The success of Dutch language training in Turkish.

Seyda Turgut (42) is a passionate language trainer. Together with STE Languages, she has set up a unique project: teaching Dutch to Turkish people who do not speak English. How did that come about? What are the results and why is this so important? High time for a good conversation.

Seyda, can you tell us something about your background? How did you become a language trainer?

“I have a thing about language and integration. I have been giving language training for over sixteen years. I like to help people integrate into the Netherlands. That is my passion. Many different people come to the Netherlands. They all have their own story and personal challenges, but learning the language is important for everyone. It is great to be able to contribute to that.”

Why is it so important to learn the language?

“When you move to the Netherlands, the language is key to your new life. I speak to so many promising people who don’t get any further, simply because they don’t speak Dutch. Recently, a pediatrician, who had a flourishing career in Turkey, moved for her partner’s work, but has not managed to find a job here. She is already at B2 level, which means that she speaks Dutch quite well, but it still doesn’t work for her. That’s a shame, both for her and for society.”

You set up a project for STE to do something about that, specifically for people who only speak Turkish. How did that come about?

“My grandfather came to the Netherlands as a guest worker and my father came here when he was twelve. It was difficult for them to learn the language, but of course not for me: I grew up here and Dutch came naturally for me. I have an affinity with Turkish and even completed a teacher training course in Turkish at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. That foundation came in very handy for this project.”

Why? Can you explain that?

“I am an official language teacher in both Dutch and Turkish. I am also an examiner for integration. That combination is ideal for the project’s target group. For example, they have difficulty with grammar and that is exactly where I can help them.”

How do you do that?

“This course is aimed at people who want to learn Dutch in their own mother tongue, Turkish. In order to learn Dutch words and expressions, they translate them in their head to a similar meaning in Turkish. They often call that ‘coding’ themselves and that goes beyond the literal meaning: you also have to understand what is meant. My bilingualism helps me to make the right connections.”

I can imagine that it is very motivating when a student makes the right connection. Is that true?

“Certainly! I see the results after a few weeks. Then I make a joke, they think for a moment and start laughing. Then I know, yes, now the penny has dropped. That is wonderful, because people can then follow a story and interact better. With language you build bridges between cultures.”

What were the project’s final results?

“We began with eight students who had little experience with Dutch, apart from experimenting with the Duolingo app or watching teachers’ online videos. Little intensive self-study, so there was a considerable challenge for all students. Some had a more natural talent for it than others, but they all improved their language level - the group started at level 0 (zero) and achieved a final level of A1.

This project confirms that multilingualism in NT2 lessons works very well, which is also reinforced by research. The ultimate goal is that they will soon move on to regular language training where the lessons are wholly in Dutch. So, the goal is actually to make myself redundant, and I am happy to work towards that!”

What was it like to set up a project like this with STE Languages?

“I am glad that I ended up at STE. I feel very much at home here. It’s fun to get to know all these different cultures, and of course it’s wonderful that STE offers space for this sort of project. They are open to ideas and are happy to contribute their own ideas. I notice that they also find this important. You can see that in their involvement in the Expat Centre’s and Expat Spouses Initiative’s activities. They want to help students build their lives here as best as possible, and that is exactly how I feel about it.”

Author: Joris van Dierendonck