SYLLABUS

Elementary Turkish I: TURK 1001 (4 hours)

FALL 2009
Instructor: Mr. Emrah Özcan, Religion Dept., UGA
Class hours: MW 3:35 – 4:25 pm Peabody Hall 205C; and TuTh 3:30 – 4:20 pm Peabody
Hall 205C
Office: Peabody Hall, Room #22; Tel: 706-542-5356; Office hours: Wed 14:30-15:30 and
by appointment.
E-mail: eozcan@uga.edu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ugaturkish1001
Blog: http://turkish1001.blogspot.com
Course Description:
The course is designed for students who are interested in learning about other cultures and
languages, and who have no previous knowledge of Turkish language. This course mainly
introduces the student to Turkish language, thorough the development of the basic skills:
listening, speaking, reading and writing. The ultimate goal of the course is that students will
gain awareness and appreciation of and insight into the Turkish culture through learning
Turkish.
By the end of the course, the students will
1. be able to comprehend simple sentences in Turkish;
2. be able to speak beginner level Turkish, producing sentences for introducing
themselves, carrying on meaningful conversation, shopping or asking for assistance,
etc;
3. have and use a basic Turkish vocabulary range and will be able to conjugate for case,
person, and present tense;
4. have developed and used language learning strategies that will help not only with
improving their Turkish, but with learning other languages too.
Texts:
You will have a course book at the University Bookstore.
Elementary Turkish: A complete Course for Beginners (Turk Dilleri Arastirmalari Dizisi) by
Kurtulus Oztopcu (Oz)

Your text has an accompanying CD; you will be assigned homework from it. You must work
extensively with it in order to learn how to speak Turkish and understand spoken Turkish.
Additional materials will be distributed to the students throughout the session as necessary.
You may make use of the following for self-study purposes (more URLs will be available on
the blog):
 The official Website of Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism:
http://www.kulturturizm.gov.tr
 Online Turkish-English Dictionary: http://www.seslisozluk.com

Evaluation:
Class Participation and attendance 10%
Homework (including flashcards) and writing assignments 20%
Vocabulary quizzes* (5@ 3% each) on Mondays 15%
Quizzes* (5@ 5% each) on Thursdays 25%
Midterm 15%
Final Exam 15%
(The final is cumulative and is based on the lessons, including vocabulary, and class
materials; we will review for the final exam during the last week of class.)
*Quizzes are on the following weeks 4th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 13th but please note that there may
also be pop-quizzes anytime!

Grading: 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, and less than 60 = F

Studying, Self-testing, and Flashcards:

Researchers in higher education agree that for students to learn, they need to study at least
two hours outside of class for every one hour of class per week. This is particularly true if
you want to learn a language. Since you have four hours of class per week, you should
therefore plan to study outside of class at least 8 hours each week for this class.

For language learning, self-testing is a must. For this, flashcards for vocabulary and points of
grammar are a useful method. In addition, ideally you should get a study partner with whom
you can practice speaking.

Attendance and Participation:

All students are expected to attend each class and to focus on the course in class (not on
things extraneous to the course). Class attendance is absolutely necessary.
Students will be allowed 4 absences for any reason, including sports and other school or
personal events. Such excuses (illness, family problems, etc.) are to be e-mailed to the
instructor, but it is completely at his disposal to accept them or not. After the 4 absences, each
absence will result in 1% reduction of the final grade.
There will be 5 brief vocabulary quizzes (no more than ten words each) on Mondays and a
lesson quiz (15-20 minutes) on Thursdays at the aforementioned weeks. Please note that no
make-up quizzes or tests will be given without a physician’s or dean’s excuse. Late
assignments will also result in a 1% reduction of your final grade for this course. The final
exam is scheduled for Mon., Dec. 14, 3:30 - 6:30 pm. This cannot be changed unless you
have a total of three exams on that day.
Absolutely no cell phones (or other communication devices) are to be used in class, as these
are highly disruptive. This includes silently checking your messages or sending text
messages! If you violate this policy, you will be counted as absent for that day without notice.
No exceptions!

While Learning Turkish,

 Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. It is impossible to learn a language without making
them and being corrected.
 Use what you learn as soon as you have a chance.
 Review previous lessons frequently, and make your own vocabulary notebook which will
help you control your learning.
 Participate in group repetition in class. It may seem mechanical, but it helps to build the
skills needed for individual speech.
 Open your mind to the different and to the new. Not only Turkish, but every language has
its own mentality, and comparing it to English will not help. Also try to avoid any
prejudices and preconceptions.
 Do not let any interruption break the continuity of your involvement with the Turkish
language.
 Remember this may lead to an interesting career opportunity one day…
 Enjoy yourself!

