Identifying accurate equivalents between Turkish and Arabic for foreign language teaching

The aim of this study is to make a list of accurate equivalents between Turkish and Arabic in order to help Arabic-speaking students learn Turkish as a second language, and offer teachers a guide to categorize and teach these lists. Equivalence between the different dialects of Turkish has been studied intensively by linguists. However, a review of literature in teaching Turkish as a foreign language shows that accurate equivalence lists have not been built not only between Turkish and Arabic, but also between Turkish and other languages for use in second language teaching. This is what makes our study unique. Conducted to facilitate vocabulary teaching, this study will produce materials to be used by teachers of Turkish as a foreign language with foreign students.


INTRODUCTION
Based on the approaches developed worldwide regarding the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language, various institutions and organizations in Turkey have also begun to implement language teaching strategies and methods in a systemic way.Thus, a certain progress been made in Turkey regarding the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language.
The Turkish language, which is currently distributed over a very large geographic region stretching from Asia to Europe, has, throughout its history, closely interacted with many other different languages, and continued its existence by continually strengthening and developing itself (Demirekin and Evat, 2013) One of the languages with which Turkish has interacted throughout its history is Arabic.For this reason, there is a considerably high number of direct equivalence between the Arabic and Turkish languages.
Equivalence refers to the situation when a message or statement in a source language can be transferred to the target language in a manner that is very close or equivalent in terms of content and style.We can evaluate the strategies developed for ensuring equivalence by looking at the approaches used in translation studies.
Translation experts have largely chosen to define the concept of equivalence through several qualifications.Jakobson (1959) used the term "situational" equivalence, Hatim and Mason (1990) through "lexical, textual, usage" equivalence.The most comprehensive and graded approach to translation regarding equivalence has been put forward by Baker (1992) in her book In Other Words.E-mail: esma-dumanli@hotmail.com.Tel: 0090 324 3610001/ 1716.Fax: 0090 324 3412823.
Authors agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License She divided equivalence into five groups (Suçin, 2007); 1-Equivalence at word level 2-Equivalence above word level 3-Grammatical Equivalence 4-Textual Equivalence 5-Pragmatic Equivalence Within the scope of this study, equivalences were evaluated at the level of words, which constitutes the first group.This evaluation was performed by forming lists of accurate equivalences between the Arabic and Turkish languages and within the scope of word acquisition.In translation science, accurate equivalence is defined as the situation in which a word from the source language has exactly or nearly the same meaning as a word in the target language (Newmark, 1988b).
There is a big number of such words derived from Arabic and Farsi in the Turkish lexicon.It is possible to directly translate these words into the target language.For instance, it is possible to translate words from the Turkish dictionary such as müftü (a clergyman that preaches), mühim (important), and mühlet (time, period) directly into Arabic with no shift in meaning.. On the other hand, the English word television is televizyon in Turkish.Also these words can be translated one-to-one by establishing equivalence.The equivalence lists that are thus formed have the purpose of facilitating the word acquisition stage of second language education.
In foreign language education, the importance of teaching words cannot be emphasized enough.In contrast to previous teaching methods, the teaching of words plays an important role in the communicative teaching method, which has been widely adopted in recent times.Words are the fundamental building blocks of communication.For this reason, to be able to communicate in a foreign language, a person learning a new language must also place emphasis on the learning of words.
During the teaching of a foreign language, one of the elements which the learner must benefit from during word acquisition is equivalence -even though equivalences are not very common.In this context, the importance of equivalences in foreign language education has been emphasized in various studies.For example, Hall et al. (2009: 161) suggested that the similarity between a new word learned in a foreign language and a word from a previously known language has an important contribution to merging memory traces with the vocabulary of the new language.Based on this consideration; we have, while searching to answer the study problems, demonstrated with the relevant data the feasibility of forming direct equivalence lists between the Arabic and Turkish languages in particular.Then, as part of our second study problem, we evaluated the contribution of direct equivalence lists on word acquisition during foreign language education.We determined that correct equivalence lists can facilitate word acquisition for an individual learning a foreign language, and thus contribute to expanding his/her vocabulary.In the discussions section, we evaluated the other possible contributions these lists might provide with regards to education.
The concept of equivalence, an important issue in the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language, is also important in revealing the close relationship between source and target language particularly in translations.In previous studies, Ercilasun (1995) first mentioned the issue of transfer between dialect without using the term equivalence, Kara (2009) attempted to show the main problems in transfer between dialects, and Uğurlu (2004) gave a detailed account of word equivalency between dialects of Turkish.However, even though these studies offer theoretical information on equivalence, they are often geared towards shedding light on transfer problems between dialects of a language.In our study, we did not focus on equivalence between dialects, but between two different languages within the scope of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, thus giving originality to our study.Therefore, this study aims at leadership also in identifying accurate equivalents rather than the more commonly studied false equivalents.Previous work on Arabic is rather limited.Even though Suçin (2007) explains theoretical translation problems in his book entitled "Existing in Another Language/Equivalence in Arabic Translation", he does not offer a list of accurate Arabic-Turkish equivalents.İşler (1997) stated in his article "Negative transfer from Turkish on the semantic level when learning Arabic" that Arabic origin words that have undergone a meaning shift in Turkish cause problems for students learning Arabic as a foreign language.He identified the number of Arabic origin false friends in Turkish as 536 words and word groups.İşler (1996) mentions the negative transfer from Turkish to Arabic on the semantic level.It should be noted that these studies do not mention accurate equivalences between Arabic-Turkish.Instead, they focus on false equivalents.
Theoretical studies have shown that the issue was generally limited to dialects rather than two different languages, and that false equivalents were studied rather than accurate ones.Equivalence needs to be studied in relation to the field of study as well because it not only concerns translation studies and linguistics but also the teaching of Turkish to foreigners.Therefore, the present study is unique for making the first effort to fill a niche in Turkish education and the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language.These studies only provide us with theoretical knowledge.The present study, on the other hand, aims to unveil the contribution of equivalence to language learning.
In our study, we aimed to identify the "accurate equivalents" between Arabic and Turkish, hoping for this list to benefit foreign language teaching.We first attempted to establish the theoretical background of the study by identifying the theses and articles written on the subject.Furthermore, we intended to reveal the relationship Tabulating the lists of equivalents between the target and source languages in second language instruction and to draw up a list of accurate equivalents which will facilitate vocabulary learning.

