Turkish I (111-1-1)
Instructors
Oya Topcuoglu
847/491-2402
Crowe 4-121
Meeting Info
Kresge 3354 German Seminar Rm.: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Kresge 3364 Slavic Seminar Rm: Fri 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
This course provides a unique introduction to the modern Turkish language and culture through highly interactive TV shows. TV shows reach 750 million people across 152 countries, and Turkey is second only to the US in worldwide TV distribution, with huge audiences in Russia, China, Korea, the Middle East, and Latin America. Turkish is becoming the language of global entertainment. In this first quarter, students will immerse themselves in the TV characters' personal stories and everyday realities of life in Istanbul. The highly interactive TV storylines offer ample opportunities to listen to and practice pronunciation, internalize basic vocabulary and polite phrases, as well as learn about verb tenses and moods for more complicated language tasks. The class uses a communicative approach, meaning that group work and language production are emphasized in class. The course ends with a class trip to a Turkish restaurant in Chicago where students will be able to communicate in Turkish outside of the classroom and utilize the skills they developed throughout the quarter.
Registration Requirements
No prior knowledge of Turkish is necessary. (Students with prior knowledge of Turkish will need to take the Turkish Placement Test).
Learning Objectives
The second quarter (Turkish 111-2) will be offered in Winter 2025 and the third quarter (Turkish 111-3) in Spring 2025. By the end of the third quarter, students will be able to use all common grammatical structures and engage comfortably with other Turkish speakers on a variety of everyday topics. Turkish is used in class whenever possible, and by the third quarter, it becomes the primary language of instruction.
Teaching Method
First-Year Turkish uses a communicative, proficiency-oriented approach with fully integrated audio-visual media to teach modern Turkish as a living language. The instructor will use an interactive approach in the classroom, including reading, translations, listening, and conversational practice as interactive small-group exercises.
Evaluation Method
The final grade for the course will be based on the following criteria:
-Class participation and attendance (including Turkish Table Meetings and Cultural Events)
-Class preparation and homework assignments
-Three short exams
-Final Project
Class Materials (Required)
Elementary Turkish: A Complete Course for Beginners. Revised Third Edition (2015). Kurtuluş Öztopçu. Kebikeç-Yayınları Sanat Kitabevi. Please purchase the print book, not the e-book. Additional materials will be provided by the instructor.
Class Notes
Full attendance and class participation are strongly encouraged for the successful completion of the course. In addition to regular participation in class activities, it is important to complete all your homework on time. The course meets MWF for 70 minutes.