Testimonials from Past students

Rumi Forum's Turkish Language classes has become the most popular Turkish course in the Washington DC area. We have students coming from DC, Virginia and Maryland to study with us. Our teachers provide professional teaching of the Turkish language and culture. The popularity of the classes has lead to 4 levels of Turkish being taught.


Kindly review the below testimonials from past students and you will realize why they have chosen us for their Turkish language needs. If you have any queries please email us on turkish@rumiforum.org

SEE LATEST COMMENTS APPENDED AT THE BOTTOM
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The class was well-organized and informative Good teacher, good students, and good tea. It's a very flexible and good quality.
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The Turkish course is excellent, very useful and I am certainly going to continue taking the next level. I think it's ideal for adults with a busy schedule, and I have still learned a lot and made a lot of progress.

Jonathan
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This is a wonderful foundations class that sets the right tone between language learning and cultural learning. I loved the pace and the class participation. I thought it was perfect.

I absolutely want to continue to the next level class. I loved the teacher and how well he explained everything. Always very clear and logical, always time for questions and making sure everyone understands before moving forward. At the same time, keeping up an appropriate pace of progress.

I would totally recommend this class to anyone and think it's a great way to learn a new language and meet other people that have the same goals. Really looking forward to the next session when it begins!

Natalie
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My impressions of the Turkish course are positive ones. Not only are we learning Turkish grammatical and conversational skills, but we are also building community. We have Turkish tea with crackers and cookies during every class and often reflect on cultural euphemisms and proverbs in Turkish language and culture. When I step into my Turkish class at Rumi Forum, I do not feel like I'm stepping into a classroom, but rather, into a community of intercultural learning.

I would certainly consider taking a higher level class. If such a class was to be offered.

I liked the non-classroom atmosphere of this course that greatly contributed to the facilitation of learning, both linguistically and culturally. I also especially enjoyed the diverse backgrounds of the students.

I would definitely recommend this course to others! Rumi Forum provides a community of learning that facilitates an exchange of not only the Turkish language, but also of the Turkish culture. As both language and culture are intricately entwined, Rumi Forum is the best place to learn Turkish language and culture in DC.

Kristin
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My impressions were very positive. I think we learned a lot in a short period of time without it seeming overly burdensome. I found the homework to be quite manageable, but useful in learning the language. I liked having class once per week, as it was easier to fit in to my

Likes: fast pace, focus on speaking early on rather than just memorizing vocabulary words, opportunity to speak in class

I think we learned a lot at a manageable pace for a good price.

Diane
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Great course
It's once a week, so I can still have a life.
A lot of homework, but doable if once a week.
Great instructor.
Plenty of interaction.
Good groups of people taking these courses.
Rumi Forum creates a nice learning environment.
I would definitely recommend it to others. There are very few places in DC that teach Turkish and this one has more to offer than just Turkish instruction.

Masha
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I found the course extremely informative and has provided me so far with good grounding in the Turkish language to continue on in learning the language. The pace of learning is also well balanced. The homework load, going over the homework in class, and the instructor's personable skills allowing students to ask questions about language and culture is an added value.

I like the instructor's pace in teaching. He goes over homework, provides ample time for questions and discussion, and then there is still more time to learn new material each week.

Yes I would recommend this class to others. I learned a lot in only the first introductory course, the class size is perfect which allows for more interaction with the instructor, and the instructor is extremely friendly.

Doha
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Very helpful and good paced...The workbook is very helpful, and the instructor maintained a very good pace and atmosphere.

Eden
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I have learned more through these courses than the month I spent in Turkey taking language courses every day 3 hours a day.

Kenan bey is an outstanding language instructor; his delivery method of the curriculum is very effective! I'd like to continue my Turkish language courses with him.

[Would you recommend to others?] But of course! ...also because it's exceedingly difficult to find good Turkish language instructions anywhere else in town.

Fariba
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My impressions of the Turkish course was that it was a good introduction to the Turkish language. The cost was very reasonable, compared to average tuition costs in Washington D.C. There was a small class size, which contributed to student learning, and allowing the instructor to spend more one-on-one time with each student. The book we used was well-written, and was more interactive than simple rote memorization. Additionally, our instructor was available by email for additional language practice.

What I liked best about the course was the small class size and informal atmosphere.

I would recommend to others who want a short, introductory class in Turkish, and dislike the rigid formality of a school classroom. In addition to Turkish language, it is a good introduction to Turkish culture as well as a place to meet other DC area residents interested in learning about Turkey.

Charlie
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Good for adult learners - time, place, and flexibility

Likes: teaching style, teacher sympathy and encouragement, textbook, small class size, dedicated students, and delicious food

Allison
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I thought the class was really good. I think we learned a lot, and I feel more comfortable with the language. The pace was good, and the instructor did a good job of relating to the students.

I liked the pace and the material we covered. I liked the fact that we only met once per week, and that the location was Metro accessible. I liked the teacher's dedication, and the other students' enthusiasm.

I would recommend this class to others interested in studying Turkish. I think it is a really good value, and a good way to learn a new language.

Diane
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I really like the class a lot because I felt it was a happy medium between being intensive and low-key. It was a very relaxed atmosphere yet you felt pushed to do the homework and be prepared for every class.

(Taking a further course?)Yes, absolutely 100%. This was a wonderful way to learn and maintain my Turkish. The location and timing of the class was great and more importantly, Kenan Bey, is a wonderful teacher. I am so appreciative of his thought and care and he always made every class special with the cay and food - it was great!

I like very much how Kenan Bey incorporated elements of Turkish pop culture, expressions, songs, TV advertisements. I also like how he gave us homework and then optional extra work if we wanted to do more. He did not overload the homework and ensure we learned the weekly topic, yet gave the opportunity to learn more. I also really appreciated every week how he sent an email out following class to recap what was taught, repeat what we had for homework and give us a heads up as to what we would do the following week.

(Recommend to others?)Definitely for all the reasons that I stated above and because it is a great form in which to learn Turkish. Also, extremely affordable price and wonderful teacher. Thank you!!!

Jenifer
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The instructor was very professional and helpful. Wish we could have had our discussion groups to speak more. But I very much enjoyed the text book. Very helpful

Eden
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I thought the course was well designed, flow nicely, and was well taught. Both Serap and Kenan were great instructors.

