Turkish

I suppose there is not much in particular in my personal background that might qualify me to evaluate language-learning texts like this one, but I have to say that I am entirely satisfied (perhaps even delighted) with the way this book is organized and with the brisk, lively style the authors, both apparently accomplished linguists, use in presenting the material. In each unit (there are 16 units)they give an interesting dialogue, a section on grammar and usage, lots of well-constructed exercises, and a final short dialogue. I must confess that my initial interest in learning Turkish was born of selfish motives: the grad school I'll be attending in the fall requires knowledge of a non-Indo-European language, so I considered a whole bunch of(to me)unknown tongues and happily zeroed in, considering that the civilization of which it is a part is so much more interesting than the others, on Turkish. Despite my less-than-noble original motivation, I have, by using this fine book, come to appreciate the great beauty of the language, really quite extraordinary in its morphology and syntax as well as in its phonetics and phonology. If this book leaves anything at all to be desired, it might be that is does not overwhelm the student with examples, and I personally love being overwhelmed with examples. Don't get me wrong: Teach Yourself Turkish gives plenty of examples, a wealth of them. But I would like having still more. I guess that's a question of what they are now calling my own "learning style." This book can be used with profit by anyone seriously interested in language study. Highly recommended.

I've been learning Turkish for six years now, and am reasonably fluent. In that time I've encountered many language courses and Teach Yourself Turkish is the best I've come across. It's also one of the best in the Teach Yourself series. It provides a good grounding in the basic structure of the language and key vocab in the first 8 chapters. It explains things clearly without getting lost in complex grammatical terms. With a bit of determination you could probably get through this section in 6-8 weeks by yourself in a little spare time. Combine this with a few stock tourist phrases from a guidebook and Turkey is your oyster. Where it does lose it's way a little bit is in the second half of the course, where it tries to cover a little too much material for the space it has. Because of this the explanation can get muddier, and the subject matter is presented a little bit too densely for easy self study. While my Turkish is now well beyond the level of this course, it was an important part in helping me get to this level. (...)

Although out of print for some time, this book is deservedly a classic for its clear exposition of Turkish grammer. Tiny in size, it contains a great deal of information, and is worth tracking down for anyone seriously interested in Turkish. Although arranged as a grammar-based course, with translation exercises in each lesson (and a key in the back), it is probably two concentrated for most learners to actually learn from as a stand-alone book. Also, the vocabulary is a bit outmoded, and includes many Arabic-origin words that are not longer used in Turkish. But it explains things so clearly that it gives a learner the clearest exposition imaginable of the fine points of grammar, with examples to illustrate the points made. Lewis has a masterful understanding of Turkish, and is also a master of clear English prose, thus making this book a joy to refer to for the beginning and intermediate student of Turkish. His much larger "Turkish Grammar" has the same high quality, but is a reference grammar for more advanced students of Turkish, arranged by parts of speech rather than in lessons, which may be a bit intimidating for the beginner. Both his books have long been cherished by serious learners of Turkish, and cannot be recommended too highly.

I lived in Turkey for seven months and used this book more than several others I had at my disposal simply because it gives useful and logical explanations of Turkish grammar (which is very different to anything you have seen in English or other European languages). It is a step by step book with conversational examples that both extend your vocabulary and your use of grammar in everyday situations, making it easy to apply what you have learned as you talk to shop owners, waiters, fellow commuters and others interested in learning where the yabanci (foreigner/stranger) comes from! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a basic understanding and wants to teach themselves. It would also work well with a tutor but you dont need anything else, except perhaps some assistance with pronunciation, as vowel harmony takes some getting used to.

I've studied Turkish on and off for a few years, trying several different books, but this is definitely the best by a long shot. It presents the material in a very logical order, easing you into the conventions of the language, and explaining everything very clearly. Yet, it's also concise. The other books I tried were "Turkce Ogreniyoruz", a 4-part book that's publ. in Turkey and difficult to learn from since there are only grammar examples and no explanations, leaving you to derive the meaning; and "Elementary Turkish" - a little better but really more focused on grammar than on getting you ready to use the language conversationally and in everyday life, right from the 1st chapter, as "TYT" does. "TYT" also introduces the most useful vocabulary right away (such as politely refusing excessive food, which you'll need to do a lot with Turkish people!). I just wish I'd tried this book years ago. Also, I really wish they'd write another for the next level! You'll get there quickly and enjoyably with this book.