Cultural Facts Language Preview Hear from our students Program Info
The Critical Languages Institute is a national training institute for less commonly taught languages, offering summer intensive courses and study-abroad programs around the world.
Every summer, CLI brings students from across the U.S. together to develop their linguistic and cultural competency rapidly and effectively through intensive immersion programs. Explore the tabs above to learn more about theTurkish course offerings at CLI.
Dive into the Language
Population:
Spoken by over 80,000,000 people
Vibrant Celebrations:
Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı): Paramount holiday in Turkish culture, honoring the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Ramaden Feast (Ramazan Bayramı or Şeker Bayramı): Marks the conclusion of Ramadan, the sacred month of fasting observed in Islam.
The Turkish alphabet has:
29 letters
21 consonants
8 vowels
Turkish Evil Eye
In Turkish culture, the "nazar" symbolizes protection against the evil eye, commonly seen in jewelry and decor. It carries deep cultural significance, exchanged during important occasions to reinforce shared beliefs and traditions, fostering unity and heritage.
Laid-back Atmosphere
Turkey's culture is generally laid-back, except for Istanbul, which is bustling like other major cities. Turks tend to do things slowly, enjoying long tea discussions. Adapting to this relaxed pace might take time, especially in Turkish businesses.
Savor the Flavors
Turkey and many other Middle Eastern countries emphasize eggplants, olives, and yogurt as staples in their diet, along with a focus on lamb, baklava, and boza.
Language Preview
"How are you?"
Nasılsın?
"Have a good day!"
İyi günler
"Good Morning"
Günaydın
Hear from our students
Location of Language
Turkish, a Turkic language, has shaped the cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, Central Asia, and the Balkans. The language is considered an official language in Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, and Turkey (blue); and a minority language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Iraq, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Romania (maroon and gold).
Program Information
Course Options
First-year Turkish provides beginners a solid introduction to Turkish grammar and conversation. Students who complete the course successfully will reach a proficiency of Novice High or Intermediate Low.
Dates: May 27 - July 11, 2025 (May 26, July 4 Holiday)
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Turkish, will be able to read and write effectively on familiar topics, and will have a solid foundation for further study or travel.
The program introduces Turkish culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Turkish and structured interactions with Turkish speakers.
First-year Turkish combines 4 hours a day of online classroom instruction as well as daily informal activities in Turkish led by facilitators representing Turkish-speaking communities from around the world.
Number of Credits: 8
Program Fee: $2,000
Apply Now
Students will solidify their command of Turkish and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates can interact in day-to-day life in Turkish comfortably and read texts on familiar topics with ease.
Dates: May 27 - July 11, 2025 (May 26, July 4 Holiday)
The program explores Turkish culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Turkish and structured interactions with Turkish speakers.
Second-year Turkish combines 4 hours a day of online classroom instruction as well daily informal activities in Turkish led by facilitators representing Turkish-speaking communities from around the world.
Number of Credits: 8
Program Fee: $2,000
Apply Now
Funding Options
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies. Eligible students apply for fellowships directly to an institution that has received an allocation of fellowships from the U.S. Department of Education.
The Melikian Center offers both academic year and summer-length FLAS Fellowships. The application for both Academic year and Summer 2025 FLAS Fellowships will close on January 31st, 2025.
The Summer 2025 Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) provides eligible students with a $3,500 stipend and $5,000 in tuition during the Summer 2025 semester for funding intermediate and/or intensive study of Albanian, Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS), Kazakh, Macedonian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Tatar, Turkish, Ukrainian, or Uzbek domestically or abroad.
Melikian Center Awards Program
Supported by the Melikian Center's endowment and by private donations, the Melikian Center Awards Program provides scholarships of up to $2,000 for superior applicants to study critical languages at CLI's domestic programs and up to $6,000 towards CLI's study abroad offerings.
This funding opportunity is open to all CLI applicants. High school, community college, and non-students are especially encouraged to apply.
An application for this funding is included in every CLI Language Program application.
Need-Based Fee Reduction
The Melikian Center offers up to a $1,000 reduction of the published CLI program fee for qualified Pell Grant eligible students and non-students with an annual family income of $50,000 or less. This $1,000 reduction applies to online, online plus study-abroad, or study-abroad programs. Please note that a limited number of fee reductions are available; not all students who apply will receive a need-based fee reduction.
To qualify for this funding opportunity, please indicate your Pell Grant eligibility on your general CLI program application.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
The State Department's Gilman Scholarship provides awards of up to $5,000 for students in financial need to study abroad, including in CLI overseas programs. Gilman applications require certification of the program by your institution's study-abroad office. If you apply for Gilman support, please contact cli@asu.edu for assistance in getting the required information to your institution.
Gilman summer study applications are accepted from August to October and January to March. Students interested in this opportunity should apply for the early competition, if possible, since applicants to the later competition will not learn their award status until after the deadline to commit to CLI study. Please contact cli@asu.edu for details on timing your Gilman application.
An external application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.
Title VIII Graduate Awards
The Department of State's Title VIII program funds graduate students with U.S. citizenship to study less commonly taught languages.
Students who apply for an online-only program may receive up to $5,500. Students who apply for an online program with a 4-week abroad extension may receive up to $10,500. Students who apply for an 8-week study abroad program through CLI may receive up to $10,500.
Past CLI Title VIII fellows can be awarded the fellowship up to two more times, for a maximum of up to 3 fellowship awards, as long as they maintain their graduate student eligibility.
