t-test results show ed that the English Language and
Literature students do not differ significantly from the Translation students in reading ( t (62)
= .661, p = .511), writing ( t (62) = 1.129, p = .263), listening ( t (62) = -.761, p = .450), and
speaking ( t (62) = .288, p = .775).
As for the second subc ategory Part 2b, the students‟ performance in the tasks related
to the four language skills was investigated . The results reveal ed no significant differences
between the participants from two different departments in reading ( t (62) = -.570, p = .571),
writing ( t (62) =-.609, p = .545), listening ( t (62) = -.315, p =.754), and speaking ( t (62)
=.650 , p =.518).
Finally, in t he last subcategory of the questionnaire (Part 2c) , the difficult y the
students experienced with the application of the strategies in given tasks was examined .
According to the results obtained from the t -tests, there was a significant difference only for
the application of writing strategies in related tasks (t (62) = -2.164, p = .034) while no

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 209
ELT Research Journal significant difference was obtained for the use of reading ( t (62) = -1.701 , p = .094), listening
(t (62) = -1.135 , p = .261), and speaking ( t (62) = -1.778, p = .080) strategies in language
tasks between two departments .
In addition, a second independent samples t -test was conducted to find out i f the there
were any significant difference s between the preparatory students based on their proficiency
level.
First, as discussed in the previous paragraphs, Part 2a focused on the improvement of
reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. The res ults gathered from the independent
samples t -test showed that the low -intermediate students do not differ significantly from the
high-intermediate students in reading ( t (62) = -.914, p = .364), writing ( t (62) = 1.203, p =
.233), listening ( t (62) = -.879, p = .383), and speaking ( t (62) = .306, p = .761) skills .
Furthermore, based on the obtained results from Part 2b related to the students‟
performance in the given tasks , there i s no significant differences between the participants
from two different proficiency levels in the language abilities namely, reading ( t (62) = -.575,
p = .567), writing ( t (62) = .983, p = .330), listening ( t (62) = .497, p = .621), and speaking ( t
(62) = 1.966, p = .057).
Finally, according to the statistical analysis of Par t 2c which aimed to explore the
difficulties the students experienced with the application of the strategies in tasks based on the
four language skills, there was no significant difference for reading ( t (62) = -1.299, p = .199),
writing ( t (62) = -.849, p = .399), listening ( t (62) = -.356, p = .723), and speaking ( t (62) = –
.792, p = .431) between two proficiency levels.
The Findings of the Semi -Structured Interviews
Data gathered from the semi -structured interviews were analyzed under the following
four assertions: the aim of the program, the emphasis given to the students‟ improvement of
the language skills and strategies , the difficulties the students experience with the application
of the strategies in given tasks and finally, the side effects of the p rogram.
The Aim of the P rogram
When asked about the major aim of the preparatory program, both literature and
translation students from different proficiency levels namely, low-intermediate and high-
intermediate shared the same viewpoint. Specifically, the y agreed that the program aims to
help them improve their English skills before they get engaged in the undergraduate program
as shown in the excerpts below:
I think that the program aims to help us improve our language skills
before we begin studying in o ur departments.

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 210
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved The major aim of this program is to improve our English bef ore we
start the undergraduate program.
The Emphasis Given to the Students‟ Improvement of the Language Skills and Strategies
Considering the importance given to the students‟ progr ess in relation to the language
skills and strategies in the preparatory program, the opinions of the students overlapped . To
put it simply , the participating students regardless of their department and proficiency level
believed that equal emphasis is giv en to the improvem ent of the four language skills . Related
to the issue , two student s made the following comment:
The program helps us to improve all four language skills equally. We are
asked us to participate in many tasks and use different strategies to
aid with our performance in reading, writing, listening and speaking
courses.
In my opinion, the program helps us to improve the four language skills
by engaging us in various tasks and activities.
Similarly, t he preparatory students indicated that the program mainly focuses on
strategy training by engaging them in various language tasks. To illustrate, the students are
asked to read course handouts or texts on the internet followed by the application of the
reading strategies like, getting the main idea or identifying key information in the given tasks.
In the program, we are asked to read and perform tasks from various
reading resources such as, textbooks or the internet. The teacher shows us
how to apply the necessary strategies such as, skimming or sc anning in
the given tasks and guided them during their learning process
Likewise, the two groups of students stated that they receive intensive training on how
to write a paragraph and an essay by learning how to make an outline, organize ideas, include
details etc . which helps them become more disciplined writers as shown below:
The teachers introduce us to the effective steps of writing a paragraph
and an essay. We made an outline, organize our ideas, include some
details etc. In this way, we have learned how to become more disciplined
writers.
On the other hand , the translation students particularly perceived the strategy of
researching the topic before writing to get some background information to be important to
aid in the development of their writing a bility making the following comment:
Researching the topic before writing is crucial to have an idea before we
start writing a paragraph or an essay. We enjoy searching on a topic to
get background information.

