When you use the word “structures,” I’m assuming you mean the dimensions of language that Crystal Din notes, like grammar, syntax, morphology, phonology, semantics, etc. If these are all common dimensions of language, then they should be present in Turkish. Currently, I’m working on understanding some basic grammar and sentence structures, which pulls in aspects of grammar and syntax. I’m also expanding my vocabulary, which involves phonetics and semantics. Focusing on one particular aspect of learning a language will only lead to an incomplete understanding. If you only study grammar, you lose the opportunity to learn and understand cultural nuances, slang, and “every-day” speech. If you only study vocabulary or memorize words, you miss out on practicing using new grammatical structures and increasing speech fluidity.
I think I’m most excited for phonetics. I took a phonetics class while I was abroad in France, and it helped me immensely with my speaking. I love figuring out how to pronounce words in a new language. Being proficient with the phonetics rules in another language is one of the most rewarding things for me. Beyond concentrating on good phonetics and pronunciation, I also enjoy learning grammar rules. Most people don’t actively enjoy studying grammar, but I try to keep in mind that learning the grammar rules will make a better, more proficient speaker in the language. I think understanding meaning will be the most challenging for me. In my admittedly very limited experience with Turkish, the same word can have several different meanings, or the way I think something should be structured is not, in fact, how Turkish people actually speak. Learning and adapting to the cultural nuances will be a challenge, but I’m excited for it.
Replies