I am interested in working through higher level Turkish courses

I really liked the content, pace and instruction of the course.

I would definitely recommend this course to others. My understanding and comfort with Turkish language and culture greatly increased because of the course.

Brian
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I was very happy with the course overall. Compared to other options for learning Turkish in DC outside of a university classroom, the Rumi Forum is a good option. The location is convenient for most people, the cost of the course is not prohibitive, and the quality of the teaching seems to be good.

Brandon
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Insight into learning Turkish

As soon as we jumped in the taxi for the ride home from the airport, my sister pulled out her Turkish phrase book, eager to engage in conversation with the driver. She started with standard greetings such as “How are you?” but then she quickly ventured into questionable territory as she flipped to the “car” section of the phrase book and found such sentences as, “I've got a flat tire.” Luckily, her pronunciation was off enough that the driver didn't catch on and I was able to stop her before she pronounced other potential car disasters, which could have been seen by the driver as a bad omen.

Walking İstanbul’s land walls from Mermerkule to Ayvansaray

The polygonal towers at Ayvansaray

For many visitors to İstanbul the first glimpse they get of the historic city is from a fast-moving vehicle as their taxi races through the gap in the great Theodosian Land Walls that was made in the 1950s when the Sahil Yolu (Coast Road, later renamed Kennedy Caddesi) was created.

If they’re lucky, the lights at Mermerkule will be red and they will be given a moment to soak up the splendor of those magnificent, soaring walls. All too often, though, the lights are green and that glimpse will be merely fleeting.

Remembering my first day in Turkey

Granted, whilst my first ever day in Turkey lies many years in the past, I nevertheless chose the topic for today's article as I can imagine that expatriates old and new will, hopefully, fondly remember how things -- and themselves -- progressed after touchdown in this great location and may wish to compare how they had felt on day number one with a fellow expatriate's memories.

If we agree that there is love at first sight with regards to adult relationships and that there is perhaps a similar kind of chemistry between a city and the newcomer, it might be a fascinating undertaking to relate our first day impressions with our long-term evaluation: fallen in love straight away, eventually or not as of yet?

Thinking in different languages

A friend who was visiting from the United States listened to me speaking Turkish with merchants in the Grand Bazaar and then translating our negotiations in Turkish into English for his benefit. “How do you talk in one language and then translate into another one so quickly?” he asked. “What language do you think in while you're talking?”

Turkish language from wikipedia

This is a great piece about the Turkish language from wikipedia. below is the intro. Definitely worth a visit

Turkish ( Türkçe (help·info)) is spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide,^[4][5][7] making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo^[a], Albania and other parts of Eastern Europe. Turkish is also spoken by several million immigrants in Western Europe, particularly in Germany.

A Turkish Idyll Lost in Time

LATE on a peaceful night in May, on a quiet island in the Sea of Marmara, I walked alone on a curving street edged by walls dripping with ivy. Behind the walls, palms and red pines loomed above Ottoman mansions that drowsed in the leafy darkness. With no sound but my own footsteps, I continued down a slope that led to my seafront hotel. Then I paused. Ahead of me, in the half-light cast by a streetlamp, I saw a cluster of tall, undulant shapes at the turning. “Women, or horses?” I wondered. Nearing, I nodded: horses. And then I laughed out loud. How on earth, in the 21st century, was it possible for me, or for anyone, to succumb to such poetic confusion? It was possible only on an island like the one where I found myself: the island of Buyukada, an hour’s ferry ride from Istanbul, a place where time stands still.

Istanbul: a new jazz hub?

Istanbul is becoming an international centre of music. [Reuters] 

Istanbul is celebrating its 18th annual jazz festival this month with 300 local and foreign musicians playing over 40 concerts. The 19-day festival, which opened July 1st, is being held in different parts of the city and is sponsored by the Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation (IKSV).

Students come to Turkey for Turkish language summer school

Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay posed with international students who came to attend the Turkish Summer School.

The annual Turkish Summer School, organized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry's Yunus Emre Institute, kicked off at Ankara's Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges Economy and Technology University (TOBB-ETÜ) on Monday.

ENROLMENTS for September 2011 have commenced !

Enrolments for September 2011 have commenced !

Email us at turkish@rumiforum.org for full details, application forms, fees and dates.

Classes will be held at Rumi Forum in Washington DC.



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A journey from Ohio to Istanbul

I'm fascinated by success stories. I also love to hear how people thrive in İstanbul. Hence, this miniseries of people I know and respect in İstanbul who are making their mark in creative and unexpected ways. This series is an extension of my theory that being a foreigner plays a role in an expat's success abroad.

Take Carl Holtman, for example. He came here with a bachelor's in political science and a master's in Russian, East European and Central Asian studies. Now he is a well-respected and prominent businessman who helps send Turkish students to study abroad, is an employer of native-speaking educators for the administration of the IELTS, and a strong proponent of the idea of students coming to Turkey on study abroad programs.

The journey begins

Carl's journey started while taking a couple of political science courses in post-Soviet politics. While studying he became very interested in the Turkic republics of the former USSR. He realized back in 1997 that if he began to learn Turkish (which was offered at Ohio State University) then he would be well positioned to do business in that part of the world. Carl credits his learning Turkish as the key to the many professional opportunities that have come his way -- he has had many interactions with international businesses interested in expanding into the Turkish market. Speaking Turkish also helps him immeasurably with daily interactions.

Creating opportunity

The following year, Carl decided that he would like to study abroad, but at the time Ohio State did not really have a program set up in Turkey. Rather than let the lack of a program dictate his choice for study abroad, Carl worked with one of the faculty members in the department of Near Eastern languages and cultures at Ohio State to develop an exchange program between Ohio State University and Koç University in İstanbul. Carl attended the exchange program as the first student during the autumn of 1999.

In September 2003, Carl Holtman and his wife moved to İstanbul. After a short foray into the world of online journalism as an editor for several publications, Carl has been active in international education in Turkey, quickly establishing himself as one of the leading figures involved in the sector.

A masterful networker

Carl's decision to transition to this job was led by his desire to get out and network with people -- he calls himself a “masterful networker” and he is one. His wife and he knew that they needed a change and contemplated moving back to the States. By chance while looking at job postings on kariyer.net, he discovered educational consultancy job opportunities that resonated with his desire to link education with his need to interact with people. However, after having worked for a couple of companies in the industry, Carl felt frustrated at the overall lack of professionalism and student focus that he believed to be the keys to successful student recruitment and retention. As a college graduate, he knew that the student experience meant more than numbers. He believed that by putting students' interests first he could help American universities expand their markets in the US and meet their students' desires to participate in rewarding cultural opportunities in Turkey.

