(Justin) Gül Öztürk has been a big help in my language learning. She writes very helpful Turkish-teaching posts at http://www.learnturkisheasy.com. She has a parallel site that simplifies news stories into simple Turkish and includes an audio file as well. I wanted to give her a shout-out as she is trying to generate income from her work. You will find her sites linked on the right hand side of this page as well.
There are so many freely available resources available for learning Turkish, and so many Turks eager to help people learn. We're quite thankful for them.
Showing posts with label turkish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turkish. Show all posts
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Parent-Teacher Conferences and Other Meetings
(Justin) This past weekend I had a working Saturday; I had to be at school by 11am. I wish I had a picture of the freshly planted flowers in the front flowerbed, given that it gets below freezing every night now and these plants will be dead in less than a week. Why the urgency for a Saturday? It was Parent-Teacher Conference Day!
I survived my first veli toplantası, or parent-teacher meeting. For 90 minutes, parents queued up to talk to me about their kids. Most of them wanted to know if their 2-4th grader was speaking and pronouncing English properly. I wanted them to know more about their kids behavior, so that's what I focused on. Some parents were surprised that their child was naughty in my class, but most are used to hearing such things. This was the single best test I've had of my rapid-fire-mode Turkish, and it went well. Probably averaged something like 30 seconds per parent.
Much less fun have been the teacher meetings of recent weeks, including something called Şube Öğretmenler Kurulu (abbreviated ŞÖK, which sounds kind of like "SHOCK!" This is a teachers' meeting where every student in every grade is discussed individually by the homeroom teacher and all of the branch teachers, like myself. These averaged 2.5 hours for each grade, and are held three times a year(!). What's frustrating about meetings is that there is a lot of talk about problems without much hope of solutions.
Suppose there is a child who is violent, curses his teachers and classmates, gets his friends to behave naughtily, and destroys school property. Suppose also his parents think it's the teachers' job to teach the kids proper behavior and respect-- not the parents' job. In America, such a kid would be held outside of class in detention, sent home, or suspended in order to preserve the classroom environment for the rest of the students. In Turkey, that's illegal until at least 5th grade. Some schools do it if their administration is brave enough. Not ours. So, the solution to really problematic kids is often... to do nothing. "Sabırlı olmamız lazım," or "We need to be patient." I mentioned previously that there is no special education in the schools; for kids that are physically or mentally disabled, there is little to do other than love the kid and hope for the best. The school psychologists can help kids deal with anger and emotional issues, but can do little to help a kid with a disability. This can make for a very difficult classroom environment.
So, ŞÖK serves more as a way for teachers to share information about the child's background. In many cases, I felt greater sympathy for the child. She cries because her dad is in jail, he is violent because his parents are divorcing, etc. But then you think, "We're going to meet three times a year to hear these stories again for as long as this kid is at the school. I've seen plenty of 10th graders who behave very badly and have been the subject of these meetings for 10 years without any change. This is depressing."
In the end, it's mostly the good kids' parents who come speak to you. The really difficult children have neglectful parents or their parents just don't want to hear about their kid's behavior. I think every teacher reading this can nod their head and say, "Exactly."
I won't write about the "teacher's council" meetings we have with all teachers and the principal, but these are also interesting depending on the principal's way of running things. The "normal" way in Turkey is for it to be strictly controlled top-down with no speaking by subordinates. My principal, however, opens the floor to new ideas and thoughts, which sometimes create controversy leading to longer meetings...
I survived my first veli toplantası, or parent-teacher meeting. For 90 minutes, parents queued up to talk to me about their kids. Most of them wanted to know if their 2-4th grader was speaking and pronouncing English properly. I wanted them to know more about their kids behavior, so that's what I focused on. Some parents were surprised that their child was naughty in my class, but most are used to hearing such things. This was the single best test I've had of my rapid-fire-mode Turkish, and it went well. Probably averaged something like 30 seconds per parent.
Much less fun have been the teacher meetings of recent weeks, including something called Şube Öğretmenler Kurulu (abbreviated ŞÖK, which sounds kind of like "SHOCK!" This is a teachers' meeting where every student in every grade is discussed individually by the homeroom teacher and all of the branch teachers, like myself. These averaged 2.5 hours for each grade, and are held three times a year(!). What's frustrating about meetings is that there is a lot of talk about problems without much hope of solutions.
Suppose there is a child who is violent, curses his teachers and classmates, gets his friends to behave naughtily, and destroys school property. Suppose also his parents think it's the teachers' job to teach the kids proper behavior and respect-- not the parents' job. In America, such a kid would be held outside of class in detention, sent home, or suspended in order to preserve the classroom environment for the rest of the students. In Turkey, that's illegal until at least 5th grade. Some schools do it if their administration is brave enough. Not ours. So, the solution to really problematic kids is often... to do nothing. "Sabırlı olmamız lazım," or "We need to be patient." I mentioned previously that there is no special education in the schools; for kids that are physically or mentally disabled, there is little to do other than love the kid and hope for the best. The school psychologists can help kids deal with anger and emotional issues, but can do little to help a kid with a disability. This can make for a very difficult classroom environment.
