Learn some Turkish when you travel to Turkey, and your trip will be much easier when searching for a hotel, traveling on public transportation, or ordering meals in restaurants. Luckily, simple Turkish is fairly easy to learn because Turkish is a logical, phonetic language. The easiest way to learn exactly what you may need on your trip is this:
Turkish Language
All students in Turkish schools study English, and some even learn it. French, German, and Arabic are also taught (and sometimes learned). In tourist areas, local tourism personnel may study Greek, Finnish, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish—whatever language a significant number of visitors may speak. But you'll get the most out of your trip if you know a bit of Turkish, too.
1. 100 Travel Words: Turkish™
From Hello to December, here they are. Remember: Anyone can learn 100 words™. (You can get an online sample here.) Also, here are 10 free Turkish language lessons:
- Turkish Lesson 1: Greetings!
- Turkish Lesson 2
- Turkish Lesson 3: Shopping
- Turkish Lesson 4: Common Turkish Adjectives
- Turkish Lesson 5: Directions & Places
- Lesson 6: Turkish Bath & Tea
- Turkish Lesson 7: Going Places
- Turkish Lesson 8: Days of the Week
- Lesson 9: Months of the Year
- Turkish Lesson 10: Turkish Numbers
2. Turkish Cardinal & Ordinal Numbers
From 1 to a trillion, to go with your 100 Most Useful Words.
3. Your Country's Name in Turkish
You gotta be able to tell Turks where you're from.
4. Turkish Language Learning Aids
If you plan to stay in Turkey a while, consider teaching English to Turks in order to pay the bills.
5. Turkish Hand Gestures
Turkish Hands: Gesturing Your Way Home, A Hand Guide for Tourists, by Tara L. Alisbah, gives you the rundown on all the meaningful, expressive, funny, and cautionary hand gestures you may see while traveling in Turkey. The author, born in Ankara of Turkish and American parents, is equally at home in Turkey and the USA, and obviously enjoys her role as cultural (and language) interpreter.
6. Language Course in Istanbul
A TTP user in London, Susan M, tells me that she took a course at Concept Languages in Istanbul, and that it provided good-quality instruction in comfortable facilities, and represented good value for money.
—by Tom Brosnahan
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