A Supportive Space for New University EFL Instructors

Eaquals-accredited member, Boğaziçi University recently hosted an event supported by the Eaquals Member Event Fund, an initiative that helps strengthen professional development across global language education communities. This year, the School of Foreign Languages (YADYOK) brought early-career university instructors together for a two-day program focused on solid, practical support as they grow into their roles.

Building Confidence Through Shared Experience

Held on Boğaziçi University’s South Campus, the event, Empowering Early-Career EFL Instructors in Higher Education, offered more than just scenery and fresh Bosphorus air. It created a space where new instructors could step away from the rush of daily teaching and reconnect with the “why” behind their work.

Boğaziçi, used this platform to share the lessons it has accumulated over decades of language-teaching experience. The intent was simple but meaningful: help new instructors feel more prepared, more reflective and more connected to a broader community of professionals navigating similar challenges.

A Program Built for Real Classroom Needs

The event welcomed 24 instructors from 19 universities across Türkiye. What made it valuable was its focus on the lived realities of early-career teachers, lesson planning pressures, classroom presence, feedback strategies, and the sometimes-tricky transition from theory learned in MA programs to what actually happens in class on Monday morning.

Over two days, participants joined eight interactive workshops led by experienced YADYOK instructors. These were hands-on sessions grounded in what teachers can use immediately. Topics included:

• student-centered teaching approaches

• teaching reading and writing more effectively

• using authentic materials without overwhelming students

• practical vocabulary and grammar instruction

• balanced and constructive error correction

• integrating AI tools into learning and feedback

For many instructors, these workshops offered a chance to revisit their own practices, compare approaches with peers and gather classroom-tested techniques that might ease some of the daily load.

Community, Reflection and Sustainable Growth

What stood out most was the atmosphere. It was collaborative rather than competitive, a nice change for new instructors who often feel pressure to “already know everything.” The event encouraged open discussion, honest reflection and the kind of shared problem-solving that helps teachers feel less alone in their early career paths.

By the end, participants walked away with new tools and strategies and also with a sense of belonging to a wider community of practice. The event strengthened professional dialogue, encouraged reflective habits and supported innovation in English language teaching across Türkiye’s higher-education institutions.

The event fulfilled its purpose by helping new university instructors build confidence and develop practical teaching habits, contributing to stronger early-career EFL support across higher education.