Investigation of the relationship between computer programs and foreign language used in graphic des

Abstract

Keywords: Computer assisted graphic design; document analysis; foregin language; graphic design programs; language teaching.

Introduction

The transfer of individuals’ own needs and thoughts through various symbols has an ancient history just as the cave paintings. In order to convey these needs and thoughts, finding text, increasing icons and changing communication methods of visual communication have enabled graphic design to emerge and develop over time. Today, with this development, the effects of graphic design elements can be seen in quite different environments and in a wide range. The development of printing techniques and computer technologies has also passed the graphic design process rapidly from the pencil-paper tradition to the technological formation. In particular, the technological developments of the digital age have created a revolution by rationalizing print production processes (Ambrose & Harris., 2012.). Following the merging of computer technology, which began to be included in daily life in the 1990s, with online environments in the 2000s, the computer programs and machines have been renewed almost every year. These renewal processes have resulted in the need to update not only physically, but also their software. These new technologies, which include design elements at every stage from billboards to invitations, from internet pages to phone screens, have used computer programs containing new software in every period to keep up with these developments and changes. For example: graphic programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, which are used in the field of graphic design, are constantly updated to develop software infrastructures and enable different applications. These updates also enabled the developing infrastructure to be used as an application even on mobile phones. The terminology of the current programs does not match in Turkish and English contexts. English usage language is generally seen in programs soft-

ware and market versions. Also, the fact that the promotional videos about the innovations of the programs are in English reveals the necessity to know the English language in order to follow the development process. At this stage, knowing a foreign language or knowing English and / or being familiar with this language provides an advantage for program users to work quickly and efficiently. Graphic design has shown itself by reproducing the text which is one of the foundations of the communication. The mechanization resulted of Industrial Revolution, enables to reproduce the text and photographs by printing. Graphic communications became more important and more widely accessible during this period of incessant change. This dynamic, exuberant, and often chaotic century witnessed an astonishing parade of new technologies, imaginative forms, and new functions for graphic design (Philip B. Meggs, 2012). The need of publicity after the Industrial Revolution, forms the concept of graphic design. The first samples of graphic line emerged in Germany (Weill, 2015). This concept has become a bigger term with the increasement of the will of consumption, population and developing machinery systems. The design school Bauhaus, which was opened in Germany in 1919, aimed to support design in order to increase the functional and aesthetic qualities of mass production and especially cheap consumer products by combining art and crafts with the industry (Bektaş, 1992). Bauhaus design school is a pioneer and it leads many fine art schools to be opened in USA and Europe. The starting point for Turkey in printing and reproducing the texts and pictures, was with İbrahim Müteferrika`s efforts. He brought printing press to Turkey and in this sense, he can be considered as the first Turkish graphic artist (Becer, 2006). As in whole world, there was a demand for design education in Turkey also, at 1920s. Mimar Sinan University began the founda-

tion of the first workshop in 1927, studied graphic design as a poster at the University of the examined processes to design formal training and is seen in Turkey. In 1967, the university continued its education series on graphic design based on the Poster Workshop named “Graphic Workshop”. Since 1982, he has been working as a Graphic Design department at the Fine Arts University (msgsu.edu.tr, 2020). Graphic design education given within the faculties of fine arts to keep up with the changes and developments worldwide; Since 1982, it has been involved in many different universities, especially Mimar Sinan University. While the training given was based on the emphasis of creativity through pictorial descriptions based on the ability to draw, the design process has evolved over time as the design of these descriptions in computer environments.

