Seriously, though, Turkish is a language well worth studying. Wrapping your brain around a completely different syntax will definitely stretch it! The grammar is heavenly, since the parts of speech snap neatly into place like Lego blocks, always in the same order. The vocabulary, tho, is from the “other” place! Don’t count on finding too many cognates.
Still, the Latin-based alphabet is easy to learn. And it’s a lot more phonetic than English (let alone French!)
And there are 80 million or so citizens of the Turkish Republic, and nearly that many people who speak languages in the same family. The Turks have a genius for friendship, and are heirs to an imperial culinary tradition.
Look into a local university’s “language partners program” to find sharp and motivated tutors. Help them with their English, and let them introduce you to their world.
Studying Turkish this way is a great home school family project, BTW. Your children will learn that the world does NOT divide into white hats and black turbans.
And your Turkish friends will learn that, contrary to what Hollywood preaches, there ARE Americans who take faith and family seriously.
Thomas Smedley
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