Turkey is one of human history’s oldest and most highly developed civilizations. Enhanced societies have flourished since 7000 – 6000 BCE. Turkey is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations with over 30 million visitors. Despite its thriving tourism industry, non-native speakers lack knowledge of the nation they visit.
One of the world’s top 15 most spoken first languages, Turkish is a first language by about 75 million people. It is a second language for an additional 15 million individuals. You can also find speakers of the tongue throughout Western Europe, the Caucasus, and the Balkans.
Furthermore, many organizations are looking for international expertise to assist them in Turkey’s flourishing emerging markets.
Thus, Turkish is an excellent language for establishing personal and professional relationships. This article aims to enlighten you about the many benefits of taking Turkish lessons for children and adults as a secondary language.
Brief History of The Turkish Language
Origins
Turkish is one of the many Turkic languages spoken in a large geographic area. Spanning Europe and Asia, with origins as early as 8,500 years ago. The language was once used by a wide variety of nomadic populations, making it difficult to pinpoint its origins.
Interestingly, Turkish has an intriguing linguistic history because it is not a protolanguage but a synthesis of three different language families: Turkic, Mongolian, and Manchu-Tungus. This wider family is known as the Altaic languages and exhibits similarities in vocabulary, morphological and syntactic organization, and some phonological characteristics.
Modernization
Until 1923, the Turkish language was written using Arabic letters, but it didn’t fit well with the tongue as it was devoid of vowels, also known as an abjad.
The first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, started a linguistic revolution in the Turkish language. This included changing the writing system. Turkish adopted the same letters used in the English Latin alphabet.
As a result of these editions, the Turkish language became standardized, and the nation’s literacy rate rose.
Importance of Learning Turkish
It’s a common belief that you can expand your horizons by learning a language as it aids cultural understanding. Turkish is an intriguing language, even though it isn’t always a natural choice for second-language study. It’s enriched the English vocabulary, and there are several strong reasons to study Turkish, including:
1. Easiest Turkic Language
If you study Turkish, learning other Turkic languages like Uighur, Tatar, Kazakh, Uzbek, and Kyrgyz will be simpler for you. Due to their widespread use in areas like China, former Soviet Union, Balkans, and Caucasus, these languages are becoming more relevant.
2. Career Growth
Many career options are available in a wide range of industries, including government, business, law, cybersecurity, technology, finance, and hospitality. The U.S. government has designated Turkish as an essential language, with jobs available in the military, intelligence, and diplomatic organizations.
Several fellowships and scholarships are also available for students interested in learning the language to work in the public sector.
3. Decode Its Rich History
Turkish will be helpful to you if you study anthropology, history, or archaeology or are a history buff. It will allow you access to Anatolia, the birthplace of human civilization. Additionally, you’ll understand the Ottoman Empire better.
You’ll be able to access fascinating archaeological sites, including Istanbul, Noah’s Ark, Troy, and the remains of the world’s first town. Uncovering the vast amount of historical data and papers in Turkey’s historical archives will become easier.
Various ancient civilizations, including the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish, Islamic, Byzantine, Roman, Persian, Hellenistic, Assyrian, and Hittite civilizations, are covered in the records!
4. Communicate with Locals
If you speak English and are moving permanently or visiting as a tourist, knowing Turkish will put you in a better position. Speaking the language will help you interact with the locals and conduct business if you want to because English is not widely spoken in Turkey.
Helpful Tips to Pick Up the Language
Although learning Turkish can be difficult, the language has some exciting and enjoyable aspects. Certain words are pronounced differently, but the variations are minor and won’t be challenging, especially since most of these words have Arabic and French roots.
It is a phonetic language, and the alphabet will be simpler to pronounce once you’ve mastered it. Here are some valuable tricks that’ll help you learn the dialect:
1. Read Turkish Books
Turkish learning books for children are the ideal selection for language beginners. They use short, simple sentences with illustrations to contextualize common Turkish words. By doing so, you will pick up new Turkish words, idioms, and phrases more quickly.
Turkish-English bilingual expert Children’s books, audiobooks, and picture books are excellent teaching and learning tools. You gain access to fables, ethnic tales, and more, as well as Turkish folktales.
2. Listen to Music and Podcasts
Vowel harmony is a set of Turkish sounds that may initially sound weird. You can become used to the rhythm and musicality of the language by listening to Turkish music and podcasts.
3. Watch TV Series and Movies
Watching a show or film in the native language can help learn the dialect faster. It’s a tested technique by some celebrities like Mila Kunis and Charlize Theron. With various online platforms showing global content, it’s easy to access Turkish cinema and imbibe the language. You also learn cultural contexts and modern slang to enrich your vocabulary.
