Welcome to Bilkent University
School of English Language (BUSEL)
This website has been designed to provide basic information
about our school. We hope you will find it both interesting
and useful. We also hope that it will be particularly
informative for those of you who would like to apply for a
post with us. In the next section you will see our mission
statement along with details of BUSEL’s three main areas of
work within the university, viz. preparatory English
courses, faculty-based academic English courses, and
English-Turkish translation courses. Further sections
outline professional development opportunities and current
job vacancies, with an on-line application form for those
who wish to apply to the school.
BUSEL is
currently responsible for a staff of 300 instructors, 85 of
whom are international, plus 23 administrative and support
personnel. It is possibly one of the largest English
language schools in the world. The school is committed to
maintaining quality standards in the teaching of language
and academic skills, and to providing basic training and
further development for all staff it employs. It has
developed its own English language exemption exam (COPE),
equivalent to 213 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS, which
all students must pass prior to starting in their
departments.
BUSEL is
currently engaged in a range of new developments in both its
Preparatory and post-Preparatory English language programs.
We like to think of ourselves as a learning institution
which recognizes the need to constantly evaluate and renew
itself so as to better meet the needs of its students.
Research is ongoing in the areas of content-based
instruction, academic writing, core syllabus specification,
textbook writing, assessment, computer based language
learning, lexical syllabus specification, people management
and organizational development, to mention some of the areas
in which we currently have projects. The school also enjoys
close links with the Faculty of Education and other schools
on campus which are also working in the development of
English language instruction, as well as the training of
teachers.
If you would
like to correspond with us, or would like to make
suggestions related to the content of this website, you can
reach us at
teacher@bilkent.edu.tr.
We look
forward to hearing from you.
John O'Dwyer
Director
BUSEL Mission Statement
We provide
students with a learning environment which:
enables them to make the successful transition from life at
school / home to life at university;
ensures that they attain the level of proficiency in English
necessary to enter their chosen School or Faculty;
develops their potential as independent ‘autonomous’
learners;
supports the further development of their English language
and study skills throughout their study in the Faculties and
Vocational Training Schools.
We provide
instructors with a professional and stimulating place to
work.
We
contribute to the maintenance and improvement of English
within the university and the community at large.
We contribute to the
improvement of general English language teaching standards
in Turkey
Introduction to BUSEL
Bilkent
University School of English Language prepares students for
English-medium academic study in the faculties and
vocational training schools of the university. The School of
English Language comprises three parts; the English Language
Preparatory Program, bringing students’ level up to the
basic minimum required for study in their chosen faculties
and schools; the Faculty Academic English Program (FAE)
which provides English language support to students once in
their faculties and schools; and the English and Translation
Studies (ETS) Department, providing an Associate Degree in
English-Turkish Translation to students seeking employment
in business and professional organizations.
Overall School
Structure
Of the 300 instructors attached to the school,
200 are involved in
Preparatory Program courses and specialist units, and the
remainder are working in post-preparatory courses. The
structure of the school is complex in view of its size.
There is a Directorate which co-ordinates and manages the
different activities within the school; a Teacher Services
Unit which is responsible for all staff matters right across
the school; a Student Services Unit which deals with, for
example, registration and counseling for the large
population of students; a Teacher Trainers; a
Curriculum and Testing Unit; and 14 academic units which
group instructors working in the Preparatory Program or the
Faculty Academic English Program. Two Directors, one for the
Preparatory Program and another for the Faculty Academic
English Program, ensure the coordination within the
Directorate for their specific areas of responsibility and,
in addition, each academic and specialist unit has its own
Head who forms part of the management of the school through
its committee system.
The English
Language Preparatory Program operates out of three large
buildings on East Campus and, the Faculty Academic English
Program units are located on both East and Main Campuses, in
proximity to the faculties and schools which they serve.
BUSEL 2004-2008
Development Plan
The BUSEL 2004-2008 Development Plan was originally developed from
the communication with the units in the year leading up to September
2002 and was prioritized at the Bolu Heads meeting in the second
semester of the 2002-2003 Academic Year, after further consultation
with individual units.
The plan has now
been updated in consultation with the individual units to reflect
the enlarged focus of BUSEL after the establishment of the FAE
program structure at the beginning of 2003. The goals cover the four
years from January 2004, although, as in the past, as a result of
emerging issues and needs, the plan may need to be realigned during
that period.
The Directorate aims
incorporate the curriculum aims for the Preparatory Program
(textbooks, curriculum, e-learning, testing, self-access) as well as
general management and administrative support aims for the whole
school. The Head of Teaching Unit aims are focused mainly on the
Teaching Unit delivery of the curriculum. The aims for the FAE
Program and the ETS Department incorporate both curriculum design
and delivery concerns. The Teacher Trainers have broadened aims
which cover training needs for the whole institution, particularly
since the commencement of the MA program.
January 2004
Directorate Development Plan Objectives with a Focus on the
Prep.Program
FAE
Development Plan Objectives
ETS
Development Plan Objectives
HTU
Development Plan Objectives
TT
Development Plan Objectives
Other Courses
BUSEL also provides English language
courses for the University's administrative staff to help them
develop their English further.
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