METHODOLOGY
In this descriptive study with a qualitative design, the main method that we have employed was document review.In document review, which can also be used with the data collection method alone, written materials containing information regarding the subject being studied are reviewed and evaluated (Şimşek and Yıldırım, 2005).Words were screened within the scope of this study, and the following stages were followed within the frame of the document review method (Table 1).
The aim of this study is to make a list of Turkish-Arabic accurate equivalents and recommend ways of using these lists in teaching Turkish as a foreign language to Arabic students.A review of previous studies on teaching Turkish to foreigners shows that accurate equivalence lists are lacking not only between Turkish-Arabic, but also between Turkish and other languages.This shows the originality of the present study.Vocabulary teaching is the backbone of foreign language instruction.Therefore, identifying accurate equivalents is essential to boost students' motivation and help them overcome their fears as they struggle to perceive the world in a new language.Seeing the similarities between the source and target languages will motivate students to learn.The lists created here may be turned into materials for students of Turkish as a foreign language and used by teachers in language centers.The main research questions of the study are: "Can Arabic-Turkish accurate equivalent lists be made for teaching Turkish as a foreign language?"and "What are the benefits of Arabic-Turkish accurate equivalent lists?"

Universe/Sample
The universe of the study includes all Arabic words common in Turkish.Sample selection was shaped by the fact that students at Mersin University, Turkish Practice and Research Center particularly preferred Fono publications.In order to enable scientific data to be used in everyday educational life and to increase the usability of the lists, the materials of students learning a second language were chosen as a criterion.It was found that most Arabic words in Turkish-Arabic frequency dictionaries were unknown to Arabic speaking students, and that these words were used not in everyday language but in literary journals.Therefore, prevalence was emphasized and Fono publications were chosen to create the study sample when identifying accurate equivalents for second language instruction.The first book that helped draw the study sample was Practical Self-Study Handbook for Arabic (Hamza Ö, Açık K;2012), and the second one Arabic/ The 2000 Most Common Words in Arabic (Hamza Ö, Açık K, 2010).The sample included prevalent words from these resources.

Data Collection and Analysis
In line with the aim of the study, two different sources were surveyed.While 2,698 words were studied from the glossary of the book Practical Self-Study Handbook for Arabic, 2,000 were chosen from the book Arabic/ The 2000 Most Common Words in Arabic.The words in these resources were classified as words used in Turkish and not.
Following this, the Turkish words used within the scope of the study were classified under 4 headings and then tabulated.
Students' vocabulary was expected to grow after the lists at the end of the research, and the commonness between the two languages was expected to increase their motivation to study.In this way, the categorization was validated and the importance of identifying and teaching accurate equivalents in language instruction for foreign students was revealed.

RESULTS
It was found that among the data studied, 666 Arabic words were also used in Turkish and a list of accurate equivalents was prepared in line with the research problem.These words were divided into four to facilitate the instruction of Turkish to foreigners.The following was found based on the research results based on this classification: a-Of a total of 666 equivalents, 304 accurate one-to-one equivalents are used extensively with shared meaning in Turkish, b-156 accurate equivalents are used in Turkish with known Arabic equivalents, c-195 accurate equivalents are used in Turkish, with one or two different sounds between the source and target languages, d-11 half accurate equivalents are singular in Turkish but plural in Arabic.

Borrowed word from Arabic in Turkish and their English meaning
The list of 304 extensively used accurate equivalents borrowed from Arabic into Turkish is given in Table 2 (Borrowed word from Arabic in Turkish and their English meaning).As the Arabic words in this group are borrowed one-to-one in Turkish, they are shared between the source and target languages.Therefore the equivalents in this group constitute the largest group in the study.Of the 666 equivalents identified in the study, 304 are included in this group.E.g. bülbül, buhar, dakika, insan, düşünce (bulbul, vapor, minute, human, thought).

