Turkish Study Abroad
Beginning in the early eighties, several initiatives were taken at the
same time at several institutions which resulted in some formalization
of the teaching of Turkish to foreigners. Although private tutors have
always been available, "formal" settings for language instruction,
year-round as well as over the summer months, began with Bogaziçi
University's offering of an intensive program for advanced Turkish at
their campus in Istanbul, and with the establishment somewhat later of
the Turkish Teaching Institute at Ankara University [TÖMER] in Ankara.
There has been an increase in "private academies" offering Turkish,
some of which are very good. When looking into "private academies," one
should check whether they have been approved by the Education Ministry
to issue certificates. Most programs work on the "immersion" principle,
with Turkish as the language of instruction. Students come from all
over the world. All of the language academies offer summer programs as
well as courses year-round, usually in 4-week sections. Below is a
current list of programs that have a good track record.
Programs in Istanbul
Programs in Ankara