Literature Review

Analysis of Graphic Design Programs Used in Education and Sector As in many areas, technological possibilities in the field of graphic design have enabled to reveal different dimensions of the design and increase the serial production. This situation has made it necessary for the sector and the education of this branch to adapt to the technological requirements by causing the technology to increase its influence day by day. While graphic design programs in the computer environment and new machines related to production have made a rapid movement in the sector, they have also brought this motion in order to prepare students for the sector in the field of education. When the programs used in the field of graphic design are examined; pixel-based and vector-based design programs are seen in the sector and educational institutions. While pixel-based programs serve the purposes of processing and editing images (images in jpeg, raw etc. format), vector-based programs are used to create drawings that are independent of resolution. Although each design program exists independently of each other, considering the entire design process, it is seen that they are interconnected. Accordingly, in the computer-aided design courses given in the field of graphic design, all necessary design programs are given in order to enable students to master the entire process and to create designs in environments suitable for the characteristics of each study. When the companies that provide graphic design services and the faculties providing graphic design education are examined, it is seen that Adobe firm’s Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign programs and Corel Draw program, which are produced by Corel Corporation, are preferred. Adobe Photoshop program; While it is used for photo editing and processing, photomanipulation, creating digital effects, video processing for printed and digital design environments, it is used to design vector-based drawings such as illustrator digital illustration, logo-emblem, and to de-

sign works such as flyers / mini catalogs. Another program that serves the same purpose is Illustrator and Corel Draw program. The program interface details differ due to the different manufacturers of the program with similar features. InDesign program, on the other hand, is a typesetting program that allows the preparation of multi-page works (magazines, newspapers, books, etc.). When the features of the programs are taken into consideration, it is revealed that the contents of the trainings are created on the basis of production within the design programs within the student’s creativity and design ability. Evaluation of Elements for Foreign Language in Graphic Design Four subtitles are defined to examine the programs used in education and private sector and these are: content evaluation, needs analysis, eligibility of the program and definition of the determination of Foreign Language and Native Language Preferences. Content Evaluation: In the content section, the overlap of the usage features selected according to the acquisition goals in the courses in which the programs are used was investigated. It is important to determine the importance of choosing programs for skills and achievements that vary according to the objectives of acquisition, which are important in this step. In this way, it will be possible to address an effective education and training process and to demonstrate how effective the acquisition goals are in determining the programs. Needs Analysis: In the title of “What?” and “How should it be?” It is aimed to answer such questions. Needs analysis is an effective and necessary method for determining priorities and making choices accordingly. Some questions to be asked in the needs analysis are: Who is the target audience? What is the level of prior knowledge of the audience? Are there cultural and language differences? What is the motivation of the individuals to use? What is the cost of the programs to the user? The first step to answer such questions is the information gathering step. In this step, by scanning the related documents, board decisions and information sheets on the selected universities the situation is tried to be defined. After the information gathering process, the information obtained is analyzed and reported and necessary renewals are made. In this process, the programs that are widely used in education sector and business life have been examined and it has been investigated to what extent the questions are answered. Eligibility of the Program: One of the most basic elements that are taken into consideration when planning training processes is that it is suitable for development periods. The programs used in this study were examined in terms of students’ age, readiness levels (evaluation of previous learning processes), demands of the education and business sector, and language capacity.

Determination of Foreign Language and Native Language Preferences: In this title, the preferred language has been determined in the programs used. The most widely used language, the purposes of use in this language, preferred systems as words and/or sentences are discussed. In this article, it is aimed to determine the overlap between the programs that the graduate students need in the sector and the programs used in the school in terms of foreign language. In this way, it is aimed to determine the foreign language content in the programs used in education and to reveal what the changes are needed, if any. In this way, education programs will better meet the expectations of the industry and graduate students are aimed to work more efficiently and effectively in their business life.

Material And Methods

Model of the Research Both qualitativeand quantitative methods were applied in the study. Document analysis and interviews were preffered with the aim to examine the programs used in the graphic design process to prepare students for the sector from past to present in terms of the foreign language elements they contain. Descriptive method was preferred in the scanning model since it is a study aiming to identify and reveal the existing situation as it is. The descriptive method used will help to see the changes and developments over time and help predict the needs that will arise. The interviews on the other hand present the ideas and needs of the students. In order to define the needs of English language the questionnaire was adapted from Hutchinson & Waters (1987). During the data collection phase, the questionnaires were distributed and interviews were held by one of the researchers via online platforms. The collected data were anlyzed by two researchers. One of the researchers is a 12 years experienced english teacher at Sinop University and the other one is holding a PhD degreee on Graphic Design and seven years experience at university level lecturing besides 5 years of experience in the private sector. Universe and Sample The study population consisted of 47 graphic design student from Sinop University (n=25), Mimar Sinan University (n=10) and Akdeniz University (n=12). All of the participants were the graduate candidates of the universities and all of them had mandatory English classes. The