So, ŞÖK serves more as a way for teachers to share information about the child's background. In many cases, I felt greater sympathy for the child. She cries because her dad is in jail, he is violent because his parents are divorcing, etc. But then you think, "We're going to meet three times a year to hear these stories again for as long as this kid is at the school. I've seen plenty of 10th graders who behave very badly and have been the subject of these meetings for 10 years without any change. This is depressing."
In the end, it's mostly the good kids' parents who come speak to you. The really difficult children have neglectful parents or their parents just don't want to hear about their kid's behavior. I think every teacher reading this can nod their head and say, "Exactly."
I won't write about the "teacher's council" meetings we have with all teachers and the principal, but these are also interesting depending on the principal's way of running things. The "normal" way in Turkey is for it to be strictly controlled top-down with no speaking by subordinates. My principal, however, opens the floor to new ideas and thoughts, which sometimes create controversy leading to longer meetings...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Turkish Movie Reviews
Since the key to language learning is exposing yourself to as much "comprehensible input" as possible, one fun way to do that is movies. Justin prefers to find local Turkish movies with Turkish subtitles so he can see the words while he listens to comprehend. A few movies have given us some insights into the culture. Our current "recommended viewing" list:
1. Aşk Tutulması ("Eclipse of Love"). You can watch the entire movie on YouTube without subtitles; the overly dramatic expressions and the universal love story needs little translation. A man has to choose between his love for his favorite football club (Fenerbahçe) and his girlfriend. You can also get some pictures of middle-class Turkish life here, including the football fanatacism. Joni loved everything but about the last 15 minutes. We recommend it as a light-hearted romantic comedy.
2. Neşeli Hayat ("Cheerful Life"). This is Justin's favorite Turkish movie, and favorite Christmas movie of all time. It gives a glimpse of life among people who move from village life to a big city to make a living and how they bring their social structures with them. It illustrates the importance of family, honor, and the fact that everyone owes money to everyone else-- it's part of ordinary life here. It has a great message about honor and doing the right thing. Joni missed a lot of this one since it was Turkish words with Turkish subtitles - her language isn't good enough to hear it yet, especially with their village accents. We'd recommend this one to those with intermediate Turkish.
3. Başka Dilde Aşk ("Love in Another Language"). This is one of the few movies made about people with disabilities finding acceptance in Turkey. A deaf young man falls in love with a beautiful woman and they have to figure out how to communicate, as well as how to live under the scorn of their friends and family. This is also a more "typical" Turkish movie with multiple subplots going in different directions and an inconclusive ending. The acting in the movie is quite good, and it of course makes you think about the difficulties of finding acceptance with a disability here.
Honorable Mention: New York'ta Beş Minare ("Five Minarets in New York). This is actually one of the top-ten most watched Turkish-produced movies of the last 16 years. It stars Danny Glover and Gina Gershon and the movie is split between Turkey and New York, Turkish and English. It's an entertaining action drama with an overt message about moderate Islam (and the U.S. government's treatment of it), and it contains some subtle symbolism that illustrates the tension between religious life and secularism here in Turkey. The acting isn't great and many of the scenes are quite unrealistic, so it's not a "classic," but if you're interested in Turkey then you might check it out.
Justin gets most of the movies from the 2 Lira ($1.10) bin at a local store, so they're not always critically acclaimed; we could easily list Turkish movies we don't recommend. But YouTube and other easy-to-find places online are a treasure trove of free Turkish films that you can stream in their entirety free on-demand. It's a convenient way to learn language and culture.
1. Aşk Tutulması ("Eclipse of Love"). You can watch the entire movie on YouTube without subtitles; the overly dramatic expressions and the universal love story needs little translation. A man has to choose between his love for his favorite football club (Fenerbahçe) and his girlfriend. You can also get some pictures of middle-class Turkish life here, including the football fanatacism. Joni loved everything but about the last 15 minutes. We recommend it as a light-hearted romantic comedy.
2. Neşeli Hayat ("Cheerful Life"). This is Justin's favorite Turkish movie, and favorite Christmas movie of all time. It gives a glimpse of life among people who move from village life to a big city to make a living and how they bring their social structures with them. It illustrates the importance of family, honor, and the fact that everyone owes money to everyone else-- it's part of ordinary life here. It has a great message about honor and doing the right thing. Joni missed a lot of this one since it was Turkish words with Turkish subtitles - her language isn't good enough to hear it yet, especially with their village accents. We'd recommend this one to those with intermediate Turkish.
