The Intriguing Presence Of Cls Turkish In Azerbaijan

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a U.S. government-funded initiative that aims to increase the number of Americans who are studying and mastering critical foreign languages. The CLS Program offers summer study abroad opportunities for American college and university students to learn languages that are essential to America's engagement with the world. One of these languages is Turkish, which is offered as a course in Baku, Azerbaijan. This raises the question: why is Turkish considered a critical language in Azerbaijan?

The CLS Turkish Program in Baku

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Turkish Program in Baku, Azerbaijan, offers students an immersive and intensive learning experience. The program is designed for American undergraduate and graduate students interested in studying Turkish and exploring the culture and history of both Azerbaijan and Turkey.

During the 8-week program, students receive formal classroom language instruction for approximately four hours a day, five days a week. The curriculum is tailored to students' diverse language levels and backgrounds, catering to both beginners and advanced learners. The instruction focuses on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Turkish.

To enhance their language skills and cultural understanding, students are placed with host families in Baku. This arrangement allows students to experience Azerbaijani family life and practice their Turkish outside the classroom. Additionally, they are paired with language partners, often local university students, who provide conversational practice and insights into cultural norms and customs.

The CLS Turkish Program also includes cultural activities and excursions across Azerbaijan. Students visit local opera houses and museums, deepening their knowledge of the region's history and geography. These activities provide opportunities to use their target language in real-life contexts and interact with the local community.

The program is hosted by the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL), the premier pedagogical university in the country. AUL has three campuses and offers a range of academic programs to over 5,000 undergraduate and 300 graduate students.

Turkish TV's influence in Azerbaijan

Television in Azerbaijan was introduced in 1956 when the country was still part of the USSR. Today, there are 47 television channels in Azerbaijan, 4 of which are public, and 43 are private. Of these, 12 are national, and 31 are regional channels. TV is the most in-demand media in Azerbaijan, and many households have subscribed to satellite TV.

Turkish TVs are available in Azerbaijan through cable. The population of Azerbaijan has strong knowledge of the Turkish language, which is due in part to exposure to Turkish television. Turkish is also one of the languages taught to American students through the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program in Baku, Azerbaijan, which is hosted by the Azerbaijan University of Languages. The CLS Program covers approximately one academic year of university-level Turkish during an 8-week period. The program includes formal classroom language instruction for an average of 4 hours per day, 5 days a week, with a focus on developing students' reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Turkish. These formal instructions are supplemented with cultural activities and excursions across Azerbaijan, such as group trips to museums and the local opera, which are designed to expand students' understanding of both Azerbaijan's and Turkey's history, geography, and culture.

The importance of the Turkish language

The Turkish language is important for several reasons. Firstly, it is the 12th or 18th most spoken language globally, with around 75 million native speakers in Turkey and about 79 million speakers worldwide. It is the official language of Turkey and one of the official languages of Cyprus, with official status in several municipalities in Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Iraq. Turkish is also widely spoken in Western Europe, the Caucasus, and the Balkans, with large immigrant communities in Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece, and other parts of Europe.

Secondly, Turkey's strategic location spanning two continents, its fast-developing economy, and its growing influence make Turkish a valuable language for international business and politics. Turkey's connections to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, along with its pending membership in the European Union, enhance its global importance. Learning Turkish can lead to career opportunities in various fields, including government, business, law, cybersecurity, technology, finance, and hospitality.

Thirdly, Turkish has a rich history and is related to a family of thirty Turkic languages spoken in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Siberia. Studying Turkish provides a deeper understanding of Turkey's culture and history, including the Ottoman Empire, and facilitates the learning of other Turkic languages. Turkey is also of great interest to students of archaeology, with sites like Istanbul, Noah's Ark, Troy, and Çatal Höyük, the oldest known human settlement.

Additionally, Turkish is a phonetic language, making it easier to learn and pronounce. Its grammar is flexible, and it has interesting characteristics like agglutination, vowel harmony, and a subject-object-verb structure. Learning Turkish also provides access to Turkish literature, as translations into English are rare.

Lastly, Turkey has a thriving modern culture, with popular TV soap operas, a film industry, and a lively music scene that has influenced Western pop icons. Knowing Turkish allows engagement with Turkish locals and their unique customs and traditions.

The Critical Language Scholarship Program

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a U.S. Department of State initiative that aims to dramatically increase the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. The program is designed for U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students and offers intensive summer language institutes in 15 different languages. The CLS plays a crucial role in preparing American students for the globalized workforce of the 21st century, enhancing American competitiveness, and contributing to national security.

The CLS Program in Baku, Azerbaijan, focuses on providing students with the opportunity to learn Turkish or Azerbaijani through immersive language study. The program is hosted by the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL), the premier pedagogical university in the country. AUL has three campuses, eight schools, and a large student body, including over 5,000 undergraduate and 300 graduate students.

The CLS Turkish Program covers approximately one academic year of university-level Turkish during an 8-week period. The language instruction is tailored to students from various language levels and backgrounds, including advanced students and beginners. Formal classroom instruction focuses on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Turkish. This is supplemented by cultural activities and excursions, such as trips to local cultural institutions, to enhance students' understanding of Azerbaijan's and Turkey's history, geography, and culture.

The CLS Azerbaijani program offers instruction at the beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate, or advanced level. Similar to the Turkish program, it provides an immersive experience with formal classroom instruction and cultural activities. Students in both programs live with local host families, allowing them to experience daily life in Azerbaijan and practice their language skills outside the classroom.

The CLS Program's comprehensive approach to language learning and cultural immersion makes it a valuable opportunity for American students to develop critical language skills, gain cultural insights, and build lasting relationships with people in Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Turkish in Azerbaijan's daily life

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program in Baku, Azerbaijan, offers students the opportunity to learn Turkish through intensive language study in an immersive environment. The program covers approximately one academic year of university-level Turkish during an 8-week period. The language instruction is designed to meet the needs of students from a variety of language levels and backgrounds, including advanced students and those learning the language for the first time.

The CLS Program in Baku is hosted by the Azerbaijan University of Languages, the premier pedagogical university in Azerbaijan. Students live with host families, giving them the opportunity to experience daily life inside an Azerbaijani family and practice their language skills outside of class. Students also have regular one-on-one meetings with language partners, who are often local university students that offer insight into cultural norms and customs.

While Azerbaijani and Turkish are closely related, there are significant differences in phonology, lexicon, morphology, syntax, and sources of loanwords. Azerbaijani people can generally understand Turkish, but the reverse is not as common. Turkish television, literature, and other media are popular in Azerbaijan, and many Azerbaijanis can converse in Turkish. However, some Azerbaijanis find the incorporation of Turkish into daily language to be problematic, especially when Turkish words are used instead of Azerbaijani equivalents.

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