Both times Dr. Stalker has come to Bilkent with a Fullbright Scholarship from Michigan State University. Dr. Stalker is an applied linguist, and works in the field of sociolinguistics which is the study of how language reflects social status. Professor Stalker started at Bilkent for his second time at the beginning of this term.

After leaving Turkey in 1992, Dr. Stalker travelled and worked in many interesting countries in the world such as Uruguay, England, and Japan as well as cities such as Addis Ababa, Jerusalem, Cairo, and Bangkok. "Travelling and observing different cultures has given me an understanding of what kinds of difficulties people face when they learn English as a second language," says Dr. Stalker.

Dr. Stalker says, "The TEFL program at Bilkent was intended to be a different program to start with. In most universities the students tend to stay with their own university for post-graduate studies. At Bilkent we decided to reach out to other universities in Turkey, and attract good quality students to this English language institution. Another difference in the Bilkent TEFL program is that Bilkent is operated in the American style. Fifty percent of the classes are theoretical courses such as linguistics, sociolinguistics, and methodology. The other fifty percent are more practical courses in methodology, curriculum development and practicum. A student who graduates from the Bilkent TEFL program and then goes abroad to another university should find no difficulty in studying further."

Dr. Stalker's teenage son Jeremy also stayed in Turkey with his family from 1990 to 1992. Jeremy learned enough Turkish to be a guide to his family. When the shopowners asked Jeremy where he was from, he would reply "Ankara'danım" (I'm from Ankara)!