3. Başka Dilde Aşk ("Love in Another Language"). This is one of the few movies made about people with disabilities finding acceptance in Turkey. A deaf young man falls in love with a beautiful woman and they have to figure out how to communicate, as well as how to live under the scorn of their friends and family. This is also a more "typical" Turkish movie with multiple subplots going in different directions and an inconclusive ending. The acting in the movie is quite good, and it of course makes you think about the difficulties of finding acceptance with a disability here.
Honorable Mention: New York'ta Beş Minare ("Five Minarets in New York). This is actually one of the top-ten most watched Turkish-produced movies of the last 16 years. It stars Danny Glover and Gina Gershon and the movie is split between Turkey and New York, Turkish and English. It's an entertaining action drama with an overt message about moderate Islam (and the U.S. government's treatment of it), and it contains some subtle symbolism that illustrates the tension between religious life and secularism here in Turkey. The acting isn't great and many of the scenes are quite unrealistic, so it's not a "classic," but if you're interested in Turkey then you might check it out.
Justin gets most of the movies from the 2 Lira ($1.10) bin at a local store, so they're not always critically acclaimed; we could easily list Turkish movies we don't recommend. But YouTube and other easy-to-find places online are a treasure trove of free Turkish films that you can stream in their entirety free on-demand. It's a convenient way to learn language and culture.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Learn a language by using Twitter
(Justin) Twitter is an extremely effective tool for learning language as it is designed, in part, to bring you closer to people around you. Twitter is international. The top tweeting cities in the world are Jakarta (Indonesia), and Tokyo (Japan). Istanbul is 12th. (Scroll down for a brief tutorial of how to get started.)
Just a few of MANY uses:
1. What are people in your neighborhood doing or talking about? Search by "location" to find people near you.
2. How would locals describe what I'm watching? Whether it's a sporting event or a soap opera, hundreds of others are tweeting about the same show you're watching. "How would a local describe this person's behavior?" Twitter gives you that gold.
3. What's in the news? Most newspapers and TV outlets post links to their stories as soon as they break. In Turkey, all the TV channels tweet when a new show is about to come on, giving you an easy TV Guide.
4. Potholes in your street? Broken playground equipment? Twitter gives you instant access to your city councilman, mayor, congressman, etc., even in foreign countries. (See story below.) Cities also post important legal changes and announcements on Twitter.
5. Like to shop? Many local malls and major chains use Twitter to advertise discounts, events, and to receive customer complaints.
I've used the "location" function to find people checking in from our neighborhood. One day I found a neighbor complaining to the Mayor about the road construction, which has made life difficult for us as well. I RT'd her complaint and added my own. Others joined in. The mayor responded that he didn't understand our complaint. This led to a fury of angry responses as other people who were following the conversation joined in, which I was copied on as my name began to be RT'd again and again. (Here's a snippet screen shot for proof):
I learned both how locals feel about the mayor and many new words for complaining about him and road construction in Ankara in general. I also made a new connection with neighbors.
I love using it for #2 above. For example, discovering that Turks didn't seem to like The Biggest Loser.
When I'm listening to a song on the radio and am not sure about the lyrics, I'll type a few words of the song into "search" and inevitably find someone tweeting the lyrics and completing what I couldn't understand.
The possibilities are endless. Tweets are 140 characters long so a person's thought has to be condensed or concise. This helps you think about forming similar thoughts in the language concisely. Turkish has some very long words and sentences so this is a good thought exercise.
Most apps also have a translation function, giving you a click-option to convert the words to English which sometimes saves you from having to look something up.
How do I start?
Many people go to Twitter.com, sign up, and then say "I don't get it." Twitter is not designed to be used through their website, you need to install/use an app on your computer or mobile device.
1. Tweetdeck is an easy-to-use program that allows you to easily organize your feeds into lists and see them by columns. You can see the same lists/columns on their website.
2. HootSuite is a website that also allows you to see your tweet lists in column format. I use HootSuite's app on my iPad/iPod. It has a built-in translation function as well.
Via your app or on the Twitter website you can create "lists," name them, and add specific people to them, organizing your feed. You don't have to follow someone to add them to a list. The key is to organize people into lists so you don't get 1,000 people clogging your "home" feed.
Now, whenever you're exploring the website of a mall, newspaper, television channel, government, etc. look for the Twitter logo button on the page. Click it and select "Follow" to start seeing everything they post in your "Home" feed and/or add them to one of your lists. When you're watching TV and it displays the Twitter username of whoever is talking, use the "find user" function to display their tweets and to follow them.
I create lists of users by categories. I have a list of tweeters in Ankara that I follow, some of whom I've met personally, some I just like what they have to say. I have a Turkish news list with every newspaper and journalist I can find for instantaneous news updates. I have a weather list where tweets about my local weather show up. I keep a list of ex-pats tweeting in English about Turkey as well.