Table 1. Descriptive information on the participants Gener Female Male University Akdeniz University Mimar Sinan University Sinop University Total

interviews and questionnaire were applied during COVI19 outbreak in 2020-2021 academic year spring term and the process has applied at online platforms. The researchers prefer either Google Meet or Zoom to carry the interviews and Google Doc.s to apply he questionnaires. The participants do not have Vocational English lessons focuses on ESP (English for Specific Purposes) content on Graphic Design. The Graphic Design programs`histories at universities in Turkey are also scanned and included to provide a better understanding on the development process.

Results And Discussion

The demographic information of the participants were given in Table 1. Majority of the participants are female (n=35) and 12% of the participants (n=12) are male. Their English level were not tested. They were all attended to Introduction to English lessons and according to the outcome of the program they were considered A1 level students at the end of a successful term. All participants were successfully passed the lesson and that’s why they were all considered A1 level students. None of the participants has attended any English courses for specific purposes in order to gain professional skills required for entering a job. Any of them don’t have any extra certificate or effort to get better in any other language skills by themselves. The participants were asked what they think on the importance of English language skills while they are trying to find a job. The results are given at Table 2. The listening skill is considered important for 58% (n=27) of the participants. The most important skill for them is speaking (n=71, fre. 71%) and it is followed by writing skill

Table 2. Participants’ ideas on learning English skills for professional purposes Listening Fre.

Table 3. Participants’ ideas on learning English skills for professional purposes

13. Games, puzzles and riddles in language are included in classroom activities.

Table 4. Performance of the graphic design program at the faculty of fine arts in Turkey Year University Faculty establishment

(n=25, fre. 53%). The least importance is allocated to reading skill with 43% (n=20). The table shows that participants consider each of the skills either very important or important. The researchers examine the ideas of the participants towards English courses and its relevancy with the Professional English skills which they need in their work life. Related results were presented in Table 3. Participants are mostly satisfied with the English course they have now(Agree: 56%, n=26; Disagree: 44%, n=21) but they think that they are not ready to use it in their future life (Agree: 10%, n=5; Disagree: 90%, n=42). They think English course is not enough to be a professional (Agree: 28%, n=13; Disagree: 72%, n=34), yet they are interested in English lesson (Agree: 68%, n=32; Disagree: 32%, n=15). They feel themselves insufficient in terms of oral skills (Agree: 5%, n=10; Disagree: 42%, n=90) and also writing skills are not considered as related to their area of specialization (Agree: 15%, n=32; Disagree: 68%, n=32). This attitude continues with the listening (Agree: 30%, n=12; Dis-

agree: 70%, n=35) and reading skills (Agree: 34%, n=16; Disagree: 66%, n=31). Majority of the participants consider English language courses do not include elements that they can use at Art&Design (Agree: 9%, n=4; Disagree: 91%, n=43). General language skills as peer discussions (Agree: 79%, n=37; Disagree: 21%, n=10), productive skills employment (Agree: 74%, n=35; Disagree: 26%, n=12) and receptive skills adaption in the flow of the course (Agree: 66%, n=31; Disagree: 44%, n=21) are at satisfactory level. Games, puzzles and riddles are used in English language classess (Agree: 56%, n=26; Disagree: 44%, n=21). The students consider English is important but they consider the vocational representation of English language is insufficient. To understand what the current situation in the formal settings of the universities that claim to teach English at least A2 level, a document analysis were performed. The years when the graphic programs of the universities in Table 4 were established were formed based on the education year given by the universities as the department of graphics

Table 5. Shows the educational examination of programs table Name of the program

Eligibility of the program in terms of lesson content and outcomes

Eligibility of the program according to the student age, readiness, preknowledge and job expectation

It is used to design and organize the photographic images on pixel based

To have English language knowledge on A1 level, to be able to use computer, to know the visual design terms

It is appropriate for the students planning to work on pixel based photographic elements

To know English at A1 level, to be able to use computer and to know the terms related to the vectoral design