PRELIMINARY WEEKLY COURSE PLAN

1. Week 1: August 17-20; Oz, ch.1, pp. 2-13
1.1. Topics:
1.1.1. General information about Turkey
1.1.2. Alphabet and Pronunciation
1.1.3. Classroom expressions
1.2. Functions:
1.2.1. Learning about Turkey and the culture
1.2.2. Learning about the alphabet
1.2.3. Using basic expressions in the classroom
2. Week 2: August 24-27; Oz, ch.2, pp. 16-37
2.1. Topics:
2.1.1. Greetings,
2.1.2. Farewells,
2.1.3. Naming objects in the classroom
2.2. Functions:
2.2.1. Greeting people
2.2.2. Saying goodbye
2.2.3. Asking about health and well-being
2.2.4. Thanking
2.2.5. Apologizing
2.3. Grammar:
2.3.1. Vowel harmony – I
2.3.2. Personal pronouns
2.3.3. Present tense statements with the verb to be
2.3.4. Demonstratives
2.3.5. Negation with değil
2.3.6. Negation of the present tense verb to be
2.3.7. The conjunctions ve, ile, ama
3. Week 3: August 31- Sept 3; Oz, ch.3, pp. 40-67
3.1. Topics:
3.1.1. Introductions
 3.1.2. Names
3.1.3. Greetings
3.1.4. Numbers
3.1.5. Locations
3.2. Functions:
3.2.1. Introducing oneself
3.2.2. Introducing other people
3.2.3. Asking for and giving personal information
3.2.4. Greeting people
3.2.5. Asking yes / no questions
3.2.6. Asking directions
3.2.7. Expressing location
3.3. Grammar:
3.3.1. Vowel harmony – II
3.3.2. Plurals of nouns
3.3.3. Forming questions
3.3.4. Question words: ne, kim, nasıl
3.3.5. Yes / no questions with the present tense verb to be
3.3.6. The locative case
3.3.7. Nerede, burada, şurada, orada
3.3.8. Long consonants
3.3.9. The derivative suffixes +lI, +sIz
4. Week 4: Monday Sept. 7 Labor Day holiday; classes Sept. 8-10; Oz, ch.4, pp. 70-91
4.1. Topics:
4.1.1. Nationalities
4.1.2. Cities and countries
4.1.3. Colors
4.2. Functions:
4.2.1. Introduction
4.2.2. Asking people where they are from
4.2.3. Expressing possession
4.2.4. Asking for and giving personal information
4.3. Grammar:
4.3.1. The derivative suffix +lI
4.3.2. Consonant alternations: -p, -ç, -t, -k in final position
4.3.3. The genitive case
4.3.4. The interrogative pronoun: kimin
4.3.5. Possessive suffixes
4.3.6. The article dA
4.3.7. Or questions with the verb to be
4.3.8. The infinitive
5. Week 5: Sept. 14-17 -- Review of Units 1-4; Oz, ch.5, pp. 94-102
6. Week 6: Sept. 21-24; Oz, ch.6, pp. 104-128
6.1. Topics:
 6.1.1. Activities
6.1.2. Education
6.1.3. Addresses
6.1.4. Occupations
6.2. Functions:
6.2.1. Asking about activities
6.2.2. Describing activities
6.2.3. Asking for and giving personal information
6.2.4. Exchanging addresses and phone numbers
6.3. Grammar:
6.3.1. Finite verbs
6.3.2. Negation
6.3.3. The present progressive tense (affirmative, negative)
6.3.4. The dative case
6.3.5. The derivative suffix +CI
7. Week 7: Sept. 28-Oct. 1; Oz, ch.7, pp. 130-152
7.1. Topics:
7.1.1. Locations
7.1.2. Home
7.1.3. Activities
7.1.4. Shopping
7.1.5. Age
7.2. Functions:
7.2.1. Asking about locations
7.2.2. Describing locations
7.2.3. Expressing possession
7.2.4. Talking about food and prices
7.2.5. Giving orders
7.2.6. Making requests
7.2.7. Asking about activities
7.2.8. Describing activities
7.2.9. Asking about age
7.3. Grammar:
7.3.1. Var / yok sentences
7.3.2. The verb to have
7.3.3. Kaç and tane
7.3.4. The imperative
8. Week 8: Oct. 5-8; Oz, ch.8, pp. 154-175
8.1. Topics:
8.1.1. Families
8.1.2. Relatives
8.1.3. Activities
8.2. Functions:
8.2.1. Asking about and describing families
 8.2.2. Asking about activities
8.2.3. Describing acitivities
8.2.4. Asking about wishes
8.2.5. Expressing wishes
8.2.6. Describing persons and objects
8.3. Grammar:
8.3.1. Negative questions with the verb to be
8.3.2. The present progressive tense, the interrogative
8.3.3. –mAk iste-
8.3.4. Adjectives
8.3.5. Medial vowel loss
8.3.6. The derivative suffix +lIK
9. Week 9: Oct. 12-15; Oz, ch.9, pp. 178-204
9.1. Topics:
9.1.1. Languages
9.1.2. Daily activities
9.1.3. Leisure activities
9.1.4. Entertainment
9.2. Functions:
9.2.1. Speaking about language skills
9.2.2. Asking for personal information
9.2.3. Talking about likes, dislikes
9.2.4. Describing likes, dislikes
9.2.5. Talking about hobbies
9.3. Grammar:
9.3.1. The derivative suffix +CA
9.3.2. The ablative case
9.3.3. The accusative case
9.3.4. Definite and indefinite direct objects
9.3.5. sev-, beğen-, hoşlan-, hoşuna git-
9.3.6. Vowel lengthening in word stems
9.3.7. European loanwords in Turkish
10. Week 10: Oct. 19-22 -- Review of Units 6-9; Oz, ch.10, pp. 206-212
11. Week 11: Oct. 26-29; Oz, ch.11, pp. 214-235
11.1. Topics:
11.1.1. Dates and times
11.1.2. Units of time, days, months, seasons
11.1.3. Daily activities
11.1.4. Cultural events
11.1.5. Entertainment
11.2. Functions:
11.2.1. Asking the time
11.2.2. Telling the time
11.2.3. Making daily / weekly schedules
 11.3. Grammar:
11.3.1. Adverbs of time
11.3.2. The genitive-possessive compound
11.3.3. Compound nouns
11.3.4. The buffer consonant n
12. Week 12: Nov. 2-5; Oz, ch.12, pp. 240-267
12.1. Topics:
12.1.1. Sports and exercise
12.1.2. Recreation
12.1.3. Prices and shopping
12.1.4. Numbers
12.1.5. Daily activities
12.1.6. Birthdays
12.2. Functions:
12.2.1. Asking about and describing sports activities
12.2.2. Asking about likes, dislikes
12.2.3. Describing likes, dislikes
12.2.4. Asking about prices
12.2.5. Buying and selling things
12.2.6. Bargaining
12.2.7. Talking about past events
12.2.8. Celebrating birthdays
12.3. Grammar:
12.3.1. The definite past tense (affirmative and negative)
12.3.2. Ordinal numbers
12.3.3. Review of case endings
12.3.4. Primary postpositions ile, için
13. Week 13: Nov. 9-12; Oz, ch.13, pp. 270-297
13.1. Topics:
13.1.1. Prices and shopping
13.1.2. Daily activities
13.1.3. Education
13.1.4. Birthdays
13.2. Functions:
13.2.1. Asking about prices
13.2.2. Buying and selling things
13.2.3. Bargaining
13.2.4. Expressing needs
13.3. Grammar:
13.3.1. Verbal nouns –mAK, -mA
13.3.2. Expressions of necessity: gerek, lazım, gerek-, ihtiyaç, ihtiyacı ol-
13.3.3. Primary postpositions gibi, kadar
14. Week 14: Nov. 16-19; Oz, ch.14, pp. 300-327
14.1. Topics:
 14.1.1. Places
14.1.2. Directions
14.1.3. Transportation
14.1.4. Future events
14.2. Functions:
14.2.1. Asking about activities
14.2.2. Asking about the location of places
14.2.3. Describing location of places
14.2.4. Asking for directions
14.2.5. Giving directions
14.2.6. Getting someone’s attention
14.2.7. Talking about future events
14.3. Grammar:
14.3.1. Secondary postpositions
14.3.2. The future tense
14.3.3. Primary postpositions doğru, göre
14.3.4. Pronunciation of initial consonant clusters
15. Week 15: Nov. 23-27 Thanksgiving Break, no class
16. Week 16: Nov. 30- Dec. 3 -- Review of Units 11-14; Oz, ch.1, pp. 330-338
17. Week 17: Dec. 7 Monday last day of class -- General Review

