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National and International Events

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MOCA 2025

Participant:

Lect. Merve Kamacı Nalkıran

Intake from the event:

We focused on exploring the concept of an ideal language school from both teachers’ and learners’ perspectives. Discussions included curriculum design, assessment methods, the use of technology in language learning, and fostering learner autonomy. The sessions encouraged reflection on practical strategies to enhance teaching and learning, while also highlighting challenges and solutions in real classroom contexts. Overall, the focus was on connecting theoretical ideas with actionable practices that can improve engagement, motivation, and outcomes for both students and teachers.

Participating in the MOCA event at Karadeniz Technical University with one of my students was an exceptionally meaningful experience. It offered not only valuable academic insights into curriculum design, assessment, and learner engagement, but also the chance to guide my student through a real professional setting. The sessions deepened my awareness of innovative teaching approaches and learner-centered practices, while observing my student’s active involvement highlighted the real-world impact of these strategies and enriched my professional development. The dynamic and collaborative atmosphere encouraged reflection, learning, and growth. I left with practical ideas to enhance my teaching and a deeper sense of satisfaction in supporting my student’s development.

Participant:

Lec. Merve Kamacı Nalkıran

Intake from the event:

The main topic of the evet was Speaking Assessment: Current Trends and Opportunities

We focused on all aspects of speaking assessment, from designing effective tasks and giving meaningful feedback to exploring alternative methods. The sessions encouraged reflection on real classroom challenges and practical solutions, helping us think about how to make assessment more engaging and supportive for learners. We also discussed current trends and research-based practices, which inspired me to consider new approaches in my own teaching. Overall, the focus was on connecting theory with practice in a way that genuinely benefits both teachers and students.

Attending FOAI 14 at Sabancı University in April over two days was both inspiring and professionally enriching. The sessions broadened my understanding of assessment practices and encouraged me to reflect critically on my own teaching context. I particularly appreciated the balance between theory and practice, as well as the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives and share experiences with colleagues from different backgrounds. What stood out most was the strong sense of community and genuine passion for improving language assessment. I left the forum not only with practical strategies but also with renewed motivation, confidence, and a deeper commitment to continuous professional growth as an educator.

Participant:

 Lect. Beyzagül Eraydın

Intake from the event: 

ESP can be considered a challenging subject for universities. Every school has a different idea of when to start teaching it, what its content should be and how it should be assessed. As far as I observed at the event, no school had ESP education that could be called ‘perfect’ or ‘without any flaws’. In our university, one of the most important points about ESP education is the starting point of ESP education. The studies start in the second semester and one of the main points that make these studies productive is the education that the students have received up to that point. Students are introduced to ESP after they reach the point where they have no problems in understanding.

 The second aspect is the assessment of ESP studies. This was an important discussion point during focus groups. Prep school assesses students by using quizzes in terms of esp. But what about the possibility of exams? Maybe exams can be integrated into the assessment component of Esp studies.

The third point is the education of Esp teachers. These teachers are usually instructors who are graduates of ELT departments, and they take on ESP teaching duties later. But what about their education? There will always be some students who are more knowledgeable about the field than the Esp teacher, thus Esp instructors should be given opportunities to improve themselves. We also discussed the possibilities of in-house training.

Fourth is the support that Esp teachers get. We discussed that these teachers should be given less general English hours. They should be given extra time to prepare materials. And they can also be given support in terms of material preparation as Esp teaching can be very time-consuming.

I explained that Medipol supports their teachers by implementing in-house training and also through ‘buddy-system’. They give their students a sense of motivation by implementing an introductory Esp teaching. Overall, the event made me realize that teaching is not only restricted to General English. Esp is a field that is open to exploration and the conference made me interested in it. In the future I would like to learn more about the field.

Participant:

Lect. Cansu Çiprut

Intake from the event: 

AI leads to innovation and transformation in the education field as it does in various fields.
Human creativity and technological sophistication must be brought together to get the utmost benefit as a result.
Students have already started to use AI for educational issues. Teachers and instructors need training in order to be in control of AI interruption in their classes.
Curriculum designers also need training about AI. Thus, they will be able to focus on human creativity and sensibility while AI deals with the procedures such as creating charts, filling them, setting the dates etc.

Participant:

Lect. Beyzagül Eraydın

Intake from the event:

The theme of this year’s event was discussing the factors that negatively impact language learning. In the first teacher meeting, we located the problems and then found solutions to those problems. The first problem mentioned was the matter of exposure. For students to acquire the language there is an obvious need for exposure and some schools, also Medipol, provide students with speaking club activities where students meet together in a non-pressure environment to practice language. A recommendation made for this matter was conducting speaking clubs without a teacher to decrease student anxiety and lower the affective filters. The second point made was the problem with pacing, and some teachers voiced their concerns about the pacing being too tight. A school stated that they were trying to make the switch to a modular system to solve this problem. The next item on the list was the use of excessive technology. A teacher stated that their school makes them use 4-5 technological items in just a single lesson which is obviously excessive and lowers productivity. No recommendation or solution was made for this problem. Another problem was the dominance of grammar-focused and traditional forms of education. As the representative of Medipol, I stated that implementing project-based language teaching is much more valuable and effective than explaining grammar rules explicitly. Moreover, I mentioned the project of this track so as to give an example of what is done at Medipol University. The next item was the importance of professional development activities at schools. As a teacher mentioned the obstacles faced due to the generational differences and age gap between students and teachers, I recommended making use of mandatory teacher training and then went on to explain the professional development activities that are done at this institution. This item was also connected to teacher motivation, and we stated that the motivation of the teacher was just as important as the student’s motivation. Some students stated that the passing grade was too high, and it needed to be lowered but no solutions were found for this item as it is a matter of management rather than of instructors. The next point made was the need to use academic articles in prep classrooms so that students do not struggle with research processes when they start studying in their departments. These were the main points covered in one of the teacher focus groups. When it comes to my intake from the event, I can confidently say that there is still a need for more events to find solutions to these problems. The more we engage with our students, the better we can see the gaps in the system and attempt to fix them. Being together and trying to generate solutions is such a valuable experience, and what the system lacks in K12 schools. I believe that for these problems to be solved, we first need to turn to primary levels and think about what is done in those classes. Prep classes are thought of as the starting point of learning English, but I believe being a lifelong learner is much more important, and if there is a way to connect the aims of prep schools and K12 objectives, the education received in prep classes will be much more efficient. Additionally, students will not struggle as much, as the first place they have a conversation in English will not be a university classroom.