Pack your bags — and your Turkish! Turkish: Language for Travel is a practical course that helps you speak with confidence on holiday or work trips. Over two consecutive Saturdays (10:30–13:00) at IH London, you’ll practise the phrases that matter through role-plays, guided conversations and real travel scenarios. 

You’ll leave with a “survival Turkish” toolkit: high-frequency vocabulary, clearer pronunciation, and easy strategies to keep talking even when you can’t remember the exact word. 

Why study Turkish at IH London? 

Turkish is a fascinating bridge between East and West, spoken by over 80 million people globally. Whether you are drawn to the bustling bazaars of Istanbul, the turquoise coasts of the Aegean, or the growing influence of Türkiye in international business, learning Turkish opens doors to a rich cultural heritage and a unique linguistic landscape. 

At International House London, we bring the vibrancy of Türkiye into the classroom. You’ll learn with expert teachers through dynamic, interactive lessons designed to help you master the language’s logic, like its rhythmic vowel harmony, and build real-world communication skills quickly and naturally. 

What’s included in your course? 

• Lesson summaries, notes and learning resources  

• Additional self-study materials  

• Ongoing support from experienced teachers  

• Access to exclusive IH London student workshops and events 

This course is ideal for learners who want practical Turkish for travel, including: 

• students who have studied very little Turkish but want to use it more confidently 

• beginners who want a focused, “holiday Turkish” boost 

• learners who can understand basic Turkish but hesitate when speaking 

• anyone travelling to Türkiye who wants useful language for real situations 

If you’re unsure about your level, we can help you choose the best option. 

By the end of this course, you will be able to: 

Communicate confidently in common travel situations 

You’ll practise Turkish for real-life travel scenarios, such as: 

• Greetings and etiquette: Mastering the essential “Hoş geldiniz” (Welcome) and polite social formulas that are central to Turkish life. 

• Checking in/out: Handling hotel arrivals, boutique stays, and making specific requests. 

• Dining and “Afiyet Olsun”: Ordering in cafés, lokantas, and restaurants (dietary needs, asking for the bill, and understanding Turkish tea/coffee culture). 

• Navigation: Asking for and understanding directions, as well as navigating transport like the vapur (ferry) or dolmuş (mini bus). 

• Shopping and Bartering: Making enquiries and navigating markets or bazaars (prices, sizes, and basic negotiation). 

Speak more clearly and naturally 

You’ll also build speaking confidence through: 

• Survival Turkish: Learning high-frequency vocabulary and the most useful “agglutinative” suffixes to build sentences fast. 

• Communication strategies: Learning how to rephrase or ask for clarification when you’re stuck. 

• Pronunciation support: Mastering unique Turkish sounds (like ç, ş, ğ, and the undotted ı) and the rhythmic “vowel harmony” that makes the language flow. 

• Interactive tasks: Role-plays and speaking drills designed to help you respond instinctively in a conversation. 

Explore Turkish-speaking cultures 

Alongside the language, you’ll build cultural confidence through: 

• Social Etiquette: Understanding the nuances of Turkish hospitality and when to use formal vs. informal addresses. 

• Service Interactions: Navigating the friendly, often conversational style of Turkish shopkeepers and servers. 

• Practical Travel Tips: Insider advice for visiting Istanbul, the Turquoise Coast, Cappadocia, and beyond. 

Course materials: All course materials are shared via SharePoint. You will receive the access link in your welcome email, which is sent 24 hours before the course starts.

Do I need previous knowledge of Turkish? Some basic Turkish is helpful, but the course is designed to support learners who want practical travel language and lots of guided speaking practice. 

Is Turkish a difficult language to learn? Turkish is surprisingly logical! Unlike many European languages, it is 100% phonetic (you pronounce it exactly as it’s spelled) and has no grammatical genders (no “masculine” or “feminine” words). While the sentence structure is different from English, its consistency means that once you learn a rule, it almost always applies. 