In the "search" area of your app, choose a word you want to search for, like "Ankara." This will show you all the instantaneous tweets containing "Ankara." When I see smoke in the distance I'll search for "yangın," (fire) "Ankara," or the name of the neighborhood I think it's in. I will save the search if I want to come back to it quickly for updates.
I have a saved search for "Birlik Mah" which displays tweets of people about or in our neighborhood. When I then look at that person's tweets I can figure out if he lives in the neighborhood and I add him to my "neighborhood" list.
Relating back to my last post, learning language is easy and fun when you incorporate it into things you already love doing. I interacted with neighbors, mayors, journalists, etc. via Twitter while I was in the States, and I've just continued that practice in Turkey.
Just a few of MANY uses:
1. What are people in your neighborhood doing or talking about? Search by "location" to find people near you.
2. How would locals describe what I'm watching? Whether it's a sporting event or a soap opera, hundreds of others are tweeting about the same show you're watching. "How would a local describe this person's behavior?" Twitter gives you that gold.
3. What's in the news? Most newspapers and TV outlets post links to their stories as soon as they break. In Turkey, all the TV channels tweet when a new show is about to come on, giving you an easy TV Guide.
4. Potholes in your street? Broken playground equipment? Twitter gives you instant access to your city councilman, mayor, congressman, etc., even in foreign countries. (See story below.) Cities also post important legal changes and announcements on Twitter.
5. Like to shop? Many local malls and major chains use Twitter to advertise discounts, events, and to receive customer complaints.
I've used the "location" function to find people checking in from our neighborhood. One day I found a neighbor complaining to the Mayor about the road construction, which has made life difficult for us as well. I RT'd her complaint and added my own. Others joined in. The mayor responded that he didn't understand our complaint. This led to a fury of angry responses as other people who were following the conversation joined in, which I was copied on as my name began to be RT'd again and again. (Here's a snippet screen shot for proof):
I learned both how locals feel about the mayor and many new words for complaining about him and road construction in Ankara in general. I also made a new connection with neighbors.
I love using it for #2 above. For example, discovering that Turks didn't seem to like The Biggest Loser.
When I'm listening to a song on the radio and am not sure about the lyrics, I'll type a few words of the song into "search" and inevitably find someone tweeting the lyrics and completing what I couldn't understand.
The possibilities are endless. Tweets are 140 characters long so a person's thought has to be condensed or concise. This helps you think about forming similar thoughts in the language concisely. Turkish has some very long words and sentences so this is a good thought exercise.
Most apps also have a translation function, giving you a click-option to convert the words to English which sometimes saves you from having to look something up.
How do I start?
Many people go to Twitter.com, sign up, and then say "I don't get it." Twitter is not designed to be used through their website, you need to install/use an app on your computer or mobile device.
1. Tweetdeck is an easy-to-use program that allows you to easily organize your feeds into lists and see them by columns. You can see the same lists/columns on their website.
2. HootSuite is a website that also allows you to see your tweet lists in column format. I use HootSuite's app on my iPad/iPod. It has a built-in translation function as well.
Via your app or on the Twitter website you can create "lists," name them, and add specific people to them, organizing your feed. You don't have to follow someone to add them to a list. The key is to organize people into lists so you don't get 1,000 people clogging your "home" feed.
Now, whenever you're exploring the website of a mall, newspaper, television channel, government, etc. look for the Twitter logo button on the page. Click it and select "Follow" to start seeing everything they post in your "Home" feed and/or add them to one of your lists. When you're watching TV and it displays the Twitter username of whoever is talking, use the "find user" function to display their tweets and to follow them.
I create lists of users by categories. I have a list of tweeters in Ankara that I follow, some of whom I've met personally, some I just like what they have to say. I have a Turkish news list with every newspaper and journalist I can find for instantaneous news updates. I have a weather list where tweets about my local weather show up. I keep a list of ex-pats tweeting in English about Turkey as well.
In the "search" area of your app, choose a word you want to search for, like "Ankara." This will show you all the instantaneous tweets containing "Ankara." When I see smoke in the distance I'll search for "yangın," (fire) "Ankara," or the name of the neighborhood I think it's in. I will save the search if I want to come back to it quickly for updates.
I have a saved search for "Birlik Mah" which displays tweets of people about or in our neighborhood. When I then look at that person's tweets I can figure out if he lives in the neighborhood and I add him to my "neighborhood" list.
Relating back to my last post, learning language is easy and fun when you incorporate it into things you already love doing. I interacted with neighbors, mayors, journalists, etc. via Twitter while I was in the States, and I've just continued that practice in Turkey.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Review: The Everyday Language Learner's Guide to Getting Started by Aaron Myers
(Justin) I've never met Aaron Myers, but he lives in Istanbul with his family and we communicate by email and blog. Aaron is a language coach, helping motivate others toward fluency. He's given Joni and me ideas that we've incorporated into our learning. Aaron's e-book is a good place to get started as an independent language learner.
