Job Discussion Forums

[justme]

Just an odd idea that's been occurring to me over the past couple of weeks...

Anyone out there get the impression that Turks HATE English? I don't mean English people or English speakers, but that there is a general assumption of popular culture that English sucks, that it's a ridiculous language and a ridiculous-sounding one. I started thinking this while I was watching G.O.R.A. and noticing both how they used English in the film and how funny the audience found those parts. It seemed to me Cem Yılmaz was using English to make the character even more foolish.
Same for some re-runs of '�ocukları Duymasın,' where they have an American company boss whose foolishness is compounded by the way she peppers her Turkish with English (though she's by far not the most foolish character on the show, and it doesn't strike me that they're exactly making fun of foreigners). Same for that other sit-com-- I forget the name-- with the horrible Turkish woman pretending to be British and going 'Oh my Gawt Oh my Gawt!' Same for students and Turks on the street using the odd English phrase to get a laugh.

Not that I blame them. If my university degree were next to worthless for getting a good job unless I knew, say, Finnish, I would probably resent Finnish.

Really, very few of our students are bothering with English because they want to-- they do it because they have to, as a means to an end. But if deep down they hate it, does it mean we're going about things all wrong? Is there a right way?

Just a thought. Back to the work I'm supposed to be doing...

[dmb]

[corall]

i've never taught adults in turkey but as for the kids lets not forget those whose parents are so rich that it doesn't matter to them if they speak english or not, regardless of how interesting the class is. i'm sure you all know the ones - they are all going to work in their daddy's companies

but i never got the impression of hating english. like myself who also takes language lessons after a 10hr day (includign travel time) turkish isn't the thing i want to be studying at night, rather my comfy bed.

[misterkodak]

I don't think I would say that Turks hate the English language. I can see where kids (especially teens) would hate it. I hated having to take French as a foreign language requirment in highschool. Anytime people are "forced" into a class, the chances are they won't learn much. I see this alot from the businessmen I have to teach. They're there either because their boss wants them there (and they want to impress) or because their firm has a language requirement policy. Their scores are generally the lowest (despite the minimum 70% passing/money reimbursement policy most firms place upon their people). I've had them cheat blatently, lie, and generally do everything else but study and participate. As I said before though, those are people who don't really want to be there.
I can see where the world would hate the English language, though. Anglization of languages really sucks and pop culture doesn't do much to prevent it.

[Baba Alex]

I think that Turkish people have a very strong sense of identity, and a strong love for their own culture. Unfortuanatley, some of them take this to mean rejecting other cultures, english, italian, japanese etc. I once had a student who said she didn't like opera because she was Turkish. Stupid. However these are the students we teach, most Turks I know socialy, love English books, Music, Films, and Indian/ Japanese /Chinease food etc.
As well as Turkish stuff.

As far as films taking the piss out of the English language, haven't we being doing this to every other culture since forever ? ie. Manuel in Fawlty Towers, The Mexican bee guy out of The Simpsons, etc. I'm sure they mean it more inocent than we ever have

[Faustino]

Also consider that making fun of his own English ability is a recurring theme in Cem Yilmaz's comedy, and this will have been one reason for the film audience's response to his use of English.

[ghost]

If you think the Turks hate English, you should come to the Province of Quebec, Canada, where the French Quebec locals really hate the English language and all it represents.

Only a minority of the Quebec French speaking Canadians appreciate the English language, and the opportunities available to speakers of both official Canadian languages (English and French).

If you travel outside of Montreal, you are stuck if you don't know French, and if you speak in English, you will oftentimes be ignored, such is the basic animosity of the locals for everything the English language represents.

In Turkey, the educated classes appreciate English, and send their kids to private schools to learn the language, seeing it as an investment for the future.

One feels there is more basic appreciation of English in Turkey, in comparison with some European countries, like France, for example.

[dervish]