"Certification Program for Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language" organized by collaboration of Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Hacettepe University, took start at Hacettepe University Turkish Language and Foreign Language Instruction, Application and Research Centre (HU TÖMER).

There is demand abroad for instructors in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, and the aim of the program is foreign Turcologists, who studied in their respective countries or Turkey, gaining experience in this field and improving their skills. The program to be held between July 17^th and August 11^th, 2017, will be participated by 33 instructors from 16 countries.

The opening ceremony of the program was held on July 17^th 2017 Monday by attendance of Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. A. Haluk Özen and Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş. In the opening speech of the program, Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. A. Haluk Özen marked that Hacettepe University hosts the “Certification Program for Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language" aimed at international Turcologists for the first time, and expressed his appreciation of the collaboration. Özen who addressed the importance of the training program and the collaboration of Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Hacettepe University in the field of Turkish instruction, mainly Turkish Summer School, stressed that major tasks fall on Turcologists who work in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, and thanked the participants.

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş also spoke about the operations in the field of teaching Turkish and said that the Enstitü plays an important role in the international arena in promotion of Turkey and making Turkish language popular. Ateş stated that they have established collaborations with various institutions in the field and mentioned that a group formed by 140 Turcology students within the scope of Turkish Summer School will be co-hosted with Hacettepe University, marking that the collaborations with the University will be continued. At the end of his speech Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş thanked the participants who visited from different countries and made efforts to improve themselves in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language.

Speaking at the ceremony, HU TÖMER Director Assoc. Dr. Nazmiye Topçu Tecelli gave information about the program and the activities, and wished participants success.

After the speeches at the opening ceremony, the event ended with a souvenir photo shoot.

Enstitü Director Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş received Turcologists in his office

Throughout the month-long program, international Turcologists will benefit from the experience of instructors with speciality in the field, and they visited Yunus Emre Enstitüsü President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş in his office.

In the visit held at the additional service building of the Enstitü, Prof. Dr. Ateş wished best of luck to all participants marking that this program will be very beneficial for Turcologists who will serve in their respective countries.

Instructor candidates who discussed Turcology departments and job opportunities in their countries thanked Yunus Emre Enstitüsü for organizing such a beneficial program.

Turcologists selected by Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centres abroad, instructor candidates from Turcology departments abroad supported by Yunus Emre Enstitüsü and Turcologists who study for master's and doctoral degrees in Turkish Teacher Training or Turkish Language and Literature departments in Turkey on Turkish Language Scholarships granted by Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, will participate in the program. Participants from Egypt, Algeria, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, Austria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Syria will receive theoretical and practical courses for 4 weeks and participate in various cultural events. In addition to the seminars to be given by instructors and academicians specialized in the field, participants will intern at Hacettepe University HU TÖMER, and within the scope of this internship, they will follow the Turkish lessons to be given to Turkish Summer School student group in Turkey under Yunus Emre Enstitüsü Turkish Summer School. Following the training program to end on August 11^th, 2017, the participants will participate in Ankara and Istanbul excursions organized as part of 2017 Summer School, until August 20^th 2017.

Seminars and workshops will be organized in the program with the following titles:

 Common European Framework of Languages and Turkish Instruction, First Lesson Applications in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Games in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Intraclass Relations in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Employment of Cultural Elements in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language and Interaction Between Cultures, Selecting Texts in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, General and Basic Methods in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Creative Drama Technique in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Application Examples and Assessment Methods in Teaching Turkish to Children as a Foreign Language, The Fundamentals of Teaching Grammar in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language Workshop, Web 2.0 Applications in  Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language and Efficient Use of Technology, Material Selection, Preparation, Utilization and Adaptation to Target Audience in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Written Lecture Applications in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Exam Preparation Criteria in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language and Workshop, Evaluation and Assessment in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language, Developing Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing Skills in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language and Classroom Activities, Vocabulary Teaching in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language.

Successful candidates will be presented with certificates at the closing event to be held on August 11^th 2017 after evaluation of participants' seminar and application exams.

Since 2009, Yunus Emre Enstitüsü has trained nearly 1,000 instructors with certification programs organized in collaboration with organizations with experience in the field, with the aim of training instructors specialized in the field of "Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language". This program, organized for the 36^th time this year, is also the 5^th  Program aimed at foreign Turcologists who are not native Turkish speakers.