I met 2-3 times with Hakan, who is Turkish, at CIES. We talked a lot about the TOEFL, which he is preparing to take for the 2nd or 3rd time. I definitely got the impression that many students are under great pressure to pass the TOEFL. Hakan spends most of his hours outside of class studying for one section or other of the TOEFL, including weekends. I have heard this from other students as well. The test itself seems very difficult. Hakan showed me the listening section, for example, and all that is required of the test taker. The more familiar I am with the test the more respect and sympathy I have for the students trying to pass it.
Hakan and I also talked a bit about Turkey, since I am interested in the country. He is Kurdish and didn't learn to speak Turkish until he was 12 years old. He also showed me photos (on his laptop) of some of his favorite places in Turkey, like Uzungöl. Uzungöl means "long lake" and is a beautiful resort destination. I hadn't known the word for lake in Turkish, so I gained some knowledge as well!
We also spent time talking about the independent writing section of the TOEFL, since he was working hard to prepare for that. We talked some about content and structure. You could tell he'd listened to American teachers and tutors about what kind of writing is expected in the TOEFL, but also that he came from a very different writing tradition and that it is a conscious effort to remember to write in the Western style. I really wish him well with his upcoming test!
That is so interesting! Did he have to learn Turkish in school? Have you asked him if you can get along Turkey and the other Kurdish areas knowing only their language? That would be very useful, since it takes up a large part of so many different countries...
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