Midterm: Thu., Oct. 8. There will be oral and written sections.

Final exam: Mon., Dec. 14, 3:30 - 6:30 pm. There will be two sections comprising your final
exam grade.
a) Written Section: You will be responsible for all topics covered throughout the semester.
The questions will cover language sessions and culture topics and term paper topics. The
exact date will be announced by your instructor.
b) Oral Section: In the oral exam the students will have to show their knowledge of Turkish
vocabulary with correct pronunciation, read before the instructor a short text in Turkish and
answer a couple of comprehension questions about the same the text. The student may also be
asked to conjugate verbs and translate words or short sentences from and to Turkish. This will
take place in your instructor’s office and /or a classroom at a pre-designated time.

Note: If any difficulties arise, please do not hesitate to speak with the instructor. If that does
not solve your difficulty, please consult the Critical Languages FLTA supervisor, Dr. Godlas,
godlas@uga.edu (Associate Professor, Religion Dept.; and Director, Virtual Center for
Interdisciplinary Studies of the Islamic World)

Honesty Policy: The UGA Academic Honesty Policy will be followed. In other words, all
academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." Students are
responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic
work. The link to more detailed information about academic honesty can be found at
http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm
Changes to this Syllabus: The instructor reserves the right to make any changes to this
syllabus. The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the
class by the instructor may be necessary. Changes will be posted on the afore mentioned blog
address.