Carl's efforts have paid off and his vision is a successful reality. He is currently the person that individuals and companies cite as the go-to-guy for educational opportunities.

An independent businessman

Carl is an independent businessman with a strong sense of integrity. He does not credit a mentor for his success. However, he believes that the objectionable behaviors of other people in the industry who do not appear to respect students' needs fuel his desire to continue to build his business. Their bad examples energize him to redouble his efforts to create “positive change to the student placement industry” that he believes is necessary to polish Turkey's image.

Carl's skills
Carl says that he has “the entrepreneurial bug” and credits his aptitude and flexibility to allow him to adjust to whatever circumstances are presented to him. Although he is not a big risk-taker, as a global, reflective thinker, he takes calculated risks. He credits his experiences at Ohio State University for preparing him for his current work, especially offering Turkish as a potential language of study. He believes that, as a past Russian major, had he not taken Turkish, he “might now be spending [his] days in Moscow.”

The foreign edge
Carl believes that being a foreigner gives him an edge in this field because it allows him to have a broader network of people with whom he develops significant professional relationships. These networking opportunities, such as working with representatives at the US consulate, leads to referrals, including his “first major breakthrough in Turkey” opening a Turkish branch support office for a US English language school.

Challenges of working in Turkey?
Because Carl works for a company, he does not have the challenges like getting work permits. However, he finds that although he believes that his company has the competitive edge in terms of student recruitment and retention, it does not have the financial edge created by companies that do not pay taxes or social security. Although the Turkish government is trying to curtail this practice, it is still widespread, seemingly ingrained in the culture. Instead of seeing companies pay salaries at standard rates of pay, many employees receive only minimum wage on the books. Therefore, Carl has to pay for everything “on the books,” while competitors cheat to avoid these legitimate business costs, weakening his potential profit margin.

Advantages of working in Turkey
As an expat, Carl has integrated his past familiarity with Turkey with his vision of student potential to develop a business that feeds his vision of helping the students he serves to gain a considerable edge in a competitive global marketplace.

Had he not chosen to study at a university that offered Turkish it is quite likely that Carl never would have ventured to Turkey in the first place.

SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-248836-a-journey-from-ohio-to-istanbul.html

Soap operas increasing Iraqi interest in Turkish literature

The popularity of Turkish TV series on Arab channels, is attracting students at Iraqi universities’ Turkish literature departments. The Turkish Language and Literature Department has become one of the most popular faculties at Iraq University’s Foreign Languages Department. The phenomenon is part of a growth in Turkey’s ‘soft power,’ a sociologist says

It has long been known that Turkish television series aired in Arab countries have resulted in an increased interest in Turkish culture, yet the shows have also begun attracting more students to the discipline of Turkish literature, according to academics. In Iraqi universities, Turkish literature now trails only English literature in terms of popularity.

“The ever-developing relations between [Iraq and Turkey] and Turkish soap operas on Iraq TV have triggered this new trend. Students are eager to learn Turkish, while families also want their children to learn Turkish,” Professor Talib al-Qurayshi, the head of the Iraq University Foreign Languages Department, recently told Anatolia news agency.

When Turkish Literature and Language Department head Ziyad Tariq Abduljabbar took over his new department’s management in 2008, there were only 60 students but there are now 730 undergraduate students, 17 post-graduate students and three PhD students in the program.

Speaking about the links between Turkish soap operas and the country’s literature, Nilüfer Narlı, a sociologist at Bahçeşehir University, said Turkey had increased its “soft power” in the Middle East and Balkan countries.

“As the circulation of soap operas in the international arena has increased, learning Turkish language and culture have become very important in the Arab and Balkan countries. This is what we call ‘soft power,’ within the context of the culture industry,” she said.

Of course, there are other reasons for the increased interest in Turkish in Iraq, especially economic ones, said al-Qurayshi. “Growing investment and business opportunities draw people to learn Turkish in Iraq. Students are concerned about their future and the current investments have triggered the education in Turkish.”

Still, there are plenty of cultural reasons for the increased interest, Narlı said. “Turkish contemporary Nobel Laureate writer Orhan Pamuk’s presence [on the scene] and the increasing translations of his books also affect this situation.”

As more Turkish novels are being translated into different languages, the interest in Turkish literature is being raised, Narlı said. “The literature is not a part of the ‘soft power’ theme, but it is very important.”

Commenting on Turkish literature and its impact in the Balkans and the Middle East, Marmara University Turkish literature professor Nihat Öztoprak said: “Turkish soap operas such as Aşk-ı Memnu [Forbidden Love], Yaprak Dökümü [The Fall of the Leaves] are adaptations of famous classical Turkish literary works. People in foreign countries watch those series and they become interested not only in the series and the cast but also with the people who wrote them.”

As such, people become acquainted with writers such as Reşat Nuri Güntekin and Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, according to Öztoprak.

“With the rising awareness in Turkish literature, the neighboring countries have realized that Turkey is not a ‘desert’ country,” he added.

People in Arab countries have started to do research on Turkish writers as they seek to learn more about people like Güntekin. This situation, according to Öztoprak, leads students to learn about the Turkish language and Turkish literature.

At the same time, Pamuk’s Nobel award greatly helped in spreading awareness of Turkish literature.

Growth of Turkish departments at Iraqi universities

The founder of the Turkish Language and Literature department at Iraq University, Çoban Hıdır Uluhan, said the department was established in 1971 with only four academics. “Today we have a total of 17 academics.”

Noting that they were hoping for the support of foundations and universities in Turkey, Uluhan said the university needed more books and sources on Turkish literature.

“We also want to send our students to Turkey on an exchange program during the summers,” he said.

“Turkish language and visiting Turkey is a must for our students in order to experience the country and Turkish culture,” Uluhan said.

* Hatice Utkan contributed to this article.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=soap-operas-and-turkish-literature-increase-interest-in-turkish-culture-2011-05-31

Italian students find relief in Turkish

Nalan Kızıltan, who is an Assistant Proffessor at the University of Salento, told Today’s Zaman: “The number of students has doubled since they discovered the Turkish language was written in the Latin alphabet.”

