Learn whether Turkish is spoken somewhere other than Turkey
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: Where is Turkish spoken? |
| Dilek: And what varieties of Turkish are there? |
| Michael: At TurkishClass101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Emma Elmas, a college student, is meeting another student, Fatih Memnun, for the first time. On hearing Emma speak Turkish, Fatih asks, |
| "Where did you learn Turkish?" |
| Fatih Memnun: Nerede Türkçe öğrendin? |
| Dialogue |
| Fatih Memnun: Nerede Türkçe öğrendin? |
| Emma Elmas: Berlin'de. |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Fatih Memnun: Nerede Türkçe öğrendin? |
| Michael: "Where did you learn Turkish?" |
| Emma Elmas: Berlin'de. |
| Michael: "In Berlin." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: Turkish, or |
| Dilek: Türkçe |
| Michael: is the official language of Turkey. It is based on the dialect spoken in Istanbul, which is why it's sometimes referred to as "Istanbul Turkish," or |
| Dilek: İstanbul Türkçesi. |
| Michael: In addition to being spoken in Turkey, there are also several other Turkic countries in which different types of Turkish are spoken. These countries include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, North Cyprus, and Azerbaijan, which in Turkish are called |
| Dilek: Kazakistan, Kırgızistan, Özbekistan, Kuzey Kıbrıs, Azerbaycan. |
| Michael: In some such countries, the Turkish language has an official status, such as in Cyprus, and in some areas of the Balkans and the Middle East, where some Turkic minority groups can be found. By considering these groups, it can be said that roughly 170 million people speak a Turkic language as their "native language," or |
| Dilek: anadil. |
| Michael: This large number is a result of the history of the Ottoman Empire, or |
| Dilek: Osmanlı İmparatorluğu. |
| Michael: The Ottoman Empire controlled much of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and even the northern region of Mesopotamia. Throughout this wide area, all of the local languages were influenced by Ottoman Turkish, which was the administrative language of the ruling class. This resulted in a wide range of Turkic languages, such as today's Balkan Turkic, which has a lot of common words with Greek. |
| Michael: Another example of how the Turkish language has evolved in yet another part of the world is Cypriot Turkish, or |
| Dilek: Kıbrıs Türkçesi. |
| Michael: This dialect was influenced by not only Ottoman Turkish and Greek, but also Italian and English. |
| Lastly, as a consequence of the "Turkish diaspora," or |
| Dilek: Türk diasporası |
| Michael: Turkish is also spoken by minorities in countries that were never part of the Ottoman Empire, such as the United States and many European countries, like Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. |
| Michael: To summarize, Turkish is spoken as an official language in Turkey and some other countries, such as Cyprus, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Moreover, as a consequence of the Turkish diaspora, the language is also spoken in other countries where Turkish immigrants have continued to use their native language, like in Germany or the United States. |
| Despite the various dialects that exist worldwide, the most standard variety, which is also the one taught at TurkishClass101.com, is the variety spoken in Turkey. |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sample conversation. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud, and then listen carefully as the native speaker models the correct answer. Repeat after her, with the focus on your pronunciation. Are you ready? |
| How do you say, "Where did you learn Turkish?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dilek: Nerede Türkçe öğrendin? |
| Michael: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat. Remember to focus on your pronunciation. |
| Dilek: Nerede Türkçe öğrendin? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dilek: Nerede Türkçe öğrendin? |
| Michael: Let's move on to the second sentence. How do you say, "In Berlin." |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dilek: Berlin'de. |
| Michael: Did you get it right this time? Listen again and repeat. |
| Dilek: Berlin'de. |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dilek: Berlin'de. |
| Michael: Although Fatih was likely surprised by Emma's answer, as we have alluded to, Germany is home to a large and significant Turkish community, so it is highly possible that Emma could not only master Turkish in Berlin, but also have plenty of opportunities to practice speaking it. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Dilek: Hoşçakalın! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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