Learn Turkish

I have a guiding principle- never “just” look something up for myself. When Valerie, a HS4CC parent in New Jersey, asked for help finding a Turkish language program for her teen, I exhausted my normal “go to” resources. At that point, I knew I’d have to share my work with you. Zevk almak!

The U.S. State Department designated Turkish as one of the critical languages and Turkish speakers have a significant competitive advantage in the U.S. Foreign Service Officer Test.

High School Credit

Everything your teens study can count as a high school credit. The amount of credit varies, but there are a few methods that are popular for knowing how much is “enough” for it to count. One way is by calculating 120 hours, another is to “finish the book,” and another is to use the calendar. Whatever method you choose, you can always add or subtract from any of these programs to serve your family and your schedule. Enrichment can include more “book work” but it can also include watching movies in the language, studying a culture’s food/politics/history/art/music, joining a language club, skype tutoring, or pretty much anything you can think of. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can dive into a language with gusto!

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College Credit by Course

If your local community college offers Turkish (or any language that interests you) through dual enrollment or summer session, that is my top recommendation. Not only will you engage in scope and sequence under the advisement of a language expert, but you’ll get college credit directly – and the likelihood of transfer is very good.

If you can’t use local, you can turn to online options. Community colleges or universities in other states may offer Turkish (or any language) that you can study from your state. The rules and eligibility for dual enrollment vary widely, so it’s best to visit that college’s website and get guidance that way.

College Credit by Exam

When all college class options are exhausted, the last option is credit by exam. Credit by exam IS AN OPTION for the Turkish language. You’ll have to use the NYU Foreign Language Proficiency Exam. This exam yields between 12-16 college credits if you pass, and has a good chance of being accepted at your target college. NYU exam offers 2 tests (12 points or 16 points) and an “add-on” 4 point exam available to those who passed the 12 point exam and want to attempt the 16 point version. The exams are available in more than 50 languages (including Turkish) the 12 point exam tests cover listening, reading, and writing. The 16 point exam adds in a 350-word essay requirement. This exam can be taken anywhere in the world online.

NYUFLP Exam fees:

12-Point Exam: $479 + $20 registration fee = $499

16-Point Exam: $579 + $20 registration fee = $599

4-Point Exam: $279 + $20 registration fee = $299

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Resources

If you want to test out of Turkish, you first must learn Turkish. The following resources should help you get there!

Duolingo (free) Study tool. Earn points, rank up, study with friends or alone. Makes learning fun, more of a supplement than a curriculum.

Rosetta Stone (pay) Curriculum. Used by homeschool families for decades. Trusted curriculum for any age teaches reading, writing, and speaking. Standardized scope and sequence, also teaches proper pronunciation.

Udemy (pay) Classes. Udemy platform is a little like YouTube in that content is uploaded by a person. The downside is that the quality will vary, but the upside is that you’re likely to learn from a native speaker who is exceptionally motivated! I’ve used a lot of great Udemy classes in my homeschool, just look for a teacher with a lot of positive feedback and give it a chance! I found over 30 courses teaching Turkish on Udemy! Most were about $20.

Babbel (pay) Study tool. The top language learning app on the market. Monthly subscription.

NYC Turkish Club (pay) Classes. If you live in New York City you can join the club, but you don’t have to live there to take their Turkish online classes! Taught live and online. After COVID the classes may go back to in-person only. Visit their website for more info.

Turkish Basics Online (free) Study tool. Free basic level language learning website.

YouTube (free) The Channel “Learn Turkish with Turkish Class 101” has a long playlist!

Textbook: Elementary Turkish (used by >30 colleges and universities)

Howard Community College (Maryland) offers online Turkish language classes through their division of continuing education. Current tuition $400 per course. Open to anyone.