In a southern Italian high school, many students have deemed the introduction of Turkish classes as an effort in vain because of the language's supposed difficulty due to what they mistakenly thought was caused by the use of the Arabic alphabet.



Apparently Asian and Middle Eastern languages are thought to draw in less interest compared to western European Languages. Still there have been a number of students who have wanted to learn Turkish and a campaign promoting the language doubled the number of those interested in Turkish. "The number of students has doubled since they discovered that Turkish is written in the Latin alphabet," Assistant Professor Nalan Kızıltan told Today's Zaman.



Kızıltan, a linguist, was assigned by the Turkish Embassy in Rome to give lectures in the department of Turkology at the University of Salento, Lecce, as part of an intercultural dialogue program. Her journey in Italy took her to Aristosseno High School in Taranto, two hours by car from Lecce, when she and the dean of the university's department of foreign languages and literatures decided to run a joint program with the school for students to take part in the Turkish Olympiads. The project was helped set up by one of Kızıltan's students, Severine Mafrica, also a teacher at the high school.

"I went to their school once a week to conduct a two-hour Turkish class in March and we launched the project. We made an announcement at the school and asked who would like to learn Turkish. We told them about the success the students had had the previous year [at the Olympiads], what the previous participants gained, and the contribution they would make to their country and Turkey if they attended the Turkish Olympiads. Several high school students in the 12-19 age group registered to join the classes," she explained, adding: “As part of the program, a language laboratory was given to them and they began studying Turkish. The first month passed with phonetic exercises as several sounds in Turkish do not exist in the Italian language. The students loved Turkish. Now you cannot differentiate their accents from a native Turk.”



Later the group continued by studying Turkish grammar. During their studies, one thing that students told Professor Kızıltan caught her attention. "They told me when they don't feel good, they feel the need to read something in Turkish and this comforted them," she said, adding, “This means Turkish has a rhythm, a beauty to touch the hearts of children; it is attractive." She thinks the words of her students are important to understand the psychology of children.


Olympiads about winning people over

Five students were selected from Aristosseno High School by an Italian committee to represent the country at the Turkish Olympiads. They were divided into different groups according to their talent. Among Kızıltan's students, those who were not selected by the Italian committee were still invited to Turkey as guest students by the organizers. "These Olympiads are not only competitions. They are there to win people over," the professor said.



Kızıltan also said the popularity of Asian and Middle Eastern languages has increased and that she had taught 106 students Turkish at the university in Lecce, and furthermore claimed that it made her proud that Italy is taking part in the Turkish Olympiads. While noting that the Italian group came to Turkey with the support of the Turkish Embassy, Kızıltan explained that the countries that are not represented at the Olympiads must also be invited. "It would contribute to the Turkish language if all embassies paid attention to the Turkish Olympiads and developed projects to do with it," she said, thanking the Turkish Embassy in Rome, which specifically supported Kızıltan's contribution to the Olympiads.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-247971-italian-students-find-relief-in-turkish.html

WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT interviews Rumi Forum

Excerpt from full article that explores the new and growing language courses in Washington DC including our Turkish language classes

...."Basically we recognized a demand, and we thought with our background and the fact this organization was founded by Turkish Americans, we could play a part in bringing that to the Washington, D.C., area," Celik explained. "Turkey is on the rise in terms of global attention so a lot of people are wanting to improve their understanding of Turkey. And the best way to do that is through Turkish language and culture."

So far, around 40 to 50 students have completed the intensive program, which includes eight four-hour classes per month, over a two-month span. Currently, 20 students are enrolled in classes held at the Rumi Forum offices in downtown D.C.

Though it's still small, with a single teacher, Celik is optimistic that more people will be attracted to the classes once word gets out. He points out that learning Turkish at the Rumi Forum focuses on more than just the language — it teaches about traditions, norms, etiquette and even food.

"I think they really appreciate that — it's more than just pen and paper classroom. We really do encourage students to pick up on all aspects of Turkish culture as that's what will help them," Celik said, noting the forum recently organized a Turkish dinner for its students.

SOURCE:   www.washdiplomat.com

[Preparing yourself for success in language learning] Creating an environment conducive to learning

Last week, you learned that everyone processes new information in different ways, and that being aware about how you best learn is helpful when planning your Turkish studies.



Once you discover your personal learning style, you are halfway to the finish line. The next step is to create a learning environment that properly reflects your personal learning style. When you take the time to set up a viable learning environment, you make it easy to study. That ease can affect how you feel about learning which can lead to increased motivation and success in reaching your learning goals.
Creating a study space

Even in the smallest of living arrangements, we can usually find a place to commandeer for a special purpose. I have seen many a meditation corner or a reading corner in my friends' houses, so why not a study corner?

Create your own study corner as a direct reflection of your personal learning style. If you need a soft comfortable chair and low lighting or if you need a small desk with a hard straight-back chair -- set it up. If you need music in the background, make sure that you have music ready to go -- whether it be in the form of a stereo setup or an mp3 player on your desk. Adjust the lighting, furniture, sound/silence to offer you an optimum learning environment. If you are a morning person, try to do some studying in the morning before you get into your day; if you are a night owl, plan to get in some study time before you go to bed.

In addition to altering your physical environment, make sure that your method of studying reflects your personal learning strategies. If you are a visual learner, have text and pictures on hand to read/look at while learning; consider keeping a blank pad of paper to doodle and draw on or on which you can paste images. If you are an auditory learner, working with audio lessons or audio/visual materials will help your valuable study time to be that much more productive.

The bottom line is that the more carefully and consciously you set up your learning activities and learning environment, the faster you will reach the success you desire.
Finding the time to study

One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients is, “I don't have the time to study.” But, if you think about it, we adults always tend to find time for the things we love to do -- even when we have “no” time.

In this busy world, many of us tend to be over extended in our work and social life. We “want” to learn Turkish, but we just “can't find the time.”

One of the first things you want to do is to make an honest self-assessment. Do you really want to learn Turkish? Many times we want the end goal (a second language, money, a skill), but when we hunker down and honestly contemplate it, we might realize that while we want the goal, we really don't want to go through the hard work of obtaining that goal. So ask yourself a question, “Do I really want to embark on this journey?”
If the answer is yes, then you have to find the time.

