The European Union Center’s 13th annual Turkish Studies Symposium, “Teaching the Challenges of Modern Turkey,” aims to explore the state of Turkish studies in the U.S. and serve as a bridge connecting academic research and K-12 curricula. With more than 75 million native speakers, Turkish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. The modern Republic of Turkey sits at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, and as a member of the Council of Europe, G20, OECD, and NATO and a candidate for EU membership, Turkey is a rising political and economic power. In the U.S., Turkish is a critical language as defined by the Department of State, yet a 2017 report by American Councils shows that only 27 K-12 schools in the formal U.S. education system offer Turkish-language instruction. This year’s Turkish Studies Symposium presenters will discuss U.S.-based knowledge production about Turkey, the state of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) in the U.S., and Turkish heritage language programs in the U.S. and the micro-level policies that support them. Organized as part of the European Union Center’s K-14 summer curriculum workshop, the symposium will conclude with a live demonstration on preparing ayran — a presentation that can be subsequently adapted as a cocurricular activity in K-14 classrooms.
This year's Turkish Studies Symposium will be held virtually on Zoom.
Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/ycjezzuh
Meeting ID: 995 8546 5574
Password: TSS2020
Symposium Schedule
3:00-3:10 P.M. — Welcoming remarks
3:10-3:30 P.M. — “Turkey, Iran, and the Politics of Comparatism”
Perin E. Gürel, Associate Professor of American Studies and Gender Studies, University of Notre Dame
3:30-3:40 P.M. — Q&A
3:40-4:00 P.M. — “The State of Less Commonly Taught Language Programs in the U.S.”
Ercan Balcı, Lecturer of Turkish, Boston University
4:00-4:10 P.M. — Q&A
4:10-4:30 P.M. — “Heritage Language Programs: Establishing Pedagogical Policies and Practices for Successful Programs in the U.S.”
Ozge Evcen, PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
4:30-4:40 P.M. — Q&A
4:40-4:55 P.M. — Cultural Activity: The History and Preparation of Ayran
Ozge Evcen, PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
4:55-5:00 P.M. — Closing remarks