Equivalents used in Turkish with known Arabic equivalents
Table 3 (Equivalents used in Turkish with known Arabic equivalents and their English) presents this group of words which are known and used in Turkish but not always preferred.Nevertheless, they are accurate equivalents.In total, 156 words have been listed here with their primary meaning in Turkish.The distinction between this group and the words in Table 2 is their frequency of use.
The use of words with a Turkish equivalent instead of Arabic words lowers the frequency.E.g.Acı: elem (Pain: Sorrow) Araç: cihaz (Tool: Device) Soru: sual (Question) Sonsuz: ebed (eternal) It may be stated that the word pain and sorrow are in the same conceptual field and that preference depends on the user.However, as the study focuses on providing students of Turkish as a foreign language with the knowledge that these words are shared between the source and target languages, a list of accurate equivalents was created.

Equivalents used in Turkish with one or two different sounds between the source and target languages
It was observed that certain Arabic words borrowed into Turkish underwent certain sound changes due to the structure of Turkish.Table 4 (Accurate equivalents in Turkish with different sounds between Turkish and Arabic and their English meaning) presents the 195 accurate equivalents selected by considering these changes.The reasons for these sound changes between Turkish and Arabic are beyond the scope of the present study.E.g.Zeytin: Zeytun (Olive) Taklit: Taklid (Imitation) Miktar: Mikdar (Amount) Equivalents that is singular in Turkish but plural in Arabic Eleven half accurate equivalents are given in Table 5 (Equivalents that are singular in Turkish but plural in Arabic and their English meaning) which includes borrowed Arabic words in Turkish with shared meaning.The words in Table 5 are plural words in Arabic but singular in Turkish.In our study, this was interpreted as "common error".Considering that these words in the source and target languages differ only in singularity/plurality but not in meaning, we decided to categorize the words in Table 5 under the heading half accurate equivalents.E.g.Evrak: Kağıtlar (Papers) Evlat: Çocuklar (Children) Fukara: Fakirler (The poor) In sum, the data obtained in the study led to the emergence of 666 accurate equivalencies between Arabic and Turkish: 304 words in Table 2, 156 in Table 3, 195 in Table 4, and 11 in Table 5.

DISCUSSION
Based on the sample evaluated within the scope of this study, it was determined that 666 of the words in the screened dictionaries were common between Arabic and Turkish; equivalence lists were prepared accordingly.The lists were evaluated in four different sections.Within the scope of the study question, how can we benefit from these lists in foreign language education?1-The lists prepared during the study can be used by teachers in various activities to increase the students' knowledge regarding these words.The teachers can thus act as guides on this subject.2-Questions can be asked based on these lists to individuals learning Turkish as a foreign language, and the obtained answers/results can then be subject to analysis.Such an analysis might contribute research articles regarding word acquisition in Turkish language education to foreigners.3-At the same time, these lists can -depending on the obtained data -be converted into course materials suitable for each level.This will not only increase the level of knowledge and awareness of students learning Turkish as foreign language, but also allow these students to develop their vocabulary.4-By presenting texts consisting of equivalences during in-class activities, the teachers may organize and conduct studies/activities on words.(Erkır, 2011) The reason why we chose to evaluate direct equivalences within the scope of this study was the greater number of direct equivalences compared to fake equivalences.Quantitatively, this greater number will serve to support the development of the students' vocabulary.On the other hand, as direct equivalences have the exact same meanings in both the source and target languages, these equivalences will facilitate word acquisition for students since they remind students of information that is already present in their memory.
In another study, a list may be formed regarding the fake equivalences between Arabic and Turkish to allow foreign language students to see the cases that constitute exceptions.These two lists (i.e. the lists of direct equivalences and fake equivalences) can be used by the authors of Turkish language textbooks, and also by teachers who teach Turkish as a foreign language.
In foreign language education, direct equivalence lists must be used more commonly during word acquisition.This is because direct equivalences allow students to see how many of the words in a foreign language are already committed to their memory, thus positively affect their confidence and motivation during language education.

Conclusion
In sum, it is obvious that studies of accurate equivalence are essential to foreign language teaching as they bring cultures together and facilitate language learning.It is hoped that the study will pioneer future equivalence studies between languages other than Arabic-Turkish.This will lead to bridges between source and target languages.Lists of accurate equivalents help Arabicspeaking students learn Turkish as a foreign language by both facilitating and speeding it up.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Accurate equivalents between source and target language should be identified for second language instruction.In this way, word lists may be created to benefit the teaching of the target language, and materials may be prepared to guide students and teachers during instruction.
Equivalence between languages should be studied and eventually lead to dictionaries of accurate equivalents.Such studies will benefit teachers and students at foreign language institutions and enrich the field of language teaching.
Equivalence studies for teaching Turkish as a foreign language should be popularized in the departments of Turkish Education and Turkish Language and Literature so that they are not only constrained to translation Kadizade 511 studies or linguistics.

Table 1 .
The stages of the study.