Sit down with yourself and think about the things you must do- no matter what. I'm sure a couple of things came up such as eating, sleeping, hydrating yourself, but if you think harder you will come up with going to work/school, paying rent, cleaning your house- the list is very personal. Now consciously add “learning Turkish” to the list and do it! Think of it as a contract that you will not breach. Make sure you study a little bit every day. Aim for a minimum of 15 minutes. You will find that some days you'll spend more time, but strive to at least meet the minimum.

If you are truly over budgeted on time, then use that 15 minutes to review information you already “know.” Practice the alphabet by spelling words you know; practice numbers and vocabulary by counting and/or naming things in your home; jot useful phrases onto blank index cards and run through them as quickly as you can- time yourself, make it a game!
Visualization technique: Putting yourself in the zone

A fun technique for getting you ready to learn is called visualization. The phrase “in the zone” is a colloquial saying that refers to when a person's entire being (intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual) is harnessed to make possible the ultimate state of facility, confidence and joy while pursuing a desired goal. In psychology, the term flow is sometimes used to describe the efficient flow of brain energy and focus that leads to success. To get in the zone and to increase the flow for learning Turkish, consider trying the following visualization technique:

In this exercise, you will be practicing the basics of brain engagement that start with complete diaphragmatic breathing to get you in the zone for learning Turkish. The goal is for you to create a vision of your highest level of desired Turkish success while feeling a sense of relaxed, yet energized cognitive focus and an emotional state of confident contentment.

Find a comfortable seated position. Relax your body. Close your eyes. Imagine your highest level of Turkish success while breathing in deeply through your nose and smiling in a relaxed manner. Imagine letting go of obstacles to your learning while breathing out through your nose. Repeat this breathing pattern five to 10 times each day to develop the brain chemicals to get you ready to achieve your highest level of Turkish learning.

While this technique may come off to some as “new age,” rest assured that scientists have found that visualization techniques such as the one I propose here have physiological effects. That is, when you are relaxed, alert and content, your thoughts directly affect brain neurochemistry and therefore shape future thoughts and subsequent actions -- including learning.

So far, you have discovered how you learn best, how to create an environment that supports your goals and how to find the time and the motivation to proceed. Next week we will explore short and long-term goals as well as how to find, make and use various language-learning resources so that you get the most out of them.

[Learning Turkish] Setting goals and using materials

When learning Turkish, it’s important to have goals set out like a road map so that you can make sure you are heading in the direction that you want to go. When you set every action, activity and study material next to your goals, you will know immediately if that particular activity will keep you going in the right direction. Prior to setting your goals, consider what you want to learn and how long you want it to take.



It’s a good idea to be as specific as possible. “I want to be fluent” is very ambiguous -- what do you mean by “fluent”? Speaking correctly? Speaking quickly? Having a reduced accent? It may be more helpful to say, “In six months, I see myself having a conversation with a native speaker comfortably.” You could even narrow that down to “having a conversation about (fill in the blank).”
Long-term goals

Long-term goals are those you set to attain six months or a year. Set them, keep them in mind, but don’t obsessively dwell on them; staring at the top of a huge mountain can be very unmotivating, whereas planning to tackle the mountain one day at a time will make the task less daunting. When it comes to undertaking something as huge as learning a foreign language -- especially Turkish with all of its postpositions -- consider taking on the learning one short-term goal at a time.

For example, if your goal is to have a comfortable conversation with a native speaker, you’ll want to make sure that every step you take will lead you to that goal; that is, you’ll need it keep it in mind. However, if you compare where you are now relative to the end goal on a daily basis, i.e., dwell on it, it can feel like an impossible feat and lead you to give up.

That is why it’s important to set the end goal and then immediately set short-term goals that will lead you step-by-step to the fluency you desire.
Short-term goals

Short-term goals help you take the baby steps you need to inch toward your long-term goals. Today you might set the goal of memorizing a few common phrases or even pieces of phrases that you could use when speaking with others.

For example, it might be enough for one day to learn how to say, “On Monday, On Tuesday, etc.” (pazartesi günü, salı günü, etc.). Later you can expand that to “Pazartesi günü ne yapıyorsun?” (What are you doing on Monday?)

At your next study session you might decide to watch part of a favorite movie in Turkish to practice your listening skills. Again, it’s not necessary to understand every utterance. If you can understand one sentence or phrase -- that’s great. Listen to it again and again until it becomes second nature to you.

As you expand your vocabulary into phrases, try using them in a variety of different situations to practice them. Ultimately, having a repertoire of common phrases will lead to your long-term goal of fluency.
Materials

The next thing you need to do is to make your learning more interactive. There is nothing more boring than trying to do grammar exercises in a book or to memorize vocabulary that you will never use.
Books

As you work with language books, take the time to jot down the phrases that seem most applicable to your daily life -- that is, those phrases you feel are useful. Keep in mind that we communicate in phrases, not individual vocabulary words. So, if you see a vocabulary word that you think will be helpful, try putting it into a useful phrase so that you can use it more readily.

For example, the word “tuz” (salt) can be very useful. But can you imagine a conversation in English where you pointed at someone and said, “Salt.” They would probably get the message, but it would feel awkward and may even be misinterpreted. However, “Tuz alabilir miyim?” (Can I have the salt?) would work perfectly.

If your vocabulary doesn’t come pre-packaged in little phrases, check with a native speaker to see how you can use it. As you become comfortable using that phrase, play around with it. Ask for a fork or a knife or a glass -- the combinations are endless.

If you are an audio learner, ask your native speaker friend to record the sentences you want to say. Listen and repeat as often as you can.
Audio recordings

Some Turkish language programs come with audio recordings. First, listen to these recordings as they were intended. Did they come with an exercise? Try to do the exercises as they were written. When you go back to the same material (remember, it is repetition that will help you on the road to fluency more than anything else), try making it into a dictation practice where you try to write down exactly what you hear. Practice spelling difficult words out.

