Foreign language teacher candidates’ foreign and native language domains and frequencies of reading on the Internet

Abstract

The change in the approaches relative to reading has inevitably influenced all parts of society, including the future teacher candidates. This change of situation will not only be influential over teacher candidates teaching methodology but also in the shaping of their students way of reading. In respect to this situation, the present study was conducted in order to display the foreign language teacher candidates’ reading domains and frequencies of net reading in both the native and foreign language. The study comprised of a total of 228 teacher candidates enrolled in the fourth/final year at Uludag University, Faculty of Education, Foreign Languages Department, Language Teaching Division (English, French, and German). The data of the research belonging to the general survey model was collected through administering the third section of Shen’s (2006) Weekly Reading Habits questionnaire. This section is formed of the main question what do you usually read on the Internet? and it’s sub-items. The teacher candidates’ answers were analyzed and the findings revealed that the teacher candidates from all three divisions most frequently read on the net in their native language; online news, vocational and health issues. The candidates also preferred to most frequently read on the net; online news and vocational issues in the foreign language. The point that the native and foreign language reading areas are mostly vocational issues,  and that the frequency of readings in this area are also notably high, can be associated to the candidates being at the stage of graduation and the point that they frequently use internet resources in order to enhance their professional development.