Cooperation in Foreign Language Education: The 18th School of Foreign Languages Directors Meeting

Cooperation in Foreign Language Education: The 18th School of Foreign Languages Directors Meeting

The 18th School of Foreign Languages (SFL) Directors Meeting, organized to evaluate the administrative and academic roadmaps of Schools of Foreign Languages across Türkiye, was hosted by Akdeniz University on May 7-8, 2026. At this major event, where the current state and the future of foreign language education in higher education were thoroughly discussed, our school was represented by the Director of the School of Foreign Languages, Instructor Türkan YILMAZ, and Assistant Director, Instructor Fatma İrem OCAKTAN KURGAN.

During the two-day meeting, critical working groups were established to strengthen cooperation bridges between universities and to standardize educational quality. In this context, our Director, Instructor Türkan YILMAZ, took part in the "Administration and Legislation" session dedicated to sharing administrative experiences, where she evaluated legal processes in higher education schools and innovative approaches to institutional operations. Participating in the "Measurement and Evaluation" focus group, Instructor Fatma İrem OCAKTAN KURGAN contributed to collaborative work on next-generation evaluation methods and quality-oriented assessment criteria in language education.

The main outcomes of the meeting highlighted significant themes, such as the prevalence of CEFR-based modular systems in higher education, global trends aimed at enhancing students' productive skills (speaking and writing), and the determination of B1/B1+ language proficiency levels as a common exit target. Furthermore, potential solution proposals were discussed against shared institutional challenges faced by all universities, such as weekly course-hour constraints, intensive curriculums, and student motivation.

The innovative outcomes and institutional insights gained from this productive meeting will continue to guide our school's educational strategies and developmental vision.