For more advanced spelling practice, pretend you are spelling the word on the telephone. Much like we say, “That’s C as in Charlie, E as in echo,” etc., Turks use cities. So if you want to spell out your name (as I often do), you need to know that Brooks is “Bursa, Rize, Ordu, Ordu, Kayseri, Samsun.” For the complete alphabet go to http://www.radyoamatorleri.com/fonetik-alfabeler-t208.0.html (By the way, I have also heard, “Bursa’nın Besi, Rize’nin Resi,” etc.)
Conversations

When listening to conversations, try to copy the intonation of the speaker as well as the pronunciation. (Again, investing in a recording device can come in handy here.) There is a song to every language and, believe it or not, many native speakers process the song of the language with equal importance as the words themselves. News and weather broadcasts offer real-life examples of dramatic Turkish pronunciation. Another way to learn the music of Turkish is to listen to your favorite English speaking movie dubbed in Turkish. Because you know the storyline, it will be easier to focus on the intonation patterns rather than the translation. Finally, listening to Turkish music allows you to practice intonation patterns with the assistance of music that will guide your pronunciation while reinforcing vocabulary terms.

Once you know what you want to accomplish over the next six months to a year, and break the goal into smaller steps, consider the materials you have. Use the ideas and examples presented in this article to help get you on the road to your language learning success.

The next step is to find learning partners, instructors, programs, or other means of advancing your current knowledge of Turkish. It’s so easy to learn Turkish without spending a lot of money -- a great deal of language-learning resources are at your fingertips. Next week, we will explore some of those resources.


SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-240506-learning-turkish-setting-goals-and-using-materials.html

It’s time to learn Turkish

Now that you better understand your learning styles, you’ve created a study space that reflects your personal styles, you’ve found the time to study and your goals are set! Well, now you just have to roll up your sleeves and learn Turkish.


Which program is best for you?

Just like there is no perfect teacher, there is no perfect language learning program. Each book, audio program and computer program differs based upon the training, experience and teaching philosophies of the people who created these programs. Some writers have varying degrees of language teaching expertise upon which they draw when creating their programs. These writers made choices about how to present the material based upon their varying levels of understanding about learning styles and language acquisition. In the end, they decided how to present the material, which items they believed were critical to the success of learning language and which items could be omitted. For that reason, the best thing you can do is to look at what’s available and match the material as best as you can to your learning style and needs.
Inexpensive learning tools

I did a search for “learn Turkish” on YouTube and got 7,650 hits. I did a search for “learn Turkish online” on Google and got 891,000 hits. Many free and inexpensive sites offer opportunities to have Turkish learning at your fingertips any time of the day or night! Add those tools to the fact that if you are reading this article, there is a good chance you actually live here in Turkey, where the language spoken is Turkish. There are Turkish “teachers” on the streets and in the stores 24/7. With this knowledge in mind, you can understand how you could be a completely successful Turkish language learner without stepping foot into a traditional classroom.
Finding a Turkish learning partner

You may, however, thrive in a more traditional education setting and will therefore be seeking out a professional teacher or class.

When looking for a Turkish teacher, reflect back on your learning goals. If you want to learn how to read, write and speak Turkish, you may want to consider a teacher trained to work at the college level. If you want to learn the informal, colloquial language to socialize with your Turkish friends, you may want to practice out in the community. If you choose to work with a teacher, you will want to learn about the background, experience and focus of the teacher. How long has the teacher been teaching Turkish? How did this person learn Turkish and who trained this teacher? Reflect on the teacher’s teaching space, use of materials and goals to consider if it matches your own style or supports the way in which you learn. Some people choose more than one Turkish teacher to try out styles that are different from their own to see if a new approach might help them to learn Turkish more efficiently. Ultimately, finding a Turkish teacher is a personal choice. Focus on finding the teacher who supports your goals and personal styles, as well as one who helps you feel energized and excited about learning Turkish.

There are also several Turkish language schools in the market. Unlike a private course, these courses don’t have the capability to adjust their classes to each individual’s learning styles and personal goals. For that reason, it will be your job to interact with the materials provided by the program in a way that will honor your personal learning styles and goals.

Even though a classroom setting will probably not touch on each individual’s learning styles, it’s very important that you interview a potential school to get a feel for their educational philosophy (if any) and what you could expect from the class. Some sample questions could be:
What is a typical class like in terms of length and activities?
Do you follow a specific method of teaching Turkish?
How many years has this program been providing Turkish instruction?
What are the qualifications of the teachers?
What is the cost of the program and what options do you offer?
What is the timetable for the classes?
How do you evaluate a student’s success?
What makes this program different from your competition?
How much time do you expect students to work outside of class?

Having the answers to these questions will help you make the choice of program. Match the answers to your needs. For example, if you are a morning person and only one of the programs offers morning classes, that might sway your decision. Don’t just take the first course that you find -- shop around. These schools are careful to hire expert sales people who are masters at winning potential students over. Take the time to interview the representative carefully and take a couple of days to mull over the answers and compare them to the answers from the other schools before you make your decision.
The bottom line

All languages learned in adulthood are learned on purpose.

Take the time and effort to seek out learning partners, instructors, programs or other means of advancing your current knowledge of Turkish that match your goals and meet your learning style. Try out different ways of learning Turkish and keep a log of what works and what does not work for you. Learning a new language can be lots of fun. You will meet new people, stimulate your brain and increase your confidence in speaking Turkish. Enjoy learning Turkish -- kolay gelsin!




SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-240864-learning-turkish-its-time-to-learn-turkish.html

Preparing yourself for success in language learning - Learning styles: a major key to learning

Success in learning a new language has to be carefully thought out and planned.


If you dive into it without thinking about it, your language learning endeavor has a strong possibility of falling to the wayside to join the ranks of started diets and paid-for gym memberships. An often overlooked, yet vital aspect, of success in learning new information is understanding one’s personal learning style.

Learning styles (sometimes also called strategies) refer to the way an individual processes new information. There is no one-size-fits-all way of learning a language. Most of us utilize several learning strategies when we encounter new information.

Volumes have been written about this subject, but for our purposes, we’ll look at some of the key aspects. As you read about the learning styles and strategies mentioned here, take a moment to think back about the things you have learned over your lifetime. Try to remember how you best processed the information. Then imagine you are about to learn something new and difficult and slowly mull over each of the following learning styles -- which one describes you? Note your response and refer to it in the subsequent articles in this series about learning languages.

The five dimensions of learning styles we will consider for this article are:

1. Perceptual – how the brain receives information

2. Processing – how the brain processes information

3. Environmental – how the surroundings affect learning

4. Physical – how the body feels while learning

5. Emotional – how the mind feels while learning

The perceptual dimensions of learning are visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile. We generally use all of them when we are learning something new, but most adult learners have a favorite.

