Out of place

Just the other day a person asked me if I knew if her friend, who plans to move to Turkey and is qualified to teach Chinese, would be able to find a teaching position. I said that I was pretty sure she could. I told her about an elementary school that offered English, German, French and Chinese.

It’s common knowledge that people who can speak two languages are more adept at learning a new foreign language than their monolingual counterparts. Many Turks have studied English but most have not had much opportunity to practice speaking English with native English speakers in Turkey.

On the other hand, many foreigners come to Turkey and study Turkish. If you were to consult language centers offering Turkish classes which level has the lowest enrollment, you would quickly realize that few students actually reach an advanced level of Turkish.

When sitting around talking with other foreigners who are studying Turkish, they make comments about how difficult they find Turkish. Most say it’s just so opposite to English. Those who reach an upper intermediate or higher level find they have gaps in their vocabulary. For example, it becomes obvious when they have to take the car to the mechanic or do some official work for a residence permit or whatever.

This is true for anyone who is studying another language. I remember recently speaking with some Turkish friends in English about the subject of music. As we spoke I realized that they were more comfortable talking about music in Turkish than in English. They did not know all the music terms in English because they had not studied this subject in English.

According to Edward Said’s autobiographical memoir “Out of Place,” Said lived “between worlds” in both Cairo and Jerusalem. After moving to America, he felt out of place as well. Apparently, he was fluent in French, English and Arabic. I believe it may have been Said who said that even though he knew both Arabic and English and each could seem like his first language, neither was.

One of the areas that foreigners struggle with when learning Turkish is the use of proverbs and the special usage of words. These expressions are often used in certain settings. They reveal insights into family, friendship and society.

I remember the first time I heard the word “estağfurullah,” which can mean “I ask pardon of God” or “Don’t mention it” or “no trouble at all,” depending on the situation. I didn’t know what to think. Many of us who’ve studied Turkish found just trying to say this word tricky, but then knowing when the appropriate time to say it was even trickier.

Many Turkish words and phrases reveal something about the culture. This is one of those -- it can be seen to be giving a reply but really saying nothing.

Maybe you have noticed that leave-taking in Turkish is not so straightforward. Another one of those words which can be a tongue twister in the early stages of your Turkish language learning when you are used to just saying the simple one-syllable English word “bye” is the word “Allahaısmaladık.”

I wonder how many of you in the beginning stages of language learning were concentrating so hard on making the right impression with your Turkish friend or business contact that, instead of saying “Allahaısmaladık,” you said “Güle güle,” which is supposed to be said by the one staying, not the one leaving.

Seran Doğançay, in her research on Turkish proverbs, differentiates between atasözü (what ancestors say) and deyim (sayings). You can read the full report at http://www.wpel.net/v6/v6n2Dogancay.pdf

A couple of other practical cultural insights that will help you along are:

Don’t interrupt others or finish their sentences.

Let others be “right” most of the time.

Learning about the culture and the language is the key to success. In the process you needn’t be too hard on yourself when you make mistakes. Most people appreciate that you are trying, so don’t give up!

You learn something every day if you pay attention. ~Ray LeBlond