CLIENT CASE STUDIES

Listen & Learn: Hi Julie! Thanks for giving us some time to chat with you. Could you please tell us a little about yourself?
Julie: Hi! I’m a 44-year-old Director and Health Consultant. I started studying Turkish with Listen & Learn in October 2013, and am currently still busy with my course.

Listen & Learn: Why? What was your reason?
Julie: Well, I recently purchased a property in Turkey and have developed a circle of friends there. As I want to spend lots of time there (and perhaps eventually relocate), it would be extremely helpful and respectful to be able to communicate in daily life.

Listen & Learn: What are your goals?
Julie: I’d love to be able to converse when in Turkey and have a basic understanding for those day-to-day interactions like buying groceries, or going to a restaurant.

Listen & Learn: Why did you choose Listen & Learn?
Julie: I searched the Internet for Turkish lessons. As I have a very busy work and home life, I needed them to be flexible and was looking for an organisation that offered one-on-one home tuition – Listen & Learn provided that.

Listen & Learn: Was Listen & Learn helpful?
Julie: Yes - my tutor is Turkish and is familiar with teaching this as a second language to English people at three different levels. My level is basic and she is able to support my learning perfectly. She is friendly, warm and personable – also flexible. Her knowledge of Turkey (as she is a citizen) is also helpful. I have only had three of 12 lessons and so far I have really enjoyed it and am motivated to learn. Initially there were some difficulties in recruiting a tutor who could fit the criteria, however Listen & Learn communicated extremely effectively. They were also flexible concerning the payments for the course, which, although expensive, does reflect home study and travel for the respective tutor.

Listen & Learn: Would you recommend Listen & Learn?
Julie: Yes, absolutely! I have recently had to return to Turkey to undertake completion on my mortgage at a time when tourism is low (there aren’t many English speaking people there right now), and I had the perfect opportunity to try out things I have learned, such as basic greetings and conversation. This really helped my confidence.

Listen & Learn: And on a final note, what's your favourite saying in your new language?
Julie: My favourite sayings there have been “Merhaba” (Hello) “Nasılsın” (How are you) and “iyi akşamlar” (Have a good evening). Before my lessons I didn’t know this, didn’t have the confidence to say this, or understand how the language works from a grammatical perspective. The things I have learned with my tutor thus far also helped me to be able to read menus and signs in supermarkets. I have a long way to go, but I am motivated to continue.