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 211
ELT Research Journal As for the listening skills, all students agr eed that they learn how to take notes while
listening to lectures. One of the students expressed the following opinions:
In the listening course, we receive instruction on how to take notes while
listening to lectures. We also ask questions to each other a nd share our
ideas on different topics.
Finally, in relation to the speaking skills, the students enrolled in the language
preparatory program stated that they learned how to discuss on a certain topic by exchanging
their ideas effectively and they enjoyed it. A participating student said:
In the program, we discuss on specific topics and exchange ideas with
each other. It is really enjoyable.
The Difficulties the Students Experience with the Application of the Language Skills and
Strategies in Given Tasks
Apart from the emphasis given to the students‟ progress of the language skills and
strategies, the students were asked about the difficulties they experienc e with the application
of the relevant skills and strategies in given tasks. Consequently, when aske d about the most
frequent problems experienced in the reading course, the high-intermediated students from
two different departments stated that they had some difficulty with summarizing what they
read, and sometimes felt boring writing summaries . Instead, they prefer oral summaries rather
than typed ones as illustrated below :
Summarizing what we read may sometimes be difficult and boring.
Instead of typing our summaries, it would be fun to make our summaries
orally.
Furthermore, the participating groups e xperienced certain problems with the
application of the writing skills and strategies in given tasks. Specifically, while the high-
intermediate students experienced problems with generating ideas and providing examples,
the low-intermediate students found it difficult to use vocabulary and structures effectively
while writing. They commented on this issue as follows:
I think that writing is one of the most important skills to be developed.
Although we receive some training on how to write a paragraph or an
essay, I still have difficulty in generating ideas and providing examples.
Although we get guidance on how to write paragraphs or essays in the
program, I still have problems to choose the appropriate vocabulary and
structure while writing.

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 212
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved Finally, regard less of their department and proficiency level, the preparatory students
asked for more emphasis on extensive reading which would help with heir comprehension .
One of the students said:
Extensive reading is crucial in terms of improving our reading ability . I
think that the number of readers should be increased which would help us
with understand what we read more effectively.
The Side Effects of the Program
In an attempt to find out about the side effects of the program, the students were asked
about the m ajor strengths and weaknesses of the language preparatory program. First, the
groups with two different department and proficiency levels shared the same viewpoint that
the program was effective in terms of improving the four language skills. Since the stu dents
are going to major in English Language and Literature and Translation departments, they need
to gain fluency and accuracy in the target language. In other words, they need to learn how to
use the language strategies in the related tasks and get famil iar with the basic key concepts
which would help them follow their undergraduate courses more effectively . Regarding this
topic, two of the students said:
Since we are going to major in English Language and Literature and
Translation departments, we need t o be competent in English.
Considering this issue, the major strength of this program was that it
helps us improve our English by applying the language strategies in the
related tasks and get familiar with the basic key concepts. This would
help us follow the undergraduate courses.
Being a student of a specific program is a privilege for us. I am happy to
be in a program that will help me improve my English effectively. I have
learned the strategies such as, making inferences or organizing my ideas
clearly. I have also learned many key terms which will help us follow the
courses in the undergraduate program more effectively.
On the other hand, when asked about the major weaknesses of the program, the
participating students shared some crucial ideas . To exemp lify, the literature and translation
students at two different proficiency levels argued that the number of hours of the listening
course should be increased. Since in the graduate program, the students usually take notes
while listening to lectures, the preparatory students believed that there should be more focus
on the improvement of this particular strategy. In relation to this issue, one of the students
made the following comment:
Listening is one of the most difficult skills to develop. Although i n the
preparatory program, we are asked to take notes while listening, I think
that there should be more hours of listening and more emphasis should be

