From June 29 to July 10, 2026, FSMVU Preparatory School Program hosted its annual Teacher Training Course (TTC) at the university's Haliç Campus, offering a two-week, hands-on introduction to the realities of the English language classroom for those preparing to enter the profession. FSMVU Prep places great importance on the professional growth of English language teachers, and it is this commitment that first led us to launch the course as a free community service to the wider ELT field. 

Program Background

The course was launched by our prep school in 2023. It was designed to address a recognizable gap in ELT training in Türkiye: the distance between academic preparation and classroom-ready practice. Over the years, we collaborated with many institutions to expand our reach. Throughout the 4 years of TTC, we have helped over 70 candidates take their first steps on this path.

Now in its fourth year, the course has become a regular fixture on FSMVU Prep's calendar. It's open to newly graduates of ELT, English Literature, American Literature, Translation, and Linguistics, as well as early-career English teachers. Admission is based on a CV and a short motivation video, and the training remains free of charge.

This Year's Partners

The 2026 edition was delivered in collaboration with MEF University, Unlimited Educational Services (UES), Gordion Academy, and the International Training Institute (ITI), whose trainers and resources contributed to the course's session content.

This Year's Program Content

The 2026 edition covered lesson planning, classroom management, core teaching skills, educational technologies, reflective practice, and peer teaching. Rather than presenting these as separate topics, the program treated them as connected components of day-to-day teaching competence. Sessions were run as interactive workshops rather than lectures, with peer teaching giving each participant the chance to practice in front of colleagues and receive direct feedback from mentors.

This Year’s Experience with Trainees and Trainers

This year's cohort engaged actively across sessions, part of a collaborative series developed with MEF University, ITI, Gordion and UES. Rather than presenting vocabulary instruction theoretically, trainers demonstrated discovery-based, student-centered techniques directly, allowing trainees to experience the approach as learners before applying it themselves.

FSMVU's own trainers, drawing on their experience within the university's Preparatory Programme, grounded sessions in practical classroom examples rather than abstract theory. Following the input week with amazing training sessions, trainees are encouraged to put their theoretical knowledge into practice through micro and macro teaching practices with their mentor instructors. Feedback from participants pointed to the value of this applied approach, noting that it gave a clearer sense of what teaching at the tertiary level actually involves.

Trainee Feedback

"The trainers' extensive experience and their willingness to communicate closely with us made the course especially valuable. I also really appreciated the opportunity to teach university students and receive feedback on our teaching."

"The course connects us with professionals in this field. This part was the best for me — in the input sessions I enjoyed this connection and communication a lot. They've helped us and shared their valuable resources."

FSMVU plans to continue the Teacher Training Course in future years as part of its ongoing work supporting English language education in Türkiye.