You'll notice we've added links on the right to language resources we use heavily, as well as polyglot bloggers like Aaron who are always talking about published research, tips, and tricks related to language learning. I'd recommend adding them to your feed reader.
Language is a journey. Aaron chronicles his attempts to learn a few languages and gives pointers from his successes and failures. He emphasizes three principles:
1. "Input Control": Focus on creating comprehensible input.
2. "Multiple Entry": Find multiple ways to engage with the language.
3. "Integrated Review": Find quick and easy ways to review.
Getting as much "comprehensible input" as you can is perhaps the most important key to language learning. (I'll talk in a future post about ways I create comprehensible input for Turkish on the cheap.) Live input, recorded input, all are important. His favorite example is Dora the Explorer, a cartoon which uses simple language, visually demonstrates everything, and repeats key words multiple times. It's a cartoon form of total physical response (TPR) used in most ESL classrooms in the U.S. Check out his post "25 Ways to Find or Create Comprehensible Input."
Multiple "touches" are needed. Aaron cites an article stating that in order to learn a new word you need to encounter it 160 times. True or not, the more exposure the better. In my own economics classroom I had a goal of six "touches" per major topic. I'd mention it in lecture, assign online homework, assign an article reading, assign a discussion post, until I had covered the topic six different ways. In language learning, you similarly need to find as many ways to practice writing, reading, listening, and speaking new concepts as possible. As much balance to those four you can provide the better.
"In learning languages, there is no end." You have to find ways to keep reviewing what you've learned. Flashcards, intentional practice of certain grammar forms, etc. Aaron gives some ideas and resources for using a language helper for all of the above.
I bought this book primarily to support what Aaron is doing but also to find new ideas and resources that I hadn't tried yet. I wasn't disappointed. If you've always wanted to learn a language but didn't know how to really learn it, I recommend starting with Aaron's book, spending some time on his blog (He's got a great collection of links for multiple languages.), and signing up for his 10-week email course.
You'll notice we've added links on the right to language resources we use heavily, as well as polyglot bloggers like Aaron who are always talking about published research, tips, and tricks related to language learning. I'd recommend adding them to your feed reader.
Language is a journey. Aaron chronicles his attempts to learn a few languages and gives pointers from his successes and failures. He emphasizes three principles:
1. "Input Control": Focus on creating comprehensible input.
2. "Multiple Entry": Find multiple ways to engage with the language.
3. "Integrated Review": Find quick and easy ways to review.
Getting as much "comprehensible input" as you can is perhaps the most important key to language learning. (I'll talk in a future post about ways I create comprehensible input for Turkish on the cheap.) Live input, recorded input, all are important. His favorite example is Dora the Explorer, a cartoon which uses simple language, visually demonstrates everything, and repeats key words multiple times. It's a cartoon form of total physical response (TPR) used in most ESL classrooms in the U.S. Check out his post "25 Ways to Find or Create Comprehensible Input."
Multiple "touches" are needed. Aaron cites an article stating that in order to learn a new word you need to encounter it 160 times. True or not, the more exposure the better. In my own economics classroom I had a goal of six "touches" per major topic. I'd mention it in lecture, assign online homework, assign an article reading, assign a discussion post, until I had covered the topic six different ways. In language learning, you similarly need to find as many ways to practice writing, reading, listening, and speaking new concepts as possible. As much balance to those four you can provide the better.
"In learning languages, there is no end." You have to find ways to keep reviewing what you've learned. Flashcards, intentional practice of certain grammar forms, etc. Aaron gives some ideas and resources for using a language helper for all of the above.
I bought this book primarily to support what Aaron is doing but also to find new ideas and resources that I hadn't tried yet. I wasn't disappointed. If you've always wanted to learn a language but didn't know how to really learn it, I recommend starting with Aaron's book, spending some time on his blog (He's got a great collection of links for multiple languages.), and signing up for his 10-week email course.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Biggest Loser, Twitter, and Cultural Insights
(Justin) One of Joni's favorite shows in the U.S. was The Biggest Loser, and we watched the first couple seasons together. The show is brand new here in Turkey, it's a 30 minute show that comes on every night on Star TV. In Turkish, it's called A New Life. It's become our favorite show.
The setup of the show, music, drama, etc. are identical to the U.S. version. (One odd difference is they filmed it in the winter and it appears many of the buildings aren't heated, so the contestants are often working out while wearing heavy parkas.) The show is on Week 3, I think.
As in America, I like to find people's comments on Twitter while I watch a show as it's like watching a show with a bunch of friends (who you don't have to clean up after) and it's great for language learning. Judging from Twitter, the show does not appear to be gaining the popularity here that it has in the U.S., at least among the young people who predominately tweet. There are few tweets and I find the majority are negative-- "Can you believe how weak these people are?" "Is this a cruel joke?" "This show is too American," etc.
