Online Language Courses - Advice

[Brendan]

It appears that for the foreseeable future I am going to be spending at least 1 holiday a year in Turkey so I have decided that I should learn how to speak the language. At least to the point of being able to have a basic conversation.

Has anyone tried to learn a new language using one of these online courses that seem to proliferate? What were your experiences? Would you recommend it?

[lozzyloz]

Perhaps you could ask Hisar to install Wi-Fi.

[Cassius]

Turkish is a particularly difficult language to learn, and pronunciation can be tricky. Verbs, subjects and objects of sentences are all added onto one word (there is a word for it but I can't remember it!) If you could do an evening class it might be more helpful at least to start with, and then when you have the basics then carry on with an online course.

[Bookworm]

I wouldn't recommend learning Turkish online to begin with and agree with Cassius. One word can mean a whole sentence in English and the word order is very different. The verb goes to the end of the sentence like German. There is a Turkish teacher with Southwark College who is very good. I think the lessons may now take place at Waterloo. The course starts in September, but I'm sure you would be able to join the beginners course and pick up the basics if you are really keen. The good thing about Turkish is that it is phonetic, so every word you read looks as it sounds, but there are a couple of different letters in their alphabet that you will need to learn.

[wee quinnie]

I agree with Bookworm best to learn person to person - Mr WQ and myself spent 6 months in Spain and to prepare did Michel Thomas Spanish, which was all fine and dandy, but we found we could not understand A WORD in Estepona - although we seemed to get by speaking it.

[fish]

Basics = Bira/Beer, Viski/Whiskey, Sis Kebab/Shish Kebab, Mersi/Thank you.

Banka/Bank, Doktor/Doctor, Telefon/Telephone, Taksi/Taxi - and many more words that derive from English,French,

German, Swedish etc. And yes, the tutor at Southwark College is excellent. Good luck and happy holidays.

[Brendan]

Cheers for the advice all. I will look into the course at Southwark college.

Then I think I will have to impose my company upon some Turkish people.