Dear all,

Below are two reflections by three of our colleagues who participated in an event in the past months.

First, here’s a reflection by our colleague Sinem Altuğ who joined the “A Guided Journey into Effective Vocabulary Teaching: Reflections on SL-TeDOL VTL25″ event.

I completed the online course ‘Teaching and Developing through Online Learning (SL-TeDOL): Vocabulary Teaching and Learning’ organized by Sabancı University, which took place between 19 September and 28 December. I received my certificate on 15 January, 2026.

This course provided a thorough and significant opportunity for professional growth. With special attention to important pedagogical issues like which vocabulary should be taught and how it can be presented, practiced, recycled, and evaluated in EFL contexts, it was created to improve teachers’ awareness, theoretical comprehension, and practical competence in vocabulary instruction.

Several key topics were covered throughout the course, such as vocabulary selection criteria and a thorough analysis of what it means to “know” a word. There was a strong focus on systematic ways of presenting vocabulary that bring together meaning, form, and use. The course covered effective practice techniques, the lexical approach, the importance of planned recycling to support long-term retention, and the role of memory in vocabulary learning.

The design of vocabulary tests and the assessment of various task types were among the topics that participants discussed in relation to vocabulary assessment. A well-balanced mix of instructional videos, scholarly readings, reflective journals, discussion boards, hands-on activities, and the incorporation of digital and AI-supported tools all helped to promote learning.

From a professional perspective, the course greatly improved my comprehension of vocabulary as an essential part of language learning rather than an add-on. I came to see vocabulary knowledge as a multifaceted construct that encompasses elements of meaning, form, use, and collocation. I was able to critically assess my own teaching methods and take a more thoughtful and methodical approach to teaching vocabulary because of the course’s reflective and practice-oriented structure.

The collaborative nature of the online learning environment was another equally significant factor. By exposing me to a variety of teaching contexts, viewpoints, and classroom practices, interaction with other participants through discussion forums enhanced my learning. An interesting and doable learning experience was made possible by the flexibility of the online format, meaningful assignments, and helpful instructor feedback.

All things considered, this course has revitalized my method of teaching vocabulary and given me useful techniques and resources that I can confidently use in my classroom. It has improved my reflective teaching abilities even more. I regard this course as a valuable contribution to my ongoing professional growth as an English language teacher.

Below are two reflections by our MLP colleagues Anna Ekici and Olga Sokolova who presented at “Current Issues in German, Romance, and Russian Studies” conference.

On February 6th, 2026, we took part in the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Current Issues in German, Romance, and Russian Studies,” organized by the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Ural State Pedagogical University in Yekaterinburg, Russia. For both of us, this participation carried special meaning: for Olga, it was a continuation of long-standing academic collaboration with her alma mater; for Anna, it marked her first presentation at this university and her introduction to its academic community. We were pleased to represent Ozyegin University together and to contribute to an event dedicated to the study and teaching of languages.

Olga Sokolova: My presentation was titled “Heuristic Approach in Teaching French Grammar.” The audience consisted of undergraduate students and instructors specializing in foreign language pedagogy.

I shared practical teaching experience in French as a second foreign language at the A1–A2 levels and presented the principles of a heuristic approach, which encourages learners to discover grammatical patterns through guided observation, comparison, and reflection. I demonstrated how inductive grammar work can foster learner autonomy, curiosity, and deeper understanding, even for beginners with limited linguistic resources.

Examples of classroom activities included inductive grammar tasks, contextualized exercises, and collaborative problem-solving tasks. I also discussed cross-linguistic influence, cognitive load, and the importance of adapting materials for learners who study French as a second foreign language. A student-centred and flexible approach, I argued, can significantly enhance grammatical awareness and communicative competence.

As always, I introduced Ozyegin University to the audience, explained the place of French in our curriculum, and emphasized the growing interest in French among our students. I encouraged participants to stay open to pedagogical innovation and to new languages and cultures—qualities essential for future language teachers.

 

Anna Ekici: My presentation was titled “Grammatical Interference in Russian by Foreign Learners: Causes and Strategies,” focused on a recurrent challenge in teaching Russian as a foreign language: errors arising from grammatical interference. Since this was my first time presenting at Ural State Pedagogical University, I was especially pleased to share my research with an audience deeply invested in Russian linguistics and methodology.

I examined typical mistakes made by foreign learners of Russian, paying particular attention to the language pair Russian – Turkish. Drawing on theoretical research in grammatical interference as well as my practical experience teaching Russian at the elementary level, I analyzed the most frequent sources of errors.

A key part of my presentation highlighted the value of understanding learners’ native-language structures. By recognizing predictable areas of language interference, teachers can design more effective context for grammar input, targeted exercises, and pedagogical strategies that reduce the consistent impact of the native language and facilitate development of a new bilingual personality.

My contribution sparked interest among students and instructors, who appreciated the combination of theoretical insight and classroom-based experience. My presentation was especially noticed as interesting practical research.

Together, we were happy to participate in this conference and to strengthen professional and cultural connections between Istanbul and Yekaterinburg. Students and teachers from both regions exchanged warm greetings, and we look forward to future collaboration and academic dialogue.