You don't see many obese people in Turkey (I think most people in the U.S. know it's predominately an American problem), particularly among the young so I suspect there is an element of shame involved here that may be different than in the U.S.
Tonight the show had a good cultural insight as it highlighted how much Turks love children. Elias often gets doted on and given plenty of free stuff (namely candy) in stores. Tonight the physical challenge was a 100 meter dash with 2 contestants pairing off but also having to run against one random child (grades 1-6). When they brought out the children the contestants about melted, and one of them commented that the kids were so sweet that it was hard to think about competing. One of the women claimed she quit running because she was so struck by the child's charisma ("karizma," a new Turkish word). At the end, the contestants who lost seemed just to be happy to have seen the kids-- and these were just random kids, not their own. It struck us as bizarre.
Jeopardy! is finally making its way to Turkey soon and I look forward to watching it, I think I'll learn quite a bit of knowledge from it but I wonder if Turks will enjoy the question novelty. I'm not sure if other reality TV shows exist on Turkish broadcast (read: free) television but there definitely aren't as many as in the U.S. I wonder why that is (and also consider this to be an advantage for Turkey :-) )?
The setup of the show, music, drama, etc. are identical to the U.S. version. (One odd difference is they filmed it in the winter and it appears many of the buildings aren't heated, so the contestants are often working out while wearing heavy parkas.) The show is on Week 3, I think.
As in America, I like to find people's comments on Twitter while I watch a show as it's like watching a show with a bunch of friends (who you don't have to clean up after) and it's great for language learning. Judging from Twitter, the show does not appear to be gaining the popularity here that it has in the U.S., at least among the young people who predominately tweet. There are few tweets and I find the majority are negative-- "Can you believe how weak these people are?" "Is this a cruel joke?" "This show is too American," etc.
You don't see many obese people in Turkey (I think most people in the U.S. know it's predominately an American problem), particularly among the young so I suspect there is an element of shame involved here that may be different than in the U.S.
Tonight the show had a good cultural insight as it highlighted how much Turks love children. Elias often gets doted on and given plenty of free stuff (namely candy) in stores. Tonight the physical challenge was a 100 meter dash with 2 contestants pairing off but also having to run against one random child (grades 1-6). When they brought out the children the contestants about melted, and one of them commented that the kids were so sweet that it was hard to think about competing. One of the women claimed she quit running because she was so struck by the child's charisma ("karizma," a new Turkish word). At the end, the contestants who lost seemed just to be happy to have seen the kids-- and these were just random kids, not their own. It struck us as bizarre.
Jeopardy! is finally making its way to Turkey soon and I look forward to watching it, I think I'll learn quite a bit of knowledge from it but I wonder if Turks will enjoy the question novelty. I'm not sure if other reality TV shows exist on Turkish broadcast (read: free) television but there definitely aren't as many as in the U.S. I wonder why that is (and also consider this to be an advantage for Turkey :-) )?
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Going to Preschool
When we moved here, we hoped to be able to find some kind of preschool where Elias could go a few mornings a week in order to make friends and build social skills, as well as learn Turkish. We were so blessed to learn that some of the first American friends we made here have a 4.5-year-old son who goes to a preschool right around the corner from us! That sure simplified our school hunt - we definitely knew where to start looking!
We visited the school last week and met with the director, and it seems like it's going to be the perfect fit for Elias. Although they prefer having the children full-time, they agreed to let Elias come only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-12:30. It is a Montessori preschool, so there is a lot of freedom for the children to choose their activities, and there is also a large emphasis on teaching the children independence, which Elias really needs! The school is completely Turkish language, but the director went to school in England, so her English is very good. I've heard at least a little English from some of the other teachers too. And of course, Elias has a friend in the older class who can be called upon for translation if needed!
So on Monday Elias and I went just for 1.5 hours, and I stayed with him in the classroom, but he did very well! He jumped right in and played, and he even participated as much as he could in some activities! The lady who is going to be his teacher doesn't speak any English, but she is so great with the kids, and Elias liked her right away.
We went back on Tuesday for another experimental day, and he just ran right into the classroom and joined in! He was so comfortable, they told me to stay in the office instead of in the classroom with him, and then they told me he was doing so well I could just leave and come back to get him after lunch! They had my cell phone and could call if things didn't go well, but they did! No phone calls; I just picked up one happy boy at 12:30!
Then Wednesday I just took him and dropped him off, and went back again after lunch to pick him up. He did so great and I'm so proud of him! He really loves it, and I know this is going to be such a good thing for him!
