In this paper, I discuss the value of teaching Turkish culture discretely either in the target language or in English within an interdisciplinary framework, which is largely missing in the US higher education. For language learners, this could highly contribute to their comprehension of the culture that feeds its language, and motivate them to appreciate the true value of learning about that culture at a deeper level. Non-language learners could also benefit from being introduced to the basics of a different value system through an interdisciplinary approach regardless of their interest in learning the language itself. Through class observations, surveys and conversations with my students, I argue that teaching Turkish culture from a holistic perspective by covering history, religion, literature, media, cinema, art, etc. in a single course should be an essential component of a language program. Given that few courses solely on Turkey are offered at the university level despite Turkey’s growing visibility in world affairs, such an interdisciplinary course introducing the basic elements in Turkish culture is deemed more essential than ever. This study is expected to complement language teaching literature by encouraging to incorporate culture into it as individual instruction using some novel strategies based on experimental experiences. It will also offer a comprehensive approach to developing a Turkish Language program with solid cultural foundations.

The field of Turkish Studies in the US has become increasingly constrained, and usually the only way to expose undergraduates to Turkish literature and culture is to take advantage of interdisciplinary opportunities. The presenter teaches in a program that has three and sometimes four levels of Turkish language instruction. In our language classes, depending upon the level, we use literature in Turkish and always address cultural themes in a variety of ways. This presentation will describe and exhibit some specific examples of types of materials: short stories, poetry, children’s books, interviews, novels and films and how they have been used at various levels to promote language learning that enhances cultural awareness. This section aims to inspire other teachers of Turkish, Turkic, or any other language to be bold and thoughtful in their use of original materials. There have also been a few precious teaching opportunities, such as a team-taught course in Middle Eastern Literature in Translation and a first-year seminar in Languages and Linguistics, where a broader range of undergraduates can be reached in English. In American universities, interest in Turkish literature has strengthened since Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006, after suffering backlash and a lawsuit in Turkey for his statements about Kurds and Armenians. His works, widely available in English, obviously do not cover the full richness of Turkish literature and culture. This presentation will address techniques that have proven useful in the selection and use of Turkish fiction for these diverse classes taught in English, as well as evaluate several years of results from these classes. This section aims to promote more consideration of courses in Middle Eastern Literature in translation, one of the only places to reach a wider audience for Turkish literature and culture. Aside from using literature to teach Turkish culture, ethnographic materials about Turkish Culture available in Turkish and English can be used to shed light on the diversity and dynamism of Turkish culture. These materials include full-length academic ethnographies and journal articles, material culture, and shorter forms such as tweets, memes, and blogs. Especially since the advent of the internet, there is certainly no lack of easily-accessible primary material to use to discuss Turkish culture. What is needed is thoughtful consideration of the appropriate level of language difficulty for the intended students and strategies for scaffolding the primary materials to enhance learning goals.

Teaching Turkish Literature and Popular Music This presentation explores the use of Turkish literature and popular music in American universities to introduce students to the themes and questions needed for an introductory understanding of modern Turkey. Building on experiences teaching Turkish literature in translation at a public university in California, this paper will argue that teaching literary works, organized chronologically or thematically, makes it possible to acclimate students to Turkey’s historical, social, and political contexts. Similarly, the inclusion of materials in non-textual media such as music (in genres ranging from Turkish classical music and folk to contemporary rock and hip-hop) provides an opportunity to learn and interact with unfamiliar contexts in a more experiential manner. At a moment when Turkish music (from 1960s psychedelic rock to contemporary hip-hop) is more familiar to young people in North America than in previous periods, music provides a pedagogical opening for the American classroom. This presentation will also discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the frame of a national canon (“Turkish Literature” or “Turkish Music”). While this approach gives students unfamiliar with Turkey an opportunity to understand the major texts and contexts, the inclusion of non-canonical works (especially by minority writers or those writing/performing in Turkey but not in Turkish) also makes it possible to put pressure on the nation as an organizing frame.