It is appropriate for the students planning to work on vectoral based elements

It is used as a page layout program in order to design multipage works

To know English language at A1 level, to be able to use computer, To know the design elements on page layout and design

It is appropriate for the students planning to work on page design elements

To know the English language at A1 level, to use computer, to know the terms of vectoral design

The preference of the program is decreasing day by day. It is appropriate for lessons designed as an introduction to design

It is generally appropriate for students who plan to produce vectoral based designs

since the university started its education as a faculty of fine arts. In addition, based on the graphic programs opened before 2000, the educational processes of the department of universities with a wide historical process in terms of education were investigated. The universities on the list have Graphic Programs at their faculties more than a decade and the systems in these universities are changed, adapted and revised according to the needs of the age, technology and program outcomes. These university programs have been revised but students`answers for the previous questionnaire show that there is still a need to improve. Educational point of the view in terms of the computer programs that are used in the universities and the language requirement of the programsa re also examined. The related results were given in Table 5. The programs are evaluated in terms of content, needs, eligibility of the program and preferences of language while using the program in schools. The photoshop program is used to organize photographic images and it requires A1 level English and basic computer skills. The other program

is Illustrator and it is used in composing vectoral designs, it requires A1 level English and computer skills. The other programs InDesign and Corel Draw are used in English and they require basic computer skills. Table 6 shows the products of the programs and the programs are used at everyday objects to special and customized products. These programs are important because they are important and highly demanded by the sector also. The products of the Adobe Photoshop are editing, applying digital effects, video processing and forming printing and digital content visuals. Adobe Illustrator program is used to prepare designs for fliers and mini catalogues, to form vectoral based drawings such as logo and emblem. Adobe InDesign is used to design multiple page studies for magazine, newspaper and books. The last program is Corel Draw and it is used to prepare vectoral based drawings such as logo, emblem and mini catalogue designs. The Evaluation of the Programs in Educational Terms The computer programs enable to combine the theory and practice and the programs need to be effective in terms

Table 6. Indicates the evaluation of programs internally table Name of the program

Photograph editing/ process, photomanipulation, digital effects, video processing, forming printed and digital content visuals

Digital illustration, forming vectoral based drawings such as logo, emblem, preparing designs for flier/mini catalogue

Designing multiple page studies for magazine, newspaper, book

Digital illustration, preparing vectoral based drawings such as logo-emblem, preparing flier/mini catalogue designs

of technical and educational perceptions. The methods are to be preferable for the designer and the teacher and student. However, there are other reasons for an effective programming lesson. The lessons are designed to teach the programs, but the language barrier becomes a barrier in learning the program for the student and teaching the program becomes harder for the lecturer (Shofner, 2020) The lecturer first needs to explain the term and then tries to teach the program elements to the students. The programs are based on teaching design elements, but it is observed that the students and teachers have a shadow lesson in their main time. Shadow lesson in this context can be described as: ‘the content or the subject that needs to be taught before or during the main subject.’ The students generally memorize the symbols on the programs, and they do not know the ingredients of the applications they do not use. The teacher should be good at both in programming and the language elements of the program to explain and teach. The Need Analysis Need analysis is the process of definition the difference between the questions of: ‘What is the current situation? ‘, and ‘What is the situation should be?’ (Kayı, 2008). The need analysis of the programs is evaluated according to the relationship between the students and their knowledge of the language. Majority of the students are A1or A2 level students and most of them lack the required vocabulary of English for programming (Akçay & Çoklar, 2018). All of the programs at the selected universities prefer English version of the program because the sector prefers the English version. The users are not able to find these programs for Turkish content at an affordable price at individual sales. These programs are expensive and finding a cheaper one is very easy in English format with the help of some illegal and copy versions. On the other hand, when the institutions can buy these products for an affordable price but it is for their members only not for individuals out of the institution or students. The preferred language at these products is mainly English. The manual, directions, warnings and the toolbar are all in English. Students need translation and guidance while using it or they need an orientation before using the program.