It's about a 1 km walk to get to the school, which is a bit far to ask Elias to walk both there and back. What we've been doing is catching a minibus to take us there, then I walk home while he's at school. Then, I walk back to get him, and we both walk home together. As long as the weather holds, which it's been perfect this week, I think that'll work out well. Not only is Elias having a great time at school, but I'm getting some good exercise too! In fact, the road we walk down to get to his school has a dedicated walking/running track all the way down it, so this is what our walk to and from school looks like!
We sure are excited about this opportunity, and we are so pleased that Elias is doing so well after only 3 days there. We can't wait to see how he flourishes in this program! You can check out the English version of the school's website here.
We visited the school last week and met with the director, and it seems like it's going to be the perfect fit for Elias. Although they prefer having the children full-time, they agreed to let Elias come only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-12:30. It is a Montessori preschool, so there is a lot of freedom for the children to choose their activities, and there is also a large emphasis on teaching the children independence, which Elias really needs! The school is completely Turkish language, but the director went to school in England, so her English is very good. I've heard at least a little English from some of the other teachers too. And of course, Elias has a friend in the older class who can be called upon for translation if needed!
 |
| The school's front door |
We went back on Tuesday for another experimental day, and he just ran right into the classroom and joined in! He was so comfortable, they told me to stay in the office instead of in the classroom with him, and then they told me he was doing so well I could just leave and come back to get him after lunch! They had my cell phone and could call if things didn't go well, but they did! No phone calls; I just picked up one happy boy at 12:30!
 |
| Elias was tickled to find this "Welcome, Elias" sign on the front door when we got there the second day! |
Then Wednesday I just took him and dropped him off, and went back again after lunch to pick him up. He did so great and I'm so proud of him! He really loves it, and I know this is going to be such a good thing for him!
It's about a 1 km walk to get to the school, which is a bit far to ask Elias to walk both there and back. What we've been doing is catching a minibus to take us there, then I walk home while he's at school. Then, I walk back to get him, and we both walk home together. As long as the weather holds, which it's been perfect this week, I think that'll work out well. Not only is Elias having a great time at school, but I'm getting some good exercise too! In fact, the road we walk down to get to his school has a dedicated walking/running track all the way down it, so this is what our walk to and from school looks like!
We sure are excited about this opportunity, and we are so pleased that Elias is doing so well after only 3 days there. We can't wait to see how he flourishes in this program! You can check out the English version of the school's website here.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Turkish language learning tools
As we journey through Turkey we will chronicle what we're doing for language learning. I chronicled a few of my techniques here and here when we were in Moldova and I was working on my Russian. Since June, I've been working daily through some Turkish materials that I find really helpful. We're in a small U.S. town without frequent access to native speakers, so I have to be creative. I've recently stumbled across Aaron Myers' The Everyday Language Learner blog that has reminded me that it's important to share what we're learning to encourage others.
Here's my current lineup of tools:
1. The Foreign Service Institute Turkish Basic Course. These old materials were used by U.S. State Department personnel and are a goldmine. Two comprehensive textbooks (PDFs), dozens of hours of accompanying audio examples (MP3), and a Turkish graded reader (PDF) for additional literary challenge.
I read the FSI textbook on my iPad and iPod via the GoodReader app. This allows me to write notes, highlight, bookmark, etc. right onto the PDF file. I listen to the mp3 on my device as I go, so my tablet has become a critical language tool.
2. Busuu.com. Busuu is a free language learning site that features the ability to have your writing exercises graded by native speakers (I, in turn, grade others' English work) and to have interactive chat as well. The exercises are primarily good for building vocabulary. It is not a good teacher of grammar, it assumes you have something to help you understand. Premium access gives you the ability to download audio files, have speaking practice, and more, but it's too expensive for me to find worth it.
I find it invaluable to have my writing corrected and improved by native speakers. Busuu also has a couple related apps in the iTunes store.
3. Anki flashcards. Anki is a free, open-source flashcard program. I like Anki because it allows me to see a word in English and type the answer in Turkish. You can customize with graphics, audio, etc. and it syncs across various platforms including HTML5 (as a web app). It has a nice algorithm for determining the frequency of how often you need to see a word.
4. Turkish television and radio. WWiTV provides a list of plenty of Turkish channels that stream online. These can also be found using the moTV Free app for iOS. eCNBC plays movies and NBC sitcoms in English with Turkish subtitles. The nice thing is that I can pause every frame if I want to in order to record new phrases or think about the translation. I've always found soap operas to be great language tools since they use simple language, pause often for dramatic effect, and repeat ideas over and over. There are plenty on these channels.
Children's cartoons are also helpful and fun since I am familiar with some of the PBS counterparts that have been translated to Turkish, like Caillou. You can find many of these on YouTube, and I use keepvid.com to download them onto my computer and transfer them to my iOS devices.
