Job Discussion Forums

ikky · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 60 Location: GUZTEPE

Have any of u people become fluent in Turkish?, i'm currently trying to learn the local lingo with an ''easy'' Turkish course book. It's all suffix based and there are these 3 vowels which annoyingly all sound the same. I swear I repeat exactly what a Turkish person says ( my in laws) and they say i'm saying the wrong vowel. Any of you guys had better luck or mastered the language?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Yeah, or asked about your father-in-law's brother?

Edit:
Don't stress too much about the vowels-- it takes a bit of time for your ear to pick them up, but they'll come to you, don't worry!

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Golightly · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 12:46 pm Post subject:

I'm fluent. I had the Hugo 'Teach Yourself Turkish in 3 Months' book. I threw it away after I got to page 5 and saw the word 'Avrupalilastiramadiklarimizdan misiniz?'
Ghost - perhaps you'd like to comment? Ghost - are you there....? Can you hear us? give one 'Ha!Ne diyon, lan?' if you are there...... Very Happy

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

So, you are the b*gger that couldn't be Europeanised? Erdogan would be proud.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Go on learn Turkish and learn the hard way.

Fast forward 5 years when you can understand the Turkish news and see the horror of this country.
Now you cannot understand what the Turkish teachers are saying and think that they are so friendly, 5 years later you will see that they hate you, each other and their jobs but brown nose like there is no tomorrow.

You think you get ripped off because you do not know the language-hey you will get ripped off just the same because you are a foreigner and you will always be just off the boas.

Iyi dersler

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

hmmm, the old vowel system eh?

When trying to speak Turkish, I've noticed two responses.
1. People who are amazed at a foreigner being able to speak 1 word og Turkish.

2. People who constantly correct you, this is normally Turk English teachers who, although they may be patient and encouraging whilst teaching English, are very demotivating when help you with your Turkish.

I think that most of the time they're getting revenge on us for their having to learn English.

I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make.

err.

Oh yeah! Just stick at it, people will understand you even if you mispronounce some words, just as we can understand people who use 'f' instead of 'th', you'll pick it up soon enough.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

ikky · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 60 Location: GUZTEPE

thing is i'm british but my parents are from Afghanistan, so i have brown skin, everyone speaks to me in turkish and are amazed i'm a foreigner who cant speak turkish. Maybe its a macho/ sexist thing but everytime me and my fiance go to a restaurant the waiter always talk to me and i have to ask my fiance, wtf did he just say?

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

ikky · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 60 Location: GUZTEPE

Great!

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

OK, got you. I thought there was some special word for father in-law's brother. amca just means uncle.

Last year I had an operation. That raised a few eyebrows. Embarassed