A Comparison of Textbooks Used in Teaching Turkish as a Mother Tongue in Germany in the Context of Bilingualism: The Case of Sen ve Ben and Benim Türkçem

Abstract

Turkish-origin children living in Germany grow up as bilingual individuals who use Turkish and German in different domains of their daily lives. This situation increases the importance of the quality of instructional materials used in Turkish mother tongue education, particularly in terms of supporting the development of Turkish and maintaining cultural ties. In this context, how textbook texts support students’ Turkish vocabulary and expressive skills, as well as the extent to which they reflect students’ bilingual and bicultural life experiences, becomes particularly important. This study aims to comparatively examine Sen ve Ben (Grade 5) and Benim Türkçem (Grade 5), two textbooks used in teaching Turkish as a mother tongue in Germany, in terms of bilingual students’ mother tongue development as well as their linguistic and cultural needs. The study was conducted within a qualitative research approach using document analysis, and the texts included in the textbooks were evaluated through descriptive analysis. The findings indicate that Sen ve Ben more prominently features vocabulary, idiomatic and formulaic expressions, and cultural elements that support the natural and literary use of Turkish. In Benim Türkçem, Turkish-German word equivalents, bilingual titles and instructions, and content reflecting bicultural life in Germany are more prominent. The results suggest that the two textbooks have different yet potentially complementary characteristics in mother tongue education. Accordingly, combining literary texts that support the natural and rich use of Turkish with elements that take bilingual and bicultural realities into account may provide a more comprehensive approach to instructional materials designed for bilingual students.