Radyo is an app that contains hundreds of Turkish radio stations that stream live over the web. It also features a chat room while you listen, which is a great way to see how Turks interact in an SMS-style environment. My favorite radio stations are SlowTurk and Radyo SlowTime because, you guessed it, the music is slow and the words are fairly clear. Radyo allows you to record music and there are some I will listen to again and again to get the meaning. Popular videos are often uploaded to YouTube so I can keepvid them as well.
5. Other iOS Apps. Google Translate is handy via web browser or as an app along the way. But for the iPad I find the Sözlük Dictionary to be great as well as Zargan, both of which give examples of the word used in common phrases. The downside is you have to have an internet connection to access these. 3,000 Turkish verbs is good as a reference, and there are others, like Turkish Test, for more offline practice. Plenty of Turkish newspapers have apps, as do the English-language ones like Today's Zaman. I'm not reading Turkish newspapers much yet except for the occasional headline and to see what is of interest.
6. Kutsal Kitap. There are various websites and apps that allow us to access this book and compare text easily across languages. Joni worked to create our own handy version for iBooks, so it is also good offline practice. While this is "high Turkish" it's great to take something we read in English and learn its equivalent in Turkish. It's definitely a vocab-builder.
I greatly look forward to using language helpers in Turkey and getting back to using other resources like the Lexicarry. Oh, and the whole immersion thing. But for now, this is what I have to work with. There are other websites and resources out there but the above are the ones I find most efficient for my purposes. You can see that my mobile devices are now a crucial part of my language toolkit.
Here's my current lineup of tools:
1. The Foreign Service Institute Turkish Basic Course. These old materials were used by U.S. State Department personnel and are a goldmine. Two comprehensive textbooks (PDFs), dozens of hours of accompanying audio examples (MP3), and a Turkish graded reader (PDF) for additional literary challenge.
I read the FSI textbook on my iPad and iPod via the GoodReader app. This allows me to write notes, highlight, bookmark, etc. right onto the PDF file. I listen to the mp3 on my device as I go, so my tablet has become a critical language tool.
2. Busuu.com. Busuu is a free language learning site that features the ability to have your writing exercises graded by native speakers (I, in turn, grade others' English work) and to have interactive chat as well. The exercises are primarily good for building vocabulary. It is not a good teacher of grammar, it assumes you have something to help you understand. Premium access gives you the ability to download audio files, have speaking practice, and more, but it's too expensive for me to find worth it.
I find it invaluable to have my writing corrected and improved by native speakers. Busuu also has a couple related apps in the iTunes store.
3. Anki flashcards. Anki is a free, open-source flashcard program. I like Anki because it allows me to see a word in English and type the answer in Turkish. You can customize with graphics, audio, etc. and it syncs across various platforms including HTML5 (as a web app). It has a nice algorithm for determining the frequency of how often you need to see a word.
4. Turkish television and radio. WWiTV provides a list of plenty of Turkish channels that stream online. These can also be found using the moTV Free app for iOS. eCNBC plays movies and NBC sitcoms in English with Turkish subtitles. The nice thing is that I can pause every frame if I want to in order to record new phrases or think about the translation. I've always found soap operas to be great language tools since they use simple language, pause often for dramatic effect, and repeat ideas over and over. There are plenty on these channels.
Children's cartoons are also helpful and fun since I am familiar with some of the PBS counterparts that have been translated to Turkish, like Caillou. You can find many of these on YouTube, and I use keepvid.com to download them onto my computer and transfer them to my iOS devices.
Radyo is an app that contains hundreds of Turkish radio stations that stream live over the web. It also features a chat room while you listen, which is a great way to see how Turks interact in an SMS-style environment. My favorite radio stations are SlowTurk and Radyo SlowTime because, you guessed it, the music is slow and the words are fairly clear. Radyo allows you to record music and there are some I will listen to again and again to get the meaning. Popular videos are often uploaded to YouTube so I can keepvid them as well.
5. Other iOS Apps. Google Translate is handy via web browser or as an app along the way. But for the iPad I find the Sözlük Dictionary to be great as well as Zargan, both of which give examples of the word used in common phrases. The downside is you have to have an internet connection to access these. 3,000 Turkish verbs is good as a reference, and there are others, like Turkish Test, for more offline practice. Plenty of Turkish newspapers have apps, as do the English-language ones like Today's Zaman. I'm not reading Turkish newspapers much yet except for the occasional headline and to see what is of interest.
6. Kutsal Kitap. There are various websites and apps that allow us to access this book and compare text easily across languages. Joni worked to create our own handy version for iBooks, so it is also good offline practice. While this is "high Turkish" it's great to take something we read in English and learn its equivalent in Turkish. It's definitely a vocab-builder.
I greatly look forward to using language helpers in Turkey and getting back to using other resources like the Lexicarry. Oh, and the whole immersion thing. But for now, this is what I have to work with. There are other websites and resources out there but the above are the ones I find most efficient for my purposes. You can see that my mobile devices are now a crucial part of my language toolkit.
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