The students are at university level and they are defined as Z generation (Taş, Demirdöğmez, & Küçükoğlu, 2017). It means they are good at using computers and they encounter the programming languages before they come to university level lessons. The business sector on the other hand, demands a knowledge of foreign language and mostly it is English (Genç, 2012). The program generally is preferred according to the need of the sector. The needs of the students are not in the front lines of the list while choosing a design program. While selecting the programs at university settings the policy makers generally select the commonly preferred computer design programs by the sector (firmajans, 2019) (smartpro bilgisayar akademisi, 2019). The computer programs and the sector prefer English for the main language in programming (Genç, 2012). The main elements in the programs are vocabulary items that are placed in toolbars. For example, the selection tool, eraser tool, drawing tool, panels and all of the menu are placed in the programs with their English equivalents. The Figures below presents the English content of the computer design programs.

Recommendations

The selected computer programs are the most common ones used in the business sector and they prefer English in their programming language. Other computer programs can be studied for different languages for further studies. Students require to know not only the program but also the language of the program in order to be able to use it efficiently. The lessons should give the programming language at the beginning of the lesson and then how to use the program and application. By this way it will be easier for students to see the functions of the target program in use.

Conclusion

The majority of the graphic design programs depend on computer skills besides being efficient users of the programs. Programs are developed and used mostly in English language. There are Turkish translations of the programs, but the translation does not appropriate for the function in

Figure 2. The warning screenshot of Adobe Photoshop program. Turkish language. The course syllabus for the design lessons is prepared according to the need of the design skills and not for language skills. That is the students are to learn the functions of the programs without any or very little information of English.

This research study employed qualitative and quantitave methods to gain a better understanding on the need of ESP lessons and the attitudes of Graphic Design students towards English language lessons in terms of professinailty. While they are searching for a good job, sec-

tor awaits at least B2 level English from the candidates along with competent level of programming skills (Dziobczensk & Person, 2017; Kohnke, Jarvis, & Ting, 2021; Ткаленко, 2021; Verma et al., 2021). Participant students consider English is important but not well taught in formal university settings. Stefanova and Zabunov (2020) suggest that teaching vocabulary along with target skill will improve the skills and using real-life setting also motivate the learners. Enesi et al. (2021) On the other hand proposes that learning receptive skills is not solely engouh in order to be a competent language speaker. One has to use communicative and performative skills to be successful in the long-term. Also cultural elements are important in reaching an input-rich environment in order to learn a new language (Zhao, 2021). Chan (2021) in his study, states that many of the newly recruited workers have difficulty in their work life mainly based on language inefficiencies and this led them vulnerable against having a professional identity. It can be claimed that learning English can help you pursue and retain more career opportunities when the global markets and customers around the world are considered (Ashrafuzzaman, et al., 2021). Many of the students no matter their nationality consider language aka English in this case is important for their future career and to get a good job (Khan & Takkac, 2021; Ye, 2021). The content analysis of the study is carried by comparing the goals of the lessons and the selected computer design programs. The computer design programs, in this case Adobe Programs`functions, overlap with the goals of the lesson. They answer the need for teaching process. The students can produce target products and they learn while doing. The other step is needs analysis and it is carried out by searching answers for the questions like “What?” and “How should it be?”. The results show that the students need at A1 level English and basic computer skills to start learning. The teachers should be advanced users of the target language in order to teach the related content. The eligibility of the program is considered for age of the students and demands of the business sector. The selected programs are the most popular ones and the business sector demands them at their institutions. The other step is to define the language while using the selected programs and it is seen that both in sector and in the education process English language is used. In conclusion, the study presents that English is used all of the computer programs and besides being a programming language, English scaffolds the career path of the graduates in search of a good job. The programs only are not enough to learn the language, the learners need a vocational english lesson in theri program. This research paper contributes to the literature in examining the graphic design programs in specific which is not examined in terms of language needs.

Ethics: There are no ethical issues with the publication of this manuscript. Peer-review: Externally peer-reviewed. Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

References

1. Taş, H. Y., Demirdöğmez, M., & Küçükoğlu, M. (2017). Geleceğimiz Olan Z Kuşağının Çalışma Hayatına Muhtmel Etkileri. Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(7), 1030-1048. doi:10.26466/opus.370345
2. Weill, A. (2015). Le Design Graphique. İstanbul: Yapı Kredi yayınları.

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