Makaleler ve Araştırma Yazıları
In recent years, many discussions have focused on bilingualism. Some parents worry that “If my child learns two languages at the same time, will they get confused?” while others believe bilingualism provides a lifelong advantage. Interviews with bilingual students offer valuable insights into these questions. In this article, I explore how bilingualism shapes children’s linguistic, cultural, and cognitive development through the real-life experience of a student I will refer to as E.H.
Interest in model aviation has been growing rapidly in Türkiye in recent years. Among the young competitors who have made a name for themselves in this field is Ahmet Furkan Türedi, born in 2012. Despite being only 13 years old, Furkan has already represented Türkiye with remarkable success in both national and international competitions, drawing attention with his discipline, determination, and passion.
Founded in 1925 under the name “Turk Tayyare Cemiyeti” (Turkish Aircraft Association), the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) is as old as the Republic itself. Its mission was to cultivate a national passion for aviation and to inspire the Turkish people to look toward the sky. Since then, THK has introduced thousands of young people to the world of aviation—from gliders to model aircraft—helping them discover the excitement and discipline of flight.
We’re heading to the Turkish National Free Flight Model Airplane Championship. The event is held near Gölbek Village in the Çöl Plain, just outside Ankara. It’s a little past six, right at sunrise… Over the plain near Haymana, the sky still feels asleep. The first thing breaking the silence is a small fire glowing like a pomegranate in the distance. Those arriving for the competition are heading toward it— for in the middle of the steppe, finding your way isn’t easy, and whoever spots the fire finds their direction.
As the cars enter the plain, they step into a different world altogether.
When we talk about learning English as a second language, we often imagine classrooms full of grammar books, vocabulary lists, and everyday conversations about hobbies or travel. But what about people who need English for their jobs — right now — and who don’t have the luxury of spending years in traditional ESL classes?
Despite the clear benefits of both CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and the Bilingual Method, there is surprisingly little evidence of any systematic model that formally combines the two. Around the world, teachers already blend elements of both in practice, but you rarely see this hybrid described as an intentional, research-based framework. This gap is more than just an oversight — it’s a real opportunity for innovation in bilingual education.
At first glance, CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and the Bilingual Method might seem like two very different worlds in language education. CLIL focuses on teaching real subject content through the target language, often using full immersion. The Bilingual Method, meanwhile, makes sure students understand quickly by using their first language (L1) as a bridge. But in today’s multilingual classrooms — especially with more refugee learners, mixed-ability groups, and a stronger focus on equity — many teachers and researchers are asking: Can we use both? The answer is increasingly yes — and doing so might actually be one of the smartest ways to make language learning work for everyone.
In the field of language education, different teaching approaches have developed to address diverse learner needs, school goals, and cultural contexts. Among these, the Bilingual Method and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) stand out as two influential but fundamentally different ways to support language learning. While they both aim to help students build language skills, they have different focuses, classroom practices, and philosophies. Understanding these differences can help teachers and curriculum designers choose the right approach — or find ways to blend them.
The Bilingual Method is one of those teaching ideas that feels simple yet surprisingly powerful when used well. It was first introduced back in the 1960s by Professor C.J. Dodson at the University of Wales as a smart middle way between the Grammar-Translation Method (which relied too much on the native language) and the Direct Method (which often confused students by ignoring it completely).
The idea behind CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is simple but powerful: learn a subject, learn a language — do both together. But what this looks like in real classrooms depends a lot on where you are. When you look at how different countries use CLIL, you see how flexible it can be — and how it adapts to what local students and teachers really need.