Previous language study is not required. Students at all levels of language ability are invited to apply.

Turkish Summer Program

The Turkish summer program offers students the opportunity to increase their Turkish language skills through intensive language classes and experiential learning opportunities. Classes focus on improving speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Turkish. Host family stays provide participants with valuable opportunities for Turkish conversation and insight into Turkish culture. Cultural activities complement the formal language classes and give participants a deeper understanding of Turkish history, society, and culture.

Program Location: Türkiye
Program Dates: Summer programs last six to seven weeks and typically start in mid to late-June and end in early to mid-August.
Accommodations: Host families or a combination of dormitory housing and host family stays

Good to know: Türkiye’s location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia creates a unique blend of Eastern and Western traditions and culture, apparent in the customs, dress, and language of the Turkish people. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is known and revered as the father of modern Türkiye. The name Atatürk means father of the Turks. Read more.

Fun fact! Many Turkish food terms have made their way into the English dictionary, including şiş kebap (shish kebab), and yoğurt (yogurt).

Turkish Academic Year Program

The Turkish academic year program provides intensive in-class language instruction (at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels) with classes focusing on improving speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Turkish. Host family stays provide participants with valuable opportunities for Turkish conversation and insight into Turkish culture. Volunteer service activities with community-focused organizations and cultural classes complement the formal language classes and give participants a deeper understanding of Turkish history, society, and culture. Local excursions to cultural and historic sites also provide students with diverse opportunities to practice their language skills.

Program Location: Türkiye
Program Dates: Late August or early September to May/June
Accommodations: Host families or a combination of dormitory housing and host family stays

Good to know: Turkish academic year participants will have the chance to celebrate Republic Day. This is the anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic, October 29, 1923. Many people in Türkiye celebrate Republic Day by attending performances and participating in traditional processions with flags and musical bands. The Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed Republic Day as Türkiye’s most important holiday.

Fun fact! Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents: Europe and Asia.

Why Turkish? “Spoken worldwide by over 70 million people, the Turkish language has a rich and varied heritage. Turkish is part of the family of Turkic languages, formed of 35 different languages, including Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Turkmen. There are some 170 million native speakers of Turkic languages across the globe, spanning from the Balkans, to as far away as China, where it is spoken by the Uyghur population. Turkish is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages and accounts for 40% of the world’s spoken Turkic languages. Some of the oldest records of written Turkish are found upon stone monuments in Central Asia as well as the Orhun Yenisey and Talas regions in Mongolia, which date back to 725, 732 and 735 AD.” Read more.

Pre- and Post-Program Expectations

All participants will be required to participate in pre-program language learning programs, as guided by their implementing organization. All participants will be required to complete a pre-program survey, pre-program language assessments (except for those with no prior target language exposure), and several post-program surveys and language tests.

Find more information on Türkiye on the U.S. Embassy site.

Explore multimedia stories about NSLI-Y Turkish summer and academic year programs on NSLI-Y Interactive.