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 213
ELT Research Journal given to this particular strategy since we are mostly required to take some
notes while listening to lecture s in our undergraduate courses .
Finally, all participants believed that extensive reading is very important for the
development of the reading s kill, and thus, should be integrated in the program thoroughly.
They suggested that the students can choose some of their favorite readers apart from the ones
assigned by the course instructors. This would help them to enjoy reading more, and also
develop a reading habit outside the class. Specifically, they made comments about this topic
as follows:
Most of our st udents start reading books at university. Although in the
preparatory program, we a re asked to read outside the classroom and
write book reports, I think that the number of books should be increased.
For example, we can choose one or two of our favorite re aders. In this
way, they can develop a reading habit outside the class and reading will
also become more enjoyable .
Extensive reading is very important for our reading development.
Although I like the books assigned in the class, I think that some small
changes could be made. For example, we can choose some of the books
we like so that, we can enjoy reading outside the class.
Discussion and Conclusion
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the Language Preparatory Program
designed for the students wh o will major in English Language and Literature and Translation
departments has met their language and learning needs . The reported findings provided
insights in relation to the aim of the program, the students‟ performance in tasks related to the
four lan guage skills, the difficulties the students experience with the application of the
language strategies in given tasks and the side effects of the program.
Based on the data obtained through the needs analysis questionnaire s and semi –
structured interviews , the preparatory student s agreed that the program has helped them
improve the four language skills equally and also positively affected their performance in the
application of language strategies in the given tasks. In other words, t hey could use the
strate gies like, skimming, scanning, taking notes, and expressing their ideas clearly in the
language tasks more effectively after receiving instruction in the program.
As for the differences between the perceptions of the students with respect to their
departm ent, t he only difference was about the writing ability. Specifically, the preparatory
students who will major in the Translation Department stressed the importance of doing
research to get some idea on a specific topic. They believed that this strategy is crucial for
getting background information on various topics and thus, should be particularly emphasized
in the program.

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 214
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved Furthermore, the perceptions of the two groups of students differ when it comes to
their proficiency level. To illustrate, the high-intermediate students stated that they
experienced problems with generating ideas and providing examples whereas the low –
intermediate students found it difficult to use vocabulary and structures effectively while
writing. To fulfill this gap, the preparatory program designed for the higher level should
emphasize more on the how to generate ideas and provide examples during the writing
process. As for the lower level group, students should receive more guidance on how to use
vocabulary and structures in writin g tasks effectively.
As for the side effects of the preparatory program, the participants shared similar
viewpoints regardless of their department an d proficiency level . First, t he two groups of
students agreed that after being engaged in the program, they learned how to use the language
strategies in the given tasks and got familiar with the basic key concepts which would help
them follow their undergraduate courses. Next , the participants indicated that the number of
hours of the listening course should b e increased by focusing more on note taking which is
necessary to be developed to follow their undergraduate courses more effectively.
In addition, the students emphasized the importance of doing oral summar y and note
taking suggesting some changes to be emphasized in the program . Specifically, they found
writing a summary to be boring and beli eved that giving oral summary instead might be more
enjoyable and motivating. As for the note-taking, the same group stated that there should be
more emphasis on thi s particular strategy since they we are mostly required to take some
notes in the undergraduate program . Thus, while designing the preparatory program for the
following years, oral summary and note -taking should be integrated in the program more
thoroughly .
Finally , the gathered results showed that more importance should be given to
extensive reading in the program. The students suggested that the students should be asked to
read more books , and they should be provided with the option to choose one or two o f their
favorite readers. Therefore, the number of readers should be increased by adding some novels
and giving students the responsibility to choose their favorite books for the next year.
According to what‟s been discussed above, the results of this stud y can be taken for
granted while redesigning the preparatory program designed for the students who are going
to major in English Language and Literature and Translation departments for the following
academic year.
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Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 216
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved Appendices

Appendix A

Needs Analysis Questionnaire

PART 1 -Participant Profile
1. Gender F ( ) M ( )
2. Proficiency Level: Low Intermediate ( ) High Intermediate ( )
3. Please write down the department you will pursue your BA degree.
____________
Part 2-Language and Learning Needs
Circle one of the items below.
2a. T he Language Preparatory Program has helped me to improve the following language
skills:
a: strongly agree b: agree c: somewhat agree d: disagree e: strongly disagree
1 Reading a b c d e
2 Writing a b c d e
3 Listening a b c d e
4 Speaking a b c d e