What alphabet does Turkish use? Turkish uses the Latin alphabet, just like English. There are a few extra characters with accents (like ç, ş, ğ, ö, ü, and ı) to represent specific sounds, but you won’t have to learn a whole new script like Arabic or Cyrillic. 

What is “agglutination” and will I learn it? Agglutination is just a fancy way of saying Turkish builds words by adding “blocks” (suffixes) to a root. For example, one word can express a whole sentence. In this course, we break this down into simple, manageable steps so you can start “building” your own sentences from the very first lesson. 

When is the course and how long is each class? The course runs on two consecutive Saturdays, 10:00–13:00, at IH London. 

Is this course face-to-face or online? This is a face-to-face course taught at our school in London. 

What level is the course? This course is best for beginners and near-beginners who want practical Turkish for travel. If you’re unsure, we can advise you on the best option. 

Will there be lots of speaking practice? Yes. The course is highly practical and includes guided speaking tasks, role-plays and realistic travel scenarios to help you build confidence quickly. 

What should I bring to class? Just a notebook and something to write with. Your teacher will provide materials, and digital resources are shared via SharePoint. 

Where will the class take place? Classes take place at IH London – 16 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LQ. You’ll receive full details in your welcome email. 

What if I miss a Saturday? Because this is a short course, it’s best to attend both sessions. If you miss a class, we’ll share key materials via SharePoint, but we can’t replicate the in-class speaking practice. 

Can I continue studying after this course? Yes ! Your teacher can recommend the best next step, such as a general Turkish course or a level-based programme at IH London. 

How will I receive the course materials? All course materials are shared via SharePoint, with access provided in your welcome email 24 hours before the course starts.  

Is there a coursebook? No fixed coursebook is required — your teacher will provide targeted materials and resources for the course.

Turkish Level 1 is a Beginners course for students who have never studied the Turkish language before.

Our Turkish language classes take place at our school in Covent Garden with a qualified, experienced teacher and fellow students. Evening language classes at IH London are dynamic and interactive as the emphasis is on spoken communication, which is achieved through lots of group work and role-plays. At the same time, there is systematic work on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, so that you can improve on all aspects of the language. Your teacher speaks in the target language throughout, so that you can refine your comprehension and listening skills. 

Course Content

Communicative Aims

• Greetings
• Introduce yourself
• Ask and give personal information (nationality, profession, marital status…etc)
• Describe places
• Buying items and asking basic questions (price)
• Ordering food
• The parts of the body

Linguistic Aims

• Spelling
• Using stative verbs – iyiyim (I am fine), yorgunum (I am tired)
• Present tense
• The sentence structure (S+O+V)
• Possessive pronouns – ben, benim (I, my)
• Basic use of WH- questions – Ne? Ne zaman? Nasil? Nerede?
• Common verb-noun collocations – yemek yapmak, kahvaltı yapmak
• Vocabulary:
  • The alphabet
  • Numbers (0-1000)
  • Days of the week
  • Nationalities
  • Countries
  • Possessions
  • Months
  • The seasons
  • Describing adjectives

Socio-cultural Aspects

• Background of the Turkish language
• Important Turkish public holidays
• Pop culture in Turkey
• Common Turkish pet phrases

Coursebooks

Yedi Iklim Türkçe – A1

Istanbul Yabancılar icin Türkçe – A1

(Teachers base classes on these coursebooks however students do not need to purchase them.)

This language course includes:

• Access to our online platform to download lesson summaries, notes and resources
• Support and advice from Turkish language teachers
• Turkish language study tips 

Why not try out a sample beginners Turkish lesson before signing up to a full course? These one-off sessions are aimed at students who have never studied the Turkish language before.

Sample Lesson Plan

• Greeting people
• Introducing yourself and someone else
• Asking and giving personal details (name, nationalities, profession, age, phone number, date of birth)