How to Learn Turkish: 6 Effective Ways to Learn Turkish Quickly

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Turkish is a rewarding and beneficial language to learn. But knowing how or what to study can be tricky. There are so many options available that finding the right one can be overwhelming. This article takes the guesswork out of finding the right resource and shows you some of the best ways to learn Turkish. We put together a list of high-quality options for every type of learner.

Best Turkish App

Try Babbel Turkish

Best Turkish Course

Try Turkish Uncovered

Best Turkish Tutors

Try italki

Turkish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. There are over 88 million people that speak this language. It’s the official language of Turkey and it’s one of the official languages of Cyprus. Turkey is a unique country because it spans both Europe and Asia. Its location is vital for connecting the two regions and gives it great importance on the world stage.

The US Department of State considers Turkish to be a critical language, or a language vital to national security and economic prosperity. Learning this language can open career opportunities in diplomacy and business. It’s also a gateway language that can help you learn other middle eastern languages like Uzbek or Kazakh.

How to Learn Turkish: Follow These Steps to Become Fluent Fast!

There’s no magic formula that will let you start speaking Turkish immediately, but there are steps you can take to make the process easier and faster. One of the best ways to learn is to use a variety of resources. For example, you could use a textbook to learn important grammar topics, but a language app might be better for practicing listening and pronunciation. Using different study methods will help you develop a well-rounded understanding of Turkish.

Another effective way to learn is to immerse yourself in Turkish culture. Did you know that Turkey is one of the biggest exporters of soap operas? Due to their popularity, there are many Turkish shows available to watch outside of Turkey. You can also read a newspaper or watch YouTube videos made by Turkish creators.

Use the Best Turkish Apps

Language apps are a popular option for learning Turkish. They are convenient and let you study on your own schedule. Most apps are interactive and give you incentives to study every day. The apps listed below, Babbel, Pimsleur, and Mondly are some of the biggest names in the language learning industry and will help you improve your Turkish quickly.

Commitment: Low
Price: Low-Medium
Convenience: High

Try Babbel Turkish

Try Pimsleur

Try Mondly

Look at more Turkish apps

Babbel

Babbel is the best overall app to learn Turkish because it’s comprehensive. You practice every language skill: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The lessons are straightforward and easy to complete. They’re quick and interactive so you can do a few every day. Babbel also provides some useful information about Turkish culture. You can try a free lesson to see if you like it or read more about it in this Babbel review.

Pimsleur

Pimsleur’s goal is to get you conversational in Turkish quickly. The audio lessons focus on speaking and pronunciation. In each lesson, you listen to a conversation between native speakers and learn what they said and how to say it. Because the lessons are completely audio, you can listen and practice wherever you go. You can try Pimsleur for free for 7 days or read more about it in this Pimsleur review.

Mondly

Mondly is an excellent choice for beginners because the lessons are short and simple. They help you learn basic vocabulary and grammar to navigate everyday situations. The app is flexible because you can complete the lessons in any order and study what interests you. It also makes it easy to track your progress to see how fast you’re learning. You can try Mondly with a free 7-day trial or read more about it in this Mondly review.

Take an Online Turkish Course

If you prefer a structured way to learn, an online course is a good choice for you. They are laid out in a clear path that shows you exactly what to study next. Each lesson in the course builds on what you already know, without wasting your time. The courses below, Turkish Uncovered, Turkish from Beginner to Fluent, and Language Transfer are some of the best options out there. They’ll help you no matter what level you’re at.

Commitment: High
Price: Medium-High
Convenience: Medium

Try Turkish Uncovered

Try Udemy

Try Language Transfer

Turkish Uncovered

Turkish Uncovered is part of the Story Learning series. It follows a story that ties the entire course together. In each unit, you listen to a part of the story and then take lessons that break down the grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation from the chapter. There are extensive lesson notes and practice material that help you reinforce and remember what you learned. You can try Turkish Uncovered for free for 7 days.

Turkish From Beginner to Fluent

Turkish From Beginner to Fluent is a language course available on the Udemy platform. It focuses on learning how to navigate everyday situations that you might encounter in a Turkish-speaking country. It’s suitable for complete beginners and will take you up to an intermediate level. It has a 4.8/5.0 star rating with over 3,000 students enrolled. You can watch a preview as well as see exactly what you’ll learn during the course on the Udemy website. You can learn more about the Udemy platform in this review.

Language Transfer

Language Transfer is a completely free course that will help you learn the basics of Turkish. They use podcast-style lessons so you can hear the correct Turkish pronunciation. It’s part of a non-profit language project designed to share languages with the world. The lessons are taught in English and you learn important Turkish vocabulary and grammar. You can listen on the Language Transfer website or on SoundCloud.

Find an Online Turkish Tutor

One of the most effective ways to learn a language is with a teacher. Up until a few years ago, it was necessary to go to a school or other learning center and sit in a class with many other students. Thanks to online learning platforms, this process is now much easier. You can connect with a tutor that lives in Turkey, Cyprus, or anywhere in the world, to take private lessons from your home. Italki, Preply, and Verbling are safe and secure platforms that can help you find an experienced Turkish teacher.

Commitment: Medium
Price: Medium-High
Convenience: Medium

Try italki

Try Preply

Try Verbling

italki

Italki is a massive online language learning platform that connects you with native Turkish teachers. Teachers create their own curriculum so you can focus on exactly what you want to study. There are over 300 Turkish teachers to choose from and you can use different filters like location, availability, and price. Most teachers offer a discounted trial lesson to see if they fit your learning style. You can also read more in this italki review.