Visual learners need to see information before they can remember it. They notice visual details and can easily discriminate between words that look alike (yine/yeni). A visual learner usually says, “I need to see it before I can remember it.” or “Can you write that down for me?” If you are a visual learner, you may want to make sure you carry a pad and paper around with you at all times. Or you may want to take pictures of the language you see around you.

Auditory learners recall information much better after they have listened to it a few times. They can easily discriminate between words that sound similar (hesap/kesap). An auditory learner might record lectures and listen to them again on an mp3 player to better understand new information. If you find you recall information better after listening to it, consider buying a recording device much like journalists use for recording interviews. They can be found at Teknosa for about TL 100. You may also do better with an auditory method of learning such as the Pimsleur method.

Kinesthetic and tactile learners usually need to write down what they are learning a few times before it sticks in their mind. They also like to have physical contact with the information. Kinesthetic/tactile learners usually say, “I have to write it down before I can remember it.” They also do very well with flash cards, which they make themselves, and board games.

Processing dimensions of learning refer to left/right brain orientation. While many of us live somewhere in the middle, for learning new and difficult information we tend to favor one side over the other.

Left-brained learners love details. They want to know the rules, spelling and sounds. They love lists of words and conjugations. They prefer to study difficult words before reading a text and like to continuously monitor their progress. Left-brained learners also tend to want to know the methodology of a technique or approach for a learning task before undertaking it.

Right-brained learners tend to be spontaneous and creative; they are happy to dive right into a learning activity and get to the details later. They are comfortable with learning whole phrases such as “yoldayım” (I’m on my way) without being bothered with the grammatical rules that make up the utterance. Right-brained learners also do well with learning through songs and poems.

Environmental dimensions pertain to the set up of the learning environment in terms of lighting, sound, temperature and furnishings that ideally should match your unique learning style. Some people like a little background music when they study, for example, while others need absolute silence.

Physical dimensions refer to when and how a person best processes information. For example, you may be a morning person and therefore would be better studying in the morning. Additionally, some people like to sit in a soft comfy chair to study, while others need to sit at a desk with a straight-back chair. Also, a restless person might want to build in frequent breaks in the study process.

Emotional dimensions refer to each learner’s motivation. How self-motivated a person is can play a large role in the final outcome of learning a new language. If you think of learning Turkish as a chore or an impossible task, your brain will give you fight or flight chemicals. This may cause you to try to fight through the learning or to find ways to avoid studying Turkish. In either case, you will not achieve optimal learning. However, if you approach learning a new language as fun or interesting, you will receive the brain chemistry to match those thoughts – your brain will be fully engaged.

The next article in this series will be about how you can apply your personal learning styles to creating a study space and a practical schedule.


SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-238932-preparing-yourself-for-success-in-language-learning---learning-styles-a-major-key-to-learning.html

Living in a Turkey less travelled

Ph.D. student Bridget Purcell has a unique expat experience living in Turkey’s Southeast. Here to research modern pilgrimage and faith tourism, Purcell talks about her expectations about Turkey before coming here and life in Urfa

Even though she wouldn’t describe herself as adventurous, Bridget Purcell, a 26-year-old Ph.D. student from the US, is as intrepid as they come. Turkey wasn’t her original destination, however, and she tells us about how she’s come to research modern pilgrimage in Şanlıurfa and also shares her experiences of living in the Southeast of Turkey as a foreign woman.




A roundabout route here

Bridget was living in Damascus when she first discovered Turkey. “That was in the summer of 2008, and I’d been planning to do fieldwork in Syria,” she tells us. “One weekend I crossed the Hatay border with a couple of friends and was instantly drawn to that region, with its mosaic of sociolinguistic and religious communities. I decided pretty quickly to learn Turkish and move my research site here.



“I first chose Antakya; that was a pragmatic choice because I could speak Arabic while learning Turkish. There, I stayed at an interfaith guesthouse for pilgrims run by a German nun called Barbara. My conversations with her and with pilgrims passing through -- many were on the way to Jerusalem -- inspired me to study pilgrimage in Turkey. Because I was more interested in Islam than Christianity, I came east to Urfa [Şanlıurfa] to study its Abrahamic holy sites. At that point I noticed the rapid rise of faith tourism as a development strategy.”



Before coming to Turkey, she had few strong or well-defined expectations. “In general I think Americans don’t really know what to think of Turkey,” she points out. “For them it’s part of the ‘Middle East,’ but -- unlike Syria or Egypt -- it seems to partly escape our media-constructed image of the region. For instance, nobody back home asks me about ‘terrorism,’ which was a constant refrain when I was in Syria. Most of the expectations and stereotypes I’ve encountered have been regional stereotypes within Turkey.”



But isn’t it difficult dividing time between the US and Turkey?



“Yes, partly because I’m just not very intrepid as a traveler,” she admits, adding, “In fact, part of what drew me to the topic of travel and pilgrimage was a desire to know how these solitary ‘gezginler’ do it.”


Ins and outs of researching modern pilgrimage

Urfa, as we all know, is famous for being the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham. What we may not realize, however, is that its holy sites -- mosques, gravesites and sacred carp pools -- are as popular today among pilgrims as they have ever been. For her Ph.D. in anthropology at Princeton, Bridget is studying how pilgrimage is being taken up and reframed in contemporary Urfa as “faith tourism,” as part of a state-backed cultural development initiative in the region.



“I’m focusing largely on emerging tourism schemes in Urfa that bring together various interests, such as state representatives, local religious figures and international participants, and asking how they mobilize Urfa’s history and material environment,” Bridget points out, and continues: “The tourism sector in Urfa is really developing: mosques and traditional houses are being restored, there are inter-faith and inter-cultural festivals, and there’s also a burgeoning infrastructure for faith tourism. Yet while there’s a steady stream of tourists, Urfa seems to be expecting a flood: two new hotels -- a Hilton and a Sheraton -- are going up now. Perhaps the philosophy is: If you build it, they will come.”



But what does her research actually consist of? “I do a lot of walking and talking,” she explains. “My project is about Urfa’s physical space -- its history, social life, decay and development -- and I explore that by doing ‘interviews’ on the move. I walk through Urfa with locals as well as visiting pilgrims and tourists, trying to get as wide a cross-section of perspectives as possible. I also volunteer with a home stay tourism project by being an intermediary figure -- doing everything from helping with administrative tasks to developing walking routes with visitors or helping train local teenagers. I get a close-up view of the dynamics of these projects.”



