Abstract:

In this study, the reasons why vast number of people cannot achieve desired results in language exams prepared and evaluated by the Student Evaluation, Selection and Placement Centre (ÖSYM) although foreign language education begins in primary schools in Turkey and why even graduates who already studied teaching German for four years cannot get intended results from KPSS ÖABT Foreign Language Field Exams were investigated. It was also sought to what extent the ones who took the exam answered the questions or why they made mistakes while answering the questions. The data about the research was gathered by applying to Trakya University students and as a result of obtaining desired results on reading skill and translation skills but getting insufficient results on grammar the research was limited to thequestions which took place in randomly selected exam samples and whose options consisted of at least one conjunction. The study on conjunctions showed that the exams prepared by Student Evaluation, Selection and Placement Centre included conjunctions which are often used in daily language as well as conjunctions which are used very rarely. It was also seen that in order to give correct answers to the questions, it will not be enough to revise some subjects in grammar books studied during the education period and the meaning of the uncompleted sentences whose missing suitable words are in the options should be understood very well, so a wide vocabulary knowledge is necessary and all of the functions of conjunctions should be known as well. But when the grammar books studied during Trakya University undergraduate education were analyzed, it was seen that these books do not include every conjunction and there are differences in the ways the conjunctions are mentioned, and the information about conjunctions in every source is not given thoroughly, and for that reason candidate teachers in German Language Teaching Department have to do additional practice individually apart from the education they have at school in order to succeed in these exams.

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