Preply

Preply is a platform that’s very similar to italki. It allows you to search for a Turkish teacher to take online classes. There are currently 500 Turkish teachers available. You can look at each teacher’s profile to watch their intro video, see their schedule, and read past student reviews to help you decide if you want to take lessons with them. On Preply, you can take as many free trial classes as you want until you find a teacher that you like. You can read this Preply review to learn more.

Verbling

Verbling is another quality platform to find an online Turkish teacher. They only hire teachers with previous teaching experience, so you’re sure to get a qualified instructor. You can search the teachers’ profiles to see who you want to take lessons with, and use filters to find a teacher that fits your expectations and budget. Most teachers let you take a free trial class to see if you enjoy the class. You can also read more in this Verbling review.

Study with High-Quality Turkish Books

Using books is a popular way to learn Turkish. They’re easy to use, require no technology, and you can bring a book with you anywhere. Many language classes in schools or learning centers use books, and now there are many choices out there designed for self-study. The three books on this list, The Delights of Learning Turkish, Complete Turkish, and Turkish Short Stories for Beginners are excellent choices if you are in a class or are studying on your own.

Commitment: Low
Price: Medium
Convenience: Medium

The Delights of Learning Turkish

The Delights of Learning Turkish is a comprehensive self-study guide aimed at beginner learners. It teaches both formal and colloquial speech and has detailed grammar explanations and examples. There are also practice exercises (with answer key) and a dictionary included. People who purchased this book liked the organization and clear explanations. See what other reviewers thought about the book here.

Complete Turkish

Complete Turkish will help you go from beginner to intermediate level. It teaches all the key language skills and focuses on getting you conversational in Turkish. The book is divided into 18 units that have dialogues, grammar points, practice questions, and more. There are also included audio tracks that can be downloaded through an app or listened to online. People who purchased the book liked that it was easy to learn with. Check out other reviews to see if Complete Turkish is right for you.

Turkish Short Stories for Beginners

Turkish Short Stories for Beginners has 20 entertaining stories to help you learn vocabulary and practice reading in Turkish. The stories focus on real-life situations and have dialogues that show how people speak. Each story has a summary in Turkish and English, a vocabulary list, and practice questions to test your understanding of what you read. Best of all, it’s an inexpensive, yet entertaining, option to practice vital language skills. You can learn more about Turkish Short Stories for Beginners here.

Watch Turkish YouTube Videos

Watching YouTube videos to learn Turkish is an entertaining way to develop listening and understanding skills. The video hosts are native Turkish speakers and use colloquial Turkish, so you can hear how people really speak the language. The three YouTube channels below have hundreds of videos and thousands of subscribers. You can find videos that teach the language in a typical “classroom style” and find entertaining videos about Turkish life and culture.

Commitment: Low
Price: Low
Convenience: High

Easy Turkish

Easy Turkish is part of the larger Easy Languages project that brings language videos to the world. The hosts of the videos interview people on the streets of Istambul and others parts of Turkey about popular cultural topics. It’s a great way to hear how Turkish is spoken by normal people while learning about the culture. They publish new videos every week.

Jingle Jeff

Jingle Jeff makes high-energy videos that teach vocabulary and grammar in Turkish (as well as a few other languages). He originally made the videos for children but saw that parents liked learning languages, too, and has begun to create more content for adults. There are also quite a few short videos that teach a new word or phrase. Jingle Jeff has over 1,000 videos for you to check out.

Yasin Durak

Yasin Durak teaches you Turkish through his series of YouTube videos. His videos take on a no-nonsense approach to learning Turkish and it’s like learning a language in a classroom. There are videos that teach language basics as well as common expressions used in everyday life. He explains the phrases in English and then you practice how to say them correctly in Turkish. His YouTube channel has over 150 videos already uploaded for you to practice with.

Listen to Turkish Podcasts

Podcasts are an effective and modern way to learn a language. And since they are audio-based, you can listen to a podcast wherever you can bring your phone or other devices. It’s a convenient way for busy people to squeeze in some language practice. TurkishClass101, Let’s Learn Turkish, and Turkishaholic are 3 options that have hundreds of episodes and will help you understand how to speak Turkish.

Commitment: Low
Price: Low
Convenience: High

TurkishClass101

TurkishClass101 is both an app and online platform that features thousands of podcast-style lessons. The lessons cover important language topics like vocabulary and grammar, and also include interesting cultural information and how it affects the language. There are tons of additional practice exercises and detailed lesson notes. There are lessons for absolute beginners all the way through advanced learners. You can try TurkishClass101 free for 7 days or read more about its parent company in this Innovative Language review.

Let’s Learn Turkish

Let’s Learn Turkish is a podcast to help beginners learn Turkish. Meltem is from Turkey and made the podcast to teach her Spanish partner the language. There are a wide variety of episodes. Some cover grammar topics and others focus on a dialogue or conversation. She also talks about her home country so you can learn about life in Turkey, as well. You can listen to all episodes of Let’s Learn Turkish for free on Spotify and a variety of other platforms.

Turkishaholic

The Turkishaholic podcast is hosted by Gokberk Talu, a Turkish language teacher. In the episodes, he explains different vocabulary and grammar concepts in English and teaches you how to say them correctly in Turkish. He also has an interesting “Learn Turkish Through Stories” series. You can listen to all of the episodes for free on Spotify and other platforms, and you also have the option to sign up for a Turkishaholic membership to receive additional learning material.

How to Learn Turkish: Final Thoughts

Hopefully this list has helped you find a useful study tool and motivated you to continue learning Turkish. It won’t happen overnight, but with a consistent study routine and by using the right resources, you’ll be conversing in Turkish in no time. Finding a study method that works well for you will make learning Turkish a breeze. Iyi şanslar!

Want to learn more? Check out our Turkish resource page.

How to Learn Turkish: FAQ