English Language Preparatory Program
 All students new to
the university have to sit and pass a proficiency examination named
the Certificate of Proficiency in English Examination (COPE) in
order to enter their chosen faculty or vocational school. Those
students who are unable to pass the COPE attend the English Language
Preparatory Program for 1 to 2 years, receiving between 25-30 hours
of tuition per week in mainly 8-week courses over an academic year,
i.e. 2 courses per semester, although some longer (16-week) courses
are also taught at certain levels. There are on average 2000-2500
students in the English Language Preparatory Program at the
beginning of each academic year.
Teaching Unit Structure (TU)
 There are
12
Teaching Units in the Preparatory School each with 15-17 teachers
and approximately 150-200 students. Every Teaching Unit is managed
by a Head of Teaching Unit (HTU) who has line management
responsibility for the teachers and the operations of the unit.
Teachers in the same
unit generally teach classes at the same level, which allows them to
share their experiences, classes and materials. Each unit holds
regular meetings to discuss the teaching related and administrative
issues of the week ahead. There are also regular weekly development
sessions where various staff development activities are carried out.
Such activities include presentations, workshops and swap shops on
specific teaching related areas in line with unit or individual
development objectives.
Ongoing evaluation
of the courses allows the units to make autonomous and proactive
decisions about the content and the processes of the courses they
run along with the continuous assessment of their students’
learning. Students also take part in this evaluation process.
‘Evaluation of Learning’ cycle encourages students to evaluate their
own progress and the input they receive, and ‘The Class Spokesperson
(CSP) Meeting’ held regularly with the Head of the Teaching Unit
gives class representatives a chance to voice the views of the
student body.
The BUSEL data base
(known as BUSTRACK) allows teachers and Heads to follow the student
progress through direct access to student profiles and enables them
to make decisions to meet the individual needs of the students
before and during a course. Regular office hours and tutorials are
also incorporated into the teaching programs to further help
individual students with their studies.
Course operations of
Teaching Units are overseen by the HTU Coordinator who has line
management responsibility for the Heads of Teaching Unit. The
operations are coordinated and synchronized through regular updates
and head meetings
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Learning Center
At
university students are exposed to an unfamiliar learning
situation which
often demands that they work independently outside of the
teaching environment. One constant element throughout the
English Language Preparatory Program is the fostering of
this independence to bridge the gap between high school and
university expectations. The Learning Center provides
opportunities for students to work independently towards
acquiring the necessary language and skills to follow their
studies both in the Preparatory Program and in their
departments.
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East Campus
Library
 The East
Campus library is equipped with 10 CALL Labs specifically
allocated to the Preparatory Program Students. Instructors
can take their students to the CALL Labs for class access at
the specified times given for their TU. All computers have
access to the language learning software designed to help
students practice their English. A complete list of the
software classified according to different levels can be
obtained from the HTUs. Technical assistance is available
during working hours through a BUSEL staff member.
Students can borrow graded readers for 7 days, newspapers
and magazines for 24 hours from the library. A comprehensive
collection of ELT vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening
and writing books are also available for students to study
in the library in their own time. |
Curriculum and Testing
Unit (CTU)
 The Curriculum and
Testing Unit is mainly responsible for further developing the EnglishLanguage Preparatory Program Curriculum, which is based on the needs
of students in faculties in terms of both language and academic
skills. The specification of objectives in the syllabus ensures a
gradual development in both areas so that the students are well
equipped to deal with the language and skills demands of their
continuing academic studies when they leave the Preparatory Program.
To this end the unit is currently working on the following projects:
• Speaking Project
• CEF Linking
• Textbook Development
• Outside the Class Strand
All aspects of the
Curriculum and Testing Unit's work - syllabus, course outlines,
Learning Portfolio components, materials, tests - are constantly
evaluated through regular formal and informal evaluation, which
allows the unit to constantly improve the quality of provision
offered to students.
In the Preparatory
Program there are course specific and level specific tests.
Cumulative Achievement Tests (CATs) are course
specific tests which contribute to a
student’s continuous assessment grade. These tests are designed to
encourage short and longer term revision of course objectives in
order to assess student progress and diagnose weak areas for further
attention. End of Course Assessments (ECAs) are level specific
achievement tests which constitute the benchmark students must reach
in order to pass from one level to the next. Students on all courses
at any one level sit the same ECA at the end of a course period.
The Certificate of
Proficiency in English Examination (COPE) is a general test of
English language proficiency for students wishing to enter degree or
associate degree courses at Bilkent University. It is produced
in-house by a specially selected COPE production team and is
administered three times a year. Those students who pass the COPE
exam can start their studies in their departments immediately.
Students may also qualify for entry into their departments through
taking external exams.
Textbook Development (TB)
 The Textbook Project
was set up in September 1995 with a view to writing a series of
English language textbooks. This initiative grew from the results of
a needs analysis administered across the university to determine
agreed curricular goals to prepare students for their faculties and
schools. The project has already produced a series of course books
for the five levels in the Preparatory Program and the current team
is now reviewing and rewriting the initial series. The members of the team were selected from the
Preparatory Program’s teaching staff on the basis of their knowledge
of English language teaching and proven ability in materials
writing. Furthermore, they all receive additional training prior to
starting work and during the project. Other members of the school
are also centrally involved in the development of the textbooks. In
particular teachers from a variety of Teaching Units trial and give
feedback on the materials before they are finalized. By involving as
many staff members as possible in the book writing process, the
institution ensures that the books meet our students' specific needs
in terms of language and academic skills.
 The textbooks are
designed according to the objectives specified in the Preparatory
Program’s syllabus with the development of writing skills being of
central importance. The books provide graded materials covering all
the language and skills work required at each level with special
emphasis on the development of academic skills. The final units of
each textbook are representative of the level that the students need
to have mastered by the end of the course in order to successfully
pass to the next level or enter the exit examination (COPE).
The textbooks for
each level consist of:
• a Student Book;
• a Self-Study Workbook;
• a Teacher's Book;
• a CD;
• an outside the class strand (OCS)
delivered through the CALL labs.
Computerized Learning
Project (CL)
The Computerized
Learning Project was established in the 2002-2003 Academic Year with
a view to making computerized language learning a regular part of
students’ learning. The Preparatory Program’s syllabus objectives
are used as guides for the definition of computerized learning
objectives which develop in tandem with the design of the BUSEL
textbooks. The project is developing a broad range of web-based
materials ranging from skills and language practice to learner
training, as well as teaching resources for instructors.
Professional
Development
  Instructor
training programs consist of in-service training both for newly qualified
and experienced instructors. Instructors who successfully complete these
programs (ICELT, CELTA, DELTA)
receive an internationally recognized certificate or diploma from
University of Cambridge ESOL. As well as formal training programs, a variety of workshops and short intensive courses
are run for
instructors. Such training opportunities are one way in which BUSEL is
able to maintain a high degree of professionalism among its staff.
Detailed information about the courses and the master's degree
(Management in Education in E.L.T.) can be found
in the Professional Development section of this website.
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