On February 20, 2025, the Independent Learning Center (ILC) held the Movie Day featuring the animated film Inside Out 2. Pre-intermediate and intermediate students gathered at 2:00 p.m. to enjoy the screening and explore the emotions portrayed in the movie.

  IKCU SFL PDU members Lect. Didem Dağkıran and Lect. Dr. Ezgi Çetin organized a session on 'Student Centered Classes', where lecturers had a chance to refresh theoretical knowledge as well as designing practical student-centered activities.  

On February 13, 2025, the Independent Learning Center (ILC) held its first Movie Day of the Spring 1 term. Students watched the fun and emotional movie Inside Out (2015). The event started at 2:00 p.m. with students enjoying free popcorn  while watching the film. After the movie, there was a short activity where students talked about emotions like joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. They also shared their own experiences and learned new words. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

IKCU SFL hosted Alissa Nostas from Arizona State University in a training session on the use of Artificial Intelligence in language education as part of the collaboration with the U.S. Embassy's Regional English Language Office (RELO). IKCU SFL Lecturers had the opportunity to implement theory into practice through hands-on-practice on Prompt Engineering for Effective AI Output and Determining Appropriate Generative AI Tools.

On January 14, 2025, the Independent Learning Center hosted a Coffee Talk session titled “Mindfulness for Exam Stress.”    During the event, Psychologist Gülce Tuncel—currently pursuing a master’s degree in Psychology at İzmir Katip Çelebi University—introduced participants to the basics of mindfulness and demonstrated practical techniques to cope with exam-related anxiety.    The session, which was open to all levels, highlighted the importance of self-awareness, relaxation, and mindful habits, especially during stressful study periods.

Demo Speaking Exams at the School of Foreign Languages The School of Foreign Languages successfully held the Demo Speaking Exams on Thursday and Friday, January 9 and 10, 2025. The exams were conducted in five sessions, providing Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, and Intermediate learners with an opportunity to practice and enhance their speaking skills in a supportive environment. Students actively participated and gained valuable experience, preparing them for their upcoming speaking assessments. A big thank you to the teachers and staff who contributed to the smooth organization of the event! Wishing all our students a successful and productive exam period ahead!

Elementary Students Shine at Trivia Fun Event! On December 26th, 2024, the Independent Learning Center at the School of Foreign Languages hosted an exciting Trivia Fun event for elementary learners. The event, moderated by Lect. Deniz CHATIP and Lect. Derya TOSKA, brought students together for a lively afternoon of friendly competition and knowledge sharing. The event concluded with applause and presenting the prizes for the winners of the competition :) The Independent Learning Center looks forward to organizing more interactive events like this to support student engagement and learning in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. IKCU SFL ILC TEAM

On December 24th, the Independent Learning Center hosted an engaging Coffee Talk session on Artificial Intelligence, led by the dynamic presenter Ozan Kanal. The event attracted Prep students eager to explore the fascinating world of AI in a relaxed, informal setting. During the session, Ozan Kanal explained the basics of Artificial Intelligence, its applications in everyday life, and its potential impact on the future. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, share their thoughts, and discuss how AI is shaping the modern world. The Independent Learning Center plans to organize similar events in the future, continuing to provide students with opportunities to explore new ideas and develop their skills.  

KCU SFL lecturers took part in a fruitful workshop entitled 'Looking Through The Kaleidoscope: Building a Positive Classroom Culture' by Gizem İyigün (Oxford University Press) and gained a bunch of practical classroom activity ideas in this week's Professional Development session.

On December 16th, 2024, the Independent Learning Center at the School of Foreign Languages hosted a lively and engaging Speaking Club session for elementary English learners. The event was moderated by Fehim Hur. Students gathered in a friendly and supportive atmosphere to practice their English-speaking skills and the session encouraged active participation, helping students gain confidence while improving their fluency. The 40-minute session ended with a round of applause for the moderator and a renewed sense of motivation among the students. The Independent Learning Center plans to host more such events in the future to foster language learning and autonomy among students. Stay tuned for more exciting activities at the Independent Learning Center!

At this week's Professional Development session, IKCU SFL lecturers participated in a mind-opening seminar on Wellbeing by Res. Assist. Dilara Turgut from the Department of Psychology/Faculty of Social and Human Sciences.

İzmir Yaşar Üniversitesinde 3'üncüsü düzenlenen Ege Bölgesi Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulu Sempozyumuna yüksekokul müdürü Dr. Öğr. Üyesi İrfan ARIK, müdür yardımcısı Dr. Ersin BALCI ve emekli öğretim görevlisi ve danışma kurulu üyesi Dr. Wayne TROTMAN İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi adına katıldılar. İlk ikisi Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesinde gerçekleştirilen bu sempozyumun 4'üncüsü İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulu ev sahipliğinde 2025-2026 akademik yılında gerçekleştirilecektir.

On October 7, 2024, Lecturer Merve Güzel Akdemir welcomed pre-intermediate and intermediate students to a Coffee Talk on "Real Life English Expressions and Idioms."  The session allowed students to expand their vocabulary and learn how to incorporate natural, conversational phrases into everyday English.  We thank everyone who attended and look forward to hosting more sessions in the future!

IKCU SFL administration has visited Manisa Celal Bayar University School of Foreign Languages administration to share thoughts on accreditation and modular systems with the participation of Directors, Vice directors, accreditation responsibles and general secretary of the school.

Lect. Didem Dağkıran and Lect. Dr. Ezgi Çetin held an informative and productive hands-on PDU session on Writing Clear Objectives for Lesson Plans on 6th November 2024.

Öğretim Görevlilerimizden Sevgi KALAYCI 21.10.2024 - 25.10.2024 tarihlerinde Lizbon Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi ‘nde ‘How to write an Academic Paragraph’ konulu workshop sunumunu yaptı.  

KCU SFL Lecturers attended a fruitful PDU session entitled 'Maximising Learning Opportunities Through Clear Instructions, Modelling and More' by Andrew Bosson from OUP on 23rd October 2024.

Lecturer Aylin Doğan Fırat, in her coffee talk titled “How To Study Vocabulary”, highlighted the importance of vocabulary while learning a foreign language. Then she shared some tips and strategies to learn new words effectively.  October 24th, 2024

The first speaking club of the year was held by Nazlı CİVELEKOĞLU on October 17th, 2024.

Lecturer Nida Fidanboy, in the coffee talk titled “Wandering Through Peru: A  Month of Unplanned Adventures”, shared her experiences in Peru and answered questions about travelling and intercultural communication on October 14th, 2024.