I have been intersted in learning Turkish for some time now. I will be traveling to Europe and going to Turkey and was wondering what the best way to go about learning it was. I am curently living in the USA in Atlanta, Georgia. I am finding it extremely difficult to find a place that is teaching it. Any help would be appreciated.<BR> Sincerely,<BR> Tom Fox<BR> USA

Hi, Tom. Have you tried Berlitz language centers? They usually offer a variety of language courses although they can be expensive. Also, maybe try the Turkish Embassy Web site. A lot of times the embassies have useful links for people interested in travel and culture.

My suggestion is to find out from Georgia State, Kennesaw U, the North Avenue Trade School, or possibly Clayton State U if there are any Turkish students enrolled who would be willing to do a little tutoring. If there are some,they might jump at a chance to earn a few $$ over the Christmas break. You can expect to pay for the service, however. I think the going rate around here for tutors is $15.00 an hour for qualified ones.<BR>Part of your problem is going to be finding a text book!!<BR>Be carefull of these CD sets. I spent $100 plus on one from Barrons in German and it was a total waste of money. I don't think I am learning much German by hearing 35 variations on a theme of Wo sind die Zigarren?<BR>Some of these Berlitz tapes are not much help, either. They have a few phrases, that may or may not tell you what to ask, but they do not tell you the answers!!<BR>

I love to learn languages myself -- have you ever thought of going to Turkey to study? Those kind of language abroad programs are usually a very cheap way to visit a country, although you generally need 2-4 wks stay to make good use of it. I know some good websites with language programs by country and languages (www.worldwide.edu, www.europa-pages.co.uk, I think www.shawguides.com has some). However, if you don't want to do that, I'd suggest you try contacting the Turkish Am Cultural Assn of Georgia, I'm sure they'll know, here is their URL: http://tacaga.org:91/home/student.cfm

Thank you to everyone who has replied. You have all helped me out tremedously. If there are anymore people who have suggestions, I would very much appreciate them.<BR> Sincerely,<BR> Tom Fox<BR> Atlanta, Georgia

Do what I did, go to Turkey and learn the language. Turkish is a rather difficult language with backwards grammar and long words, but it is logical (unlike English). I studied at Bogazici University in their Turkish language and culture program (http://www.boun.edu.tr/special/web.htm). It is a two-month program over the summer with lots of class time. The best part is it is held at a beautiful campus in Istanbul, right on the Bosphous. Unfortunately I did not learn too much, but this was due to the many distractions the city had to offer and my inability to learn another language (in that order, I've also tried German and Spanish with little luck). The students were a nice mix of Americans and Europeans and the instructors were very friendly (the TA's would take you out to the right places at night, and see you early the next morning with the same hangover). Most of the students were graduate students or PhDs from top programs, although I was an undergrad at the time. If you don't leave the program with a decent understanding of the language you will at least leave with great memories and group of new friends. There are also three levels to the program so you can return in the summers to come. If you have any questions e-mail me and I will be happy to point you in the right direction. I was extremely happy with the program.<BR><BR>Tolga<BR><BR>PS. Good luck learning Turkish from a textbook. <BR>

Have you checked the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF TURKIC LANGUAGES http://www.princeton.edu/~ehgilson/aatt.html<BR>They have links to Turkish programs at US universities (many of them summer programs); see under About ATT as well as a new list of Turkish programs here and abroad.<BR>I'd say that the best way to learn a foreign language (and Turkish is pretty difficult for speakers of English or other European languages)is to get a grounding in the basics and then go to the country where they speak the language.<BR>Good luck!

Also go to the National Foreign Language Resource Center in Hawaii at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/nflrc_home.cfm and do a search with "Turkish". They do specialize in the less commonly taught languages and several resources will come up.

hello Tom, I am living in Istanbul but planning to come to US in near future. I d love to help you but I am coming to ny, But I will search for you if there is any turk living near you so I am sure they could help you..

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Never used it myself, but (in addition to the Berlitz school) theree is also a place called Inlingua in Atlanta. I know several people who've studied there. Not sure if they offer Turkish.