Getting by in Turkish: A Quick Beginners' Course in Spoken Turkish for Tourists and Businesspeople [Audio Cassette]

Getting by Series (Author), Bengisu Rona (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Turkish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; Book and Cassette edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812084543
• ISBN-13: 978-0812084542
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,120,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent practical intro, December 12, 2004

By 

J. E. S. Leake "sailor and scholar" (Offshore, Persian Gulf) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting by in Turkish: A Quick Beginners' Course in Spoken Turkish for Tourists and Businesspeople (Paperback)

Oh, this is great! This was a BBC Radio 4 micro-course, based on six radio programmes, done by Rona Bengisu, who teaches Turkish at London University's School of African and Oriental Studies (the UK's main centre of such study). She also did "Turkish in 3 Months", which was the best Turkish course around.

Why is this so good? Well, unlike most courses, it had the BBC in charge, so the recording quality is second to none - it is actually broadcast quality. Secondly, because it is designed as a radio course, the book is there as a help, not as the prime material, so you work always from the tape to the book (and indeed you don't even absolutely need the book). So you encounter words as sounds, not writing, and there's lots of repetition, but not enough to be boring. And finally Bengi is such a good teacher (judging by her courses!).

This used to be called "Get by in Turkish" in the UK. The BBC has a new "Get By In" series, and they're not worth the money - they're glorified phrasebooks, and hard to use ones at that. Get these older micro-courses instead under the "Getting By In" banner. They're great.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-Track Turkish, September 1, 2005

By 

Heidi Attwood "heidifromoz" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting by in Turkish: A Quick Beginners' Course in Spoken Turkish for Tourists and Businesspeople (Paperback)

Intro
Foreign languages have always been a part of my life and I find it intensely stimuating to take on a new challenge in this field. A few months ago I decided to have a go at Turkish, but was unable to find a professional teacher in Perth. Undaunted, I purchased a couple of language packages from amazon.com, one of which was Getting by in Turkish.

The Getting By series, produced by or in collaboration with the BBC, covers a range of languages, from Arabic through to Russian and Hebrew. Having been very impressed with the Greek course (reviewed earlier on Epinions) I decided that the Turkish version would be an invaluable starting point.

Once again, the BBC have delivered the goods. Read on.

Layout, Structure, Learning Progression
The book is divided into sections: General Intro (Map of Turkey, about the country, about the book, pronunciation), followed by six units: ordering drinks, shopping, visiting sites, travelling, meeting people. Then there is a test to see if you can 'get by'. A small reference section follows covering basic grammar, public signs, answers to exercises and tests, and two word lists in both languages.

The first lesson (Ordering Drinks) sets out twelve small conversations, preceded by some key words and phrases (unlike those courses which give vocab only after a passage or conversation; a more comprehensive vocabulary list is provided at the end of each dialogue.

A section called "Explanations" follows in which grammar points are itemised and clarified. Then there is the interesting "Worth Knowing" component; because Unit 1 deals with drinks, info is given re bars and cafes, tea-houses and the role they play in Turkish/Middle Eastern society.

Exercises follow which test the learner on the material given in the unit, and correct answers can be checked at the end of the book.

A great little memory aide is the writing-out of the page numbers next to the numerical equivalents. Numbers in a foreign language are sometimes very hard to master, especially in calculations and exchanges of money. Here, you can pick up this very easy numbering system just by turning the pages.

A few sketches are sprinkled among the lessons, and while they don't actually assist the learning process, they do add a little ethnic `colour' by enlivening the printed page. In the same way, the music which is played from time to time adds some Turkish ambience.

Thus the learner is progressively guided through the different aspects of Turkish language, while gaining insight into the life and culture of the country and its people.

To my mind, the audio component is perhaps the most impressive. Learners are prompted to respond in given situations (greeting someone, ordering in a cafe) thereby becoming familiar with everyday speech; by the end of the first lesson, they will be delighted at how easily they can communicate, albeit with a limited vocabulary.

A good feature of the Getting By series is being able to progress without having to constantly rewind the tape. How many times have you come across teach-yourself courses where they ask you to set the counter on your tape recorder, and then every second step of the way instruct you to wind the tape back to an earlier point in the lesson. This invariably slows the momentum and wastes time. Getting By avoids this irritating aspect (although of course you can rewind as often as necessary) so that the learning process goes smoothly.

Conclusion
To my mind, the spoken word is paramount - it's pointless being able to read and write in a foreign language if you can't communicate verbally. That is why these little courses are so good: by playing the tapes in the car, during housework, while walking, or just sitting in an armchair listening, you will gain confidence through aural and oral practice.

And in no time at all, you will have learnt the basics and be ready to try them out in real-life situations...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great way to start learning Turkish, May 14, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Getting by in Turkish: A Quick Beginners' Course in Spoken Turkish for Tourists and Businesspeople (Audio Cassette)

I bought this book/cassette to learn a few words and phrases before going on vacation in Turkey. I'm not trying or expecting to actually learn Turkish, just to be able to know a few polite words, and be able to order lunch in a cafe. So my high rating reflects this goal.
This book and cassette are really easy to use. What I particularly like is that you can listen to the cassette when walking, for example, and the explanations and translations are included so you can understand what is going on without constantly referring to the little book (unlike some other lessons I've tried, where you really cannot follow the tape unless you are reading along in the book).
It was clearly put together by a real teacher -- it helps you learn step by step, and repeats things, and leaves long enough pauses for you to repeat.
I wish there were a sequel, because I'm ready to learn a little more...