What I learned in two years
A short in Turkish text at level B1. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. I started learning Turkish two years ago at a language course, then continued online. In the first months everything…
Text
- Türkçe öğrenmeye iki yıl önce bir dil kursunda başladım, sonra çevrimiçi devam ettim. İlk aylarda her şey bana zor geliyordu: dil bilgisi kuralları uzun, telaffuz yabancı. Her gün on kelime ezberledim, ders notlarını tekrar okudum, bir de kendi kendime dizi izledim. Okumak çabuk düzeldi ama dinlediğimi anlamak uzun sürdü; şimdi neredeyse her şeyi anlıyorum. Akıcı konuşmak hâlâ zor, daha çok pratik lazım, ama her seferinde daha iyi oluyor.I started learning Turkish two years ago at a language course, then continued online. In the first months everything was hard: the grammar rules are long, the pronunciation is foreign. Every day I memorized ten words, reread my notes, and also watched series on my own. Reading improved quickly, but understanding by ear took a long time; now I understand almost everything. Speaking fluently is still hard, I need more practice, but it gets better every time.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What did he start learning the language with?
- How many words did he learn a day?
- What took a long time?
- What does he lack now?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Turkish?
B1. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.