I've learned english at school,and also when I travelled several times in UK.
I speak also a correct spanish ( school and travels in spanish speaking countries)
And of course I speak french because I grew up in France, and turkish because I am a Turk.
The language I know the best is not turkish, in fact it's french ( yes I know that can seem to be a little weird )
I've noticed that some of you have a perfect english ( especially Anlarm,Ipek,Bird, BosphorousBabe , Earthling...)
Many people who live abroad, as me, can speak even better a foreign language than their original language...
2007-07-25 13:58:47 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Turkey
Good to hear that there are people with a better command of English than me :) People keep telling me that my English is almost perfect, but it is far from that.
I started learning English from songs on the radio and from British military families in Cyprus in mid 1950s. Just a few words and a few basic sentences. Then formal learning began in the last two years of primary school and went on till the end of lycée 2. I spent the last year of school in Wisconsin USA as an AFS exchange student. Oh my God! Did I have a shock! That mid-west American accent was so different from the BBC English that I had learnt till then. I became very fluent in American English in that one year. Then I went to Ankara and studied English literature at DTCF. I loved every minute of it. The wonderful language of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth and others. It took me some time and hard work but I switched back to British accent. In October 1976 I became an EFL teacher here in Cyprus, which did not do much good to my English as I was teaching the simple things. In 1979 and 1995 I attented two summer schools organised by the British Council. The first one was in Manchester and the second one in Cambrigde. It was a great experience talking to those 'experts' of the language in England. 1994 till today I have been attending bi-communal (Turkish/Greek) peace workshops/activities mostly organized by Americans. Since most of the participants of these activities were educated in USA, my accent kept bouncing between the British and American. I believe now I have a non-accent English that I can call my own :) lol
Sometimes I hate it when people/friends just ask me to give instant translations of words, phrases, sentences. They see me as a walking dictionary, which I am not. I estimate I know around 60,000 words in English (active and passive vocab.) out of 1,000,000 words.
I feel bad if I make a mistake in writing. In speaking even native speakers make mistakes. One other thing that bothers me is that my daughter can understand what they say in those rap songs but I cannot.
I took French once but maintnant j'oublier tout ma Français. (did I write it correctly?)
2007-07-26 00:30:53 · answer #1 · answered by anlarm 5 · 12⤊ 1⤋
I learnt English at school in Turkey. I'm an English teacher (studied English teaching at university) and also researcher/student in linguistics. My research interest is how English and Turkish differ syntactically, and how these differences help/hinder learning a language. So, you see I'm very interested in languages, and I do a lot of reading and writing in English. In fact, I have to read and write in English more than I do in Turkish.
My Turkish is, not surprisingly, better than my English because it's my mother language, but sometimes I feel that my Turkish is also influenced by English. I even made a small-scale study which was about how Turks with English as a second language tend to use Turkish in a different way from Turks who don't know any other language.
2007-07-26 03:06:56 · answer #2 · answered by Earthling 7 · 10⤊ 1⤋
I don't know If this question is for me but, It is in the Turkey section and I'm a Turkish so I'm answering. I have learnt English In the UK, Where I grow up (Have a baccalaureate degree in Language too). But I don't think I speak it better than Turkish...
Ps: Also good to know I'm not the only one who is up at this time of the evening =)
To Bosphorus Turkey:
I have thought the same thing about Americans for many times. =)
2007-07-25 22:32:18 · answer #3 · answered by . 3 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Thank you for your comment for my English allthough I know it is not perfect but we may say "above the avarage".
The reason why is that firstly I am an Anadolu Lise graduate and I was one of the lucky ones with amazing teachers.
Though I didn't take any English classes in University- Faculty of Communications - Journalism and PR- it helped me to improve my Turkish using skills. In my opinion, it is a must to learn and speak a foreign language.
I was making screen translitions for the films in TRT during University and it was also an amazing help to improve my English.
After school, I worked as the International Relations Manager for a company for 9-10 years and my duty was -well- communicating with foreign colliques all over the word.
I can understand mostly any dialect or accent but I am very proud of understanding and even being able to communicate with Indians in English. My friends who had such an experience will understand my point :)
I have been living in Kuwait for the last 3 years and since I can't communicate well with my very poor Arabic, the daily language is English both at home and outside.
Actually I don't have any problems switching back and forth between languages and sometimes I feel more comfortable speaking English. Especially after months of not speaking Turkish except a few minutes a day with family and friends, I have a hard time talking to the flight attendants on the way back to Turkey :)
Why I speak with a heavy American accent may stay as a mistery :)
Last Minute Add : Sorry for the spelling mistakes. Our " hikmetinden sual olunmaz" Spell Check button is not working again ......
2007-07-26 12:14:45 · answer #4 · answered by Ipek K 7 · 12⤊ 3⤋
I was born and raised in America, with a Turkish father and an American mother. So, of course my English is going to be better than my Turkish! :-)
I think the reason why these people you mentioned are very good at it is because:
They practiced very hard to get to where they are today OR
They are better at writing/reading in English, but their speaking and listening may not be as good.
I have the same problem with my French. I'm really good with speaking/reading/writing, but somehow I'm horrible with listening to what they are trying to say. I think everybody has their weakness'/strengths when it comes to a language.
2007-07-26 04:57:14 · answer #5 · answered by Qu'est ce que tu penses? 6 · 9⤊ 1⤋
Born and grown up in Turkey
I can speak English and German (very basic).
Neither of my English or Turkish is fluent(but Turkish is better).
1-I learned English at high school (Anadolu Lisesi),
2- at work (i have to speak,write English everyday),
3-Have a foreign girlfriend and she cannot speak Turkish (not very much)
2007-07-26 02:34:57 · answer #6 · answered by Leprechaun 6 · 8⤊ 0⤋
I have lived abroad for three years and during that time i attended a British school, even though i didn't stay in Britain.
but of course my Turkish is better than my English
2007-07-26 04:32:56 · answer #7 · answered by єуℓüℓ 4 · 8⤊ 2⤋
I spent only 5 years of my life in Turkey. So my turkish can be worse than my english and my russian
2007-07-26 06:27:57 · answer #8 · answered by hello 2 · 10⤊ 0⤋
I was brought up in Istanbul, until I was 16, went to ISTEK Vakfı (baÄlarbaÅı belde, atanur oÄuz, acıbadem) up until I moved to Minnesota, US. After spending 10 years at states(hs and University), moved back home to Turkey...
I am in awe of those fellow countrymen here who has perfect control over the Anglo language...
Salute..
2007-07-26 06:51:45 · answer #9 · answered by 1-2m 2 · 9⤊ 0⤋
Hi Fatih,
University Time and English Course 4 years (Saturday and Sunday when I was working in my job - Turkiye) and I went to Bell Schools in Bath - England ...
and I agree with our friends are really speaking English very good ...
I am still learning ...
Regards
2007-07-26 06:07:53 · answer #10 · answered by Tanju 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