Yabancılara Türkçe Öğretiminde Öğretici Konuşmasının Etkileşimsel Özellikleri

Abstract

This study investigates the interactional features of teacher talk in Teaching Turkish to Foreigners (TTF) classrooms at two proficiency levels, A1 (beginner) and C1 (advanced), and explores teachers’ self-evaluations of their own classroom discourse practices. Adopting a qualitative case study design, the research was conducted with five teachers working at a TÖMER in Türkiye who taught at both proficiency levels. Classroom interaction data were collected through systematic observations and stimulated recall interviews, yielding a total of 860 minutes of audio recordings. Classroom discourse was analyzed descriptively using Walsh’s (2006) Self-Evaluation of Teacher Talk (SETT) framework, while interview data were subjected to content analysis. Triangulation across data sources was employed to enhance the trustworthiness of the findings. The findings reveal a clear developmental shift in teacher talk from form-focused, teacher-controlled interaction at the A1 level toward meaning-focused, dialogic, and jointly constructed communication at the C1 level. At the beginner level, interaction is predominantly characterized by direct correction, display questions, short wait-time, teacher echo, and tightly structured B-Y-G sequences. In contrast, advanced-level classrooms display increased use of referential questions, content-focused feedback, extended wait-time, selective echoing, and learnerinitiated self-repair. Similarly, scaffolding practices evolve from explicit and rule-based support at A1 to more implicit and strategic guidance at C1. The distribution and use of SETT modes also vary by proficiency level, with the Skills and Systems and Managerial modes dominating at A1, while the Classroom Context and Material modes are employed more flexibly and purposefully at C1. Stimulated recall interviews indicate that teachers conceptualize interaction as the primary mechanism through which language learning occurs and view teacher talk not only as a pedagogical tool but also as an emotional and relational resource. Engagement with the SETT framework increased teachers’ reflective awareness by making intuitive practices visible and by highlighting areas for development, such as excessive teacher control, limited wait-time, ix and interactional routines that constrain learner participation. By applying the SETT framework to the TTFL context, this study provides locally grounded, data-driven insights into the proficiency-sensitive, context-dependent, and pedagogically adaptive nature of teacher talk. The findings underscore the need for reflective, interactionfocused, and emotionally responsive teacher education in TTF and suggest that teacher talk should be conceptualized as a dynamic professional expertise rather than a routine instructional practice.