If you wanted to be an anthropologist, it wouldn’t do to be shy, but how does Bridget go about interviewing total strangers in a foreign language in a different culture? For many of us, language would be an issue, but Bridget studied Turkish for a little over a year before going to Urfa, and it’s improved a lot since then. But isn’t her Arabic an advantage? “Although it used to be very good, it’s now utterly submerged by Turkish,” she notes. “My modern standard Arabic also helps me very little with the dialect of Arabic spoken in Urfa. As for ‘interviewing’ people, that might be a little misleading to describe what I do. Lots of social science consists of entering a social field, guns blazing with ready-made questions and surveys. But anthropology is more protracted and perhaps more passive; I try to first learn what’s important to people and allow my questions to emerge from that.




“In general, people are incredibly cooperative and patient with my never-ending, poorly formulated questions. One might expect some sort of wariness on the part of my interlocutors, but I almost never approach total strangers, and if someone appears uncomfortable with my questions or project, I generally beat it. I also find that as I incorporate people into my research project, they’re simultaneously incorporating me into their own projects and goals, and I can be helpful in ways such as teaching or translating English or helping a researcher access articles through Princeton databases.”


A few myths dispelled

If you haven’t yet visited Urfa and are unfamiliar with what being in the Southeast may be like for a Westerner, Bridget’s experiences of living there are enlightening.



The question on the tip of all our tongues is, of course, about what it’s like to be a Western woman based there. “It’s not particularly harrowing, but nor is it an easy or obvious fit,” she explains, noting, “Whilst learning the ropes I’ve made countless errors, such as sitting in the wrong part of the restaurant or the wrong place on the bus or even gulping water from a plastic bottle in public, which I’ve been told is unseemly.”



And does she feel safe there? “That’s an important question, as I do,” she tells us. “In fact, I’ve experienced almost zero harassment or unwanted attention. I have become interested in the local conception of Urfa as a ‘safe’ place, a zone of public decorum and the social relationships and norms that sustain that conception. Partly it’s that ‘everyone knows everyone,’ and thus, one is never really alone in Urfa. Whether one experiences this as an attentive community or an oppressive paternalism depends upon one’s perspective, and these perspectives vary widely at the local level.



“For instance, one evening, on my way home, I started jogging because I simply felt like it. I immediately got two phone calls, saying: ‘We saw you running! Are you OK?’ I could give you 12 stories like this off the top of my head. Whether or not one welcomes this sort of social vigilance depends on the individual and to some extent on factors like gender, generation and one’s place in the social structure.”



Doesn’t she feel isolated as a foreigner? “I know one other Westerner who’s not just passing through: Alison Tanık, a British woman who lives out in Yuvacalı village, 60 kilometers northeast of Urfa. She’s married with children and runs the home stay project -- Nomad Tours -- that I’m volunteering with. She’s super helpful and has been a source of advice, humor and sanity. I’ve also made many more Turkish friends in Urfa than I did while living in İstanbul, partly because there I was ensconced in the Boğaziçi University expat world. Here all of my friends are ‘locals’ -- farmers, doctors, librarians and students. Halil and Pero, with whom I stay in Hilvan when volunteering on the home stay project, and their three children, are perhaps more than friends: It’s there that I really feel sort of at home and looked after. Socializing here is so different from home: the activities, venues and numbers, but I guess the human function of friendship is the same,” according to Purcell.



So what does the future hold for her? “I’ll be here until September, and after that I’ll go home and have to step back, rearrange, and figure out how my fieldwork all fits together,” Bridget explains. “I imagine I’ll then go on the US academic job market.”

SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-240694-living-in-a-turkey-less-travelled.html

US students performed in Turkish at 3rd Turkish Olympiad Finals

American students competed in Turkish songs, poetry and folk dancing at the 3rd Turkish Olympiad finals held in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. The event was attended by Turkey’s Ambassador to the US Namık Tan and Senator Chap Petersen.

American and Turkish students put their knowledge of Turkish cinema, song, dance, poetry and culture on show at the 3rd Turkish Olympiad finals held in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.



The event, organized by the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) and the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations (MAFTAA), brought together American and Turkish crowds in the US capital. Attended by Turkey’s Ambassador to the United States Namık Tan and Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen, the event saw students ranging from 12-18 years of age selected as finalists from seven states surrounding Washington compete in categories of song, poetry and folk dancing.

With students performing traditional tunes from Adana, Burdur and the Black Sea, the sound of the Turkish kemençe and the rhythmic tunes of the Black Sea region were awarded first place. Yeşilçam (Green Pine) Turkish Cinema also made an appearance at the Olympiads, with two American students enacting a famous comedic scene from a film of the seminal era.

Referring to his recent 10-day trip to Turkey, Senator Petersen said he attended the event wearing shoes that he had purchased from İstanbul’s Grand Bazaar and described the importance of such events in bringing people together. He added that Turkey and the state of Virginia were very similar in terms of their natural beauty and resources as well as tourism. “We can form a positive friendship together,” he said.

Presented with a plaque as a token of appreciation for his support, Tan noted the success of the students in putting the Turkish language on show and spoke of the importance of the Turkish language on the world platform. “[The students] presented the Turkish language -- the language of love and the heart -- with great success. If you were to travel from here all the way to China, the Turkish language will not let you down. It is a powerful language shaped from a far-reaching culture and history,” he said.

Tan reinforced the importance of language learning for children, inviting participants to the Children’s Day celebrations to be held at the Turkish Embassy in Washington on April 23. “[Through such events] the event’s organizers realize another aspect of diplomacy. Bring your children and let us celebrate together our children’s festival, the likes of which do not exist anywhere else in the world. Let us also voice our Turkish language there,” he said.

Drawing attention to the fact that more than 250 million people worldwide speak Turkic languages MAFTAA President Mahmut Yeter said students in 155 countries, including the United States, currently learn Turkish as a second language in high schools and universities. MAFTAA’s member organizations teach Turkish in 13 cities across the Middle Atlantic states.

SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-240102-us-students-performed-in-turkish-at-3rd-turkish-olympiad-finals.html