Award Profile
The English Teaching Assistant Award (ETA) Program in Turkey is administered by the Turkish Fulbright Commission and partners with participating state universities. The responsibilities and duties assigned to the ETAs will vary from university to university. Grantees will be placed in a variety of cities across Turkey.
Following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all applications will be evaluated without prejudice toward individuals with disabilities; the Turkish Fulbright Commission encourages applications from individuals with disabilities.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to visit the Turkish Fulbright Commission’s YouTube channel where they can find videos with former grantee testimonials and other informational videos.
Candidates who are interested in applying to the ETA Program in Turkey are always welcome to contact the Turkish Fulbright Commission for further information.
Grant Period
Fall Start
Grant Length: 9 months.
The ETA Program begins in mid-September and ends in mid-June.
ETAs will be required to attend a week-long in-country Orientation Meeting Program in mid-September. The meeting will consist of a variety of activities, including lectures on Turkey, Turkish culture, English language teaching (ELT) methods, rules and regulations of the ETA Program, recent developments in the country, as well as an introductory Turkish language course and cultural activities.
ETAs are also required to attend the Mid-Year Evaluation Meeting in late February to evaluate their progress and to discuss their views and suggestions for the future of the program. The Mid-Year Evaluation Meeting is a great opportunity for the Commission to learn how grantees have benefited from their academic and cultural exchange in Turkey.
The Final Evaluation Meeting is held towards the end of the academic year to allow grantees to share their academic and cultural experiences in Turkey and to evaluate their overall Fulbright experience. The meeting is held jointly with the U.S. Scholars and U.S. Student Study/Research Programs grantees.
The costs of attending these mandatory meetings are covered by the Turkish Fulbright Commission.
Orientation
In-Country Orientation
Candidate Profile
Candidates with dual U.S.-Turkish citizenship are eligible to apply. However, dual citizens are not eligible if either of the following applies: (1) The candidate received a degree from a university in Turkey; (2) The candidate resided in Turkey for more than a consecutive year within the past five years.
Candidates at the Bachelor’s and Master’s level are eligible to apply. Candidates with one of the following teaching qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply: (1) a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in TESOL, English, English Literature, Education, Linguistics; (2) two or more years of teaching experience; (3) an English teaching certificate (i.e. TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA).
Applicants should be open-minded, committed, flexible and able to take the initiative. Additionally, it is important to be self-sufficient and able to think and act independently. Selected candidates will be working as full time teachers at their host universities, therefore they should be able to lead classes with minimal guidance and serve as cultural interpreters of the United States for their Turkish students and colleagues. They should be committed to teaching and learning about different cultures.
The purpose of the Fulbright ETA Program in Turkey is to facilitate cultural and educational exchange, especially within communities that have not historically been exposed to American culture or native English speakers. The program is designed to help build up the English language programs at developing state universities across Turkey. Therefore, grantees should be prepared to serve in any city across Turkey; this could include rural areas with low levels of English speakers.
Applicants should submit detailed descriptions of their study and/or career interests and include relevant extracurricular activities. Research proposals are not required; however, applicants may propose small research projects as long as they do not conflict with assigned classroom responsibilities.
Accepted Degree Levels
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Supplementary Project
Not Permitted
Foreign Language Proficiency
Not Required
Knowledge of Turkish will be helpful.
Applicants must be native speakers of English or possess native level of proficiency.
An introductory Turkish language course is provided during the Orientation Meeting Program. In addition, ETAs can attend Turkish language courses arranged by their host universities during their grant periods.
Housing Arrangements
Housing arrangements will be made with the help of the host university. Some universities may offer housing to grantees on their campuses.
Placement Type
University/Post-Secondary Institution
ETAs will be placed through a process of random selection after they have been accepted to the Program. ETAs will teach English at state universities, where they will typically focus on speaking and listening skills. Aside from their teaching responsibilities, ETAs are expected to assist with extra-curricular activities, attend departmental meetings and help with other activities at the university. These duties and hours will vary, depending on the university’s needs.
Eligibility
Dual citizens of this country are eligible
Residency in host country not permitted in year prior to grant
Special Application Instructions
Candidates may be contacted for Skype interviews by the Turkish Fulbright Commission.
Visa Requirements
All candidates are required to obtain a Work Visa (Çalışma Vizesi) from a Turkish Embassy/Consulate in the United States prior to their arrival in Turkey. The Turkish Embassy/Consulate will be informed by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the names of the Fulbright ETA Program participants to ease the visa application process.
Grantees are required to pay their own work visa application fees. Work permit application fees will be covered by the Turkish Fulbright Commission.
Dependents
ETAs may bring their dependents, but the program cannot provide them with any financial or logistical support (visas, residency permits, etc.).
Dependents
Dependent support is not available
Placement Locations
Regional City
Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EUR@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
http://fulbright.org.tr/
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Nazlı Bulgurluoglu (eta@fulbright.org.tr)
For more information, please visit: Fulbright