Determining the Significance Level of Vocabulary Teaching Tools and Activities in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language through Analytical Hierarchy Process

Abstract

As vocabulary is an important component of language teaching and there exist certain problems in students’ vocabulary skills, traditional and modern teaching methods used in Turkish as a foreign language teaching are discussed in the article. The frequency of use and the success rates were taken into consideration in the determination of the methods. In this context, a survey was developed and administered within Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for teachers of Turkish to foreigners in order to determine the significance level of vocabulary teaching methods in Turkish as a foreign language. The survey consisted of comparative questions for determining the significance levels of vocabulary acquisition methods used in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. The data collected in this research were analyzed in Microsoft Excel program and the results were presented as statistical tables. According to the findings, the significance level of communicative teaching methods conducted through visual and auditory tools and activities were determined to be the first in vocabulary acquisition in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. Videos and movies were seen to be the first in the order of significance level within vocabulary teaching through visual and audio tools. Role-play activities were determined to be the first in the order of significance of level. Interactive course CDs and smart boards became the most effective tools in teaching vocabulary in terms of educational technologies. Course-books and workbooks were identified as the most preferred tools in printed publications. According to the results of the study, the tools applied by students that address multi-senses were seen to be the most preferred techniques in vocabulary acquisition in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. The results of this research will contribute to updating the methods to be used in teaching / learning Turkish as a foreign language vocabulary. In addition, they will help to improve the course-books and other materials to be developed.