Skip to main content

Thoughts About Language Learning

Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Learning the Turkish language has been like sitting in traffic on 66 West on Friday afternoon. That’s a shout-out to my friends in NoVA. For those of you who have not endured this pleasurable experience (yes, that’s sarcasm), basically, it’s horrendous! It makes you want to either bring your sleeping bag to work and just stay the night, never leave your house or perhaps spend countless, unnecessary hours roaming around the nearest mall until 10pm when you can be assured (almost) that the traffic has cleared. 

It’s stop, go, stop, go….gooooo….screech to a stop…..My exit is SO CLOSE! Surely, I’ll be there in at least 15 minutes…time passes….no progress….I should have left earlier…I should have left later….I shouldn’t have left at all! Break lights for miles….Maybe I should just pull over? No, keep going, I’m almost there…. 

I think this may sum up my experience over the past 9 months of language learning. Yes, I learned a new word, a new tense….I can say a sentence…wait, what does that word mean? Oh yeah, I looked up that same verb yesterday. Can you say that again? Can you speak more slowly please? Blank stare….no words come out of my mouth…I had a whole conversation a few minutes ago in my head! Still processing the first 3 words you said….just keep smiling…Why do I keep saying only that ONE word?! Yay, you understood me! Sweet, sweet victory….Ok, wait, that part I didn’t get…

Over the past 9 months, I have tried various ways of learning this language, from group lessons with other Americans to a private language helper to Rosetta Stone. Just this month I decided to enroll in a language school that meets daily from 9am – 1pm. (For a couple different reasons this was not an option until recently.) I have not been in school for almost 11 years, but I’m liking the classroom setting and daily homework. It’s tiring, but I feel like the traffic is moving a little faster, so praise God for that!

I have also started incorporating a key phrase into every encounter / conversation I have with a Turk: “Çok az Türkçe biliyorum.” (Basically translated to: I only know a little Turkish.) Surprisingly, this phrase has been the most helpful as I try to speak with people. I usually start with this sentence to just put it out there that the proceeding encounter may be awkward and most likely misunderstood in both directions. It makes people smile. It helps me feel more relaxed.

As I walked home from class the other day after briefly talking with a woman on the bus, I thought about why this phrase is helpful. My conclusions thus far are: 1.(Most) People want to be helpful. 2. Vulnerability is a good thing. 3. Better things happen when you stop pretending. 

I’m letting these ideas take root a little bit and seeing what happens next. The traffic is slowly moving though!

 * Above picture with 2 Turkish girl fiends, my language helper holding the mixer, making American chocolate chip cookies! We decided we were goign to open a cafe here and sell our "cookiewiches" and call the place "Calorie Bomb."

[ Goer login ]

© 2023 GoCorps. All rights reserved.
Website design and development by Hawkeye Design Group