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ELT Research Journal
2b. The Language Preparatory Program has helped me to improve my performance in
the following tasks related to the four language skills:
a: strongly agree b: agree c: somewhat agr ee d: disagree e: strongly disagree
Reading
1 textbooks a b c d e
2 articles in journals a b c d e
3 reference tools (i.e. dictionaries) a b c d e
4 course handouts a b c d e
5 texts on the Internet a b c d e
6 computer -presented readings a b c d e
7 instructions for projects a b c d e
8 newspapers/magazines a b c d e
9 lecture not es a b c d e
10 works of literature a b c d e
11 graphs/ charts/ d iagrams/ tables a b c d e

Writing
1 a resume (CV) a b c d e
2 essays in reaction to readings a b c d e
3 references for a report or project a b c d e
4 book reports a b c d e
5 workbook exercises a b c d e
6 essay -type questions a b c d e
7 term papers a b c d e

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 218
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved Listening
1 lectures a b c d e
2 question/answer sessions a b c d e
3 class presentations a b c d e
4 dialogues a b c d e

Speaking
1 oral presentations a b c d e
2 oral presentations using multimedia tools a b c d e
3 state opinions on different topics (discussions/ debates) a b c d e

2c. The Language Preparatory Program has helped me to apply the following strategies
in given tasks:
a: strongly agree b: agree c: somewhat agree d: disagree e: strongly disagree
Reading
1 Recognize words automatically. a b c d e
2 Guess the meaning of an unknown word from context. a b c d e
3 Recognize the organization of i deas to see their relationships. a b c d e
4 Identify key information. a b c d e
5 Predict the content of a text. a b c d e
6 Understand information in a text when not openly stated. a b c d e
7 Read and respond critically. a b c d e
8 Distinguish fac t from opinion. a b c d e
9 Ask questions about a text. a b c d e
10 Read carefully and understand the details of the text. a b c d e

Mede, E. & Uygun, S. / ELT Research Journal 2014, 3(4), 201 -221 219
ELT Research Journal 11 Go through a text quickly to get the general idea. a b c d e
12 Read quickly and selectively to find important info rmation. a b c d e
13 Search for simple information. a b c d e
14 Distinguish the main idea from the supporting detail(s). a b c d e
15 Identify cause -effect relationships. a b c d e
16 Understand writer‟s aim/attitude. a b c d e

Writing
1 Summar ize information in your own words. a b c d e
2 Combine information from multiple texts to prepare an
assignment. a b c d e
3 Organize writing to express major and supporting ideas. a b c d e
4 Organize ideas for compare and contrast purposes. a b c d e
5 Organize ideas to show cause and effect relationships. a b c d e
6 Organize ideas for argumentative purposes. a b c d e
7 Organize ideas to describe events. a b c d e
8 Write references and quotations. a b c d e

Listening
1 Understand informatio n when not openly stated in a lecture. a b c d e
2 Predict the content of a lecture. a b c d e
3 Understand the subject matter of a lecture. a b c d e
4 Listen for specific information. a b c d e
5 Distinguish fact from opinion. a b c d e
6 Listen to a lecture to take effective notes. a b c d e

Evaluation of a language preparatory p rogram: A case s tudy 220
© International Association of Research in Foreign Language Education and Applied Lin guistics – All rights reserved 7 Follow question / answer sessions. a b c d e
8 Understand spoken instructions. a b c d e

Speaking
1 Ask relevant questions in class. a b c d e
2 Participate in discussions/debates. a b c d e
3 Give ora l presentations. a b c d e
4 React to speech and lecture. a b c d e
5 Produce correct pronunciation. a b c d e
6 Provide solutions to given problems. a b c d e
7 Summarize information in your own words. a b c d e
8 Express your ideas in your own words . a b c d e

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ELT Research Journal
Appendix B
Semi -structured Interview
Part 1. Aim of the Program and Language Skills
1. What do you think was the primary aim of the Language Preparatory Program? Briefly
explain.
2. What were the most important language skills (r eading, writing, listening and speaking)
emphasized in the program? Briefly explain.
Part 2. Improvement of the Four Language Skills
1. What were the most effective tasks used in the program to improve your language skills
(reading, writing, listening and speaking)? Briefly explain.

Part 3. Difficulty Experienced with the Application of the Language Strategies in Given
Tasks
1. What difficulties do you experience with the application of the language skills and
strategies in given tasks? Briefly explain.
Part 4. The Side Effects of the Program
1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Language Preparatory Program? Briefly
explain.