Page 31 - ELG2404 April Issue 489

FEATURE

of your qualifications to those available Turkey has changed enormously in the a glass of tea or even share a family meal.
at Turkish universities. Because of these 30 years that I’ve been here. As in most Turkish people are often curious to find out
changes, many schools have unfortunately countries, it has undergone a revolution about your background, country of origin, as
given up on employing non-Turkish teachers in consumerism. When I arrived, it was well as your perspective on their country.
altogether. However, once you receive sometimes difficult to find anything other One of the principal rewards of living
your work permit, you’ll also receive a TC than traditional Turkish coffee on sale – the and working in Turkey is the opportunities
(Republic of Turkey) number, which enables thick, dark beverage that leaves a residue for travel, and one of the reasons for my
you to receive treatment at state hospitals in the bottom of your cup. Now, my flat is preferring Izmir over Istanbul is the relative
and some other benefits, such as a reduction probably closer to a branch of Starbucks than ease with which you can escape the city for
in the cost of prescription medicines. Some anywhere I lived in England would be. Three a day or weekend away. Being such a huge
employers, as an added perk, may supply decades ago, most people drove around in country, there’s a wide diversity of landscapes
private health insurance, which is otherwise locally-maunufactured Renaults – which were to explore, from the alpine pastures of the
quite costly. almost always white – whereas now you’ll find Black Sea region to the pine-covered shores
In the classroom, the EFL – especially the the same range of cars on the roads as in any of the Mediterranean. There are countless
‘foreign’, native-speaking – teacher is likely European country, despite the tax that has to historical sites worth seeing too, and you may
to be given skills-based material designed to be paid on imported vehicles. recognise the names of many from the Bible
be communicative in approach. ‘Make them However, some things remain unchanged, or classical mythology.
talk,’ I was instructed all those years ago, especially when you leave the big cities and Of course, everyone’s experience will vary,
and I suppose that remains the case now too. usual holiday destinations. Instead of gigantic but the novice teacher who arrived here 30
In many schools, ‘grammar’ tends to be the American-style shopping malls, it’s still years ago with a return ticket just in case is,
preserve of the Turkish English teacher and possible to find narrow streets of small artisan as of last year, officially a Turkish pensioner!
one challenge has always been to encourage shops and lokantas, the restaurants serving
students to apply the structures that they traditional Turkish dishes which cater for
have acquired in these lessons to the the local working population. I can say that Jonathan Smith is a graduate
communicative tasks that I’m implementing some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten in this of Cardiff University, who
in mine. Of course, the results are variable, country have been in these modest-looking has been an EFL teacher in
but Turkey is far more globalised and Turks eateries. And despite being an old-timer here, Turkey since 1993. His students
far better-travelled than 30 years ago, so another constant is the way in which I’m still have included both adults and
students have far more exposure to English treated as a guest. Provided you behave in a children, although he is currently teaching teens
than they once did. An English derived from courteous manner, this will almost certainly be in a high school in Izmir. He has also delivered
Netflix and social media is, though, perhaps a reciprocated and in some of the less touristy teacher training sessions in various cities
mixed blessing! towns and villages, I’ve been invited to drink in Turkey.

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editorial@elgazette.com 31