Elementary Turkish
Dr. Gökçe Karaoğlu
Designed specifically for absolute beginners, this program focuses on building a friendly and practical foundation. It begins by introducing the Turkish alphabet, teaching essential daily vocabulary, and building the confidence to handle basic real-life interactions. Emphasis is placed on functional skills, including the use of polite expressions, navigating local markets, reading short texts, and filling out basic information forms. Through a blend of cultural insights and interactive exercises, participants develop the ability to hold simple conversations and understand the heart of Turkish daily life.
Course Syllabus:
Week 1: (Hello!) Meet and greet, the Turkish alphabet, and essential polite phrases like "Teşekkür ederim."
Students will learn the Turkish alphabet and phonetic system to build a strong foundation for correct pronunciation. They will gain the ability to introduce themselves and use basic greetings and polite expressions for their first social interactions.
Week 2: (What is this?) Identifying common objects, asking "What is this?" or "Who is that?" and giving simple answers.
Learners will develop the skill of identifying objects and people around them using demonstrative pronouns. They will practice asking and answering simple "What?" and "Who?" questions to navigate their immediate environment.
Week 3: (Numbers & Quantities) Numbers from 0 to 100, telling your age, giving phone numbers, and making nouns plural.
Participants will master numbers from 0 to 100, enabling them to share numerical information such as age, phone numbers, and quantities. They will also learn how to pluralize nouns to describe multiple items in daily life.
Week 4: (Where are you from?) Countries, languages, and nationalities. How to ask and answer "Where are you from?".
Students will reach the proficiency to express countries, nationalities, and languages in Turkish. Through the "Where are you from?" question, they will share their own origins and ask basic identity questions of others.
Week 5: (Family & Me) Introducing family members and using "My" and "Your" to talk about your belongings.
This week, learners will use possessive suffixes to introduce family members and talk about their personal belongings. They will become capable of sharing information about their close circle by forming sentences that indicate ownership.
Week 6: (Where are you?) Common places (home, school, work) and describing where someone or something is located.
Participants will use the locative case to correctly describe the position of people and objects. They will recognize common urban locations and practice asking for or stating where a specific place is situated.
Week 7: (What are you doing?) Basic daily verbs (eat, drink, go, read) and describing what you are doing "right now."
Students will learn the present continuous tense to describe their current actions and basic daily activities. By using the most common verbs, they will enhance their ability to express themselves through simple yet meaningful sentences.
Week 8: (Time & Routine) Telling the time, days of the week, and summarizing your day from morning to night.
This week, learners will learn how to tell the time and use time-related expressions to plan a schedule. They will practice describing their daily routines in chronological order, from waking up in the morning to retiring at night.
Week 9: (At the Market) Shopping dialogues. Asking "How much?" and describing items (big, small, expensive, etc.).
Students will learn how to use adjectives to describe items and navigate shopping scenarios in markets or bazaars. They will gain the confidence to ask for prices, specify quantities, and fulfill their basic needs in a shopping context.
Week 10: (Getting Around) City landmarks, directions, and how to ask for/understand simple wayfinding instructions.
Participants will learn directional suffixes and basic orientation words to understand wayfinding instructions in a city. They will acquire the skills to ask how to get from one point to another and provide simple directions.
Week 11: (Likes & Hobbies) Talking about hobbies, free-time activities, and expressing what you like or dislike.
Students will learn to talk about their free-time activities, hobbies, and personal preferences. Using verbs for "liking" and "enjoying," they will express their interests and dislikes in simple sentences.
Week 12: (Daily Life Tasks) Practice filling out basic forms (name, address, etc.) and a final review through a real conversation.
In the final week, students will integrate all learned topics to practice fluent dialogues in real-life scenarios. They will learn to fill out basic personal information forms, completing the core requirements of the A1 level.
About the instructor
Gökçe Karaoğlu holds a PhD in media and communications and an MA in management and economics from the University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland, as well as a double major in business administration and media and visual arts from Koç University, Istanbul. Having taught communication courses at the university level, she incorporates an interdisciplinary perspective into her teaching practice. She is currently a researcher and translator for a specialized publishing house focused on the history of the book and book arts. In addition to her academic work, she is a dedicated bookbinder with a keen interest in the preservation of printed heritage.
Course Details
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 22 June 2026 – 10 September 2026
Time: 10:00–11:00 AM (US Pacific), 1:00–2:00 PM (US Eastern), 7:00–8:00 PM (Central European)
Format: 24 online sessions
Tuition: $600 (payable in installments)
Notes:
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Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees.
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Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.