The following TurkishClass101 Review is up-to-date as of October 23rd, 2021. Please note that this review contains referral links — however, we only recommend products that we have personally used and think are worthwhile.
There are many great reasons for learning to speak Turkish including having Turkish friends and family, travel purposes, and business ventures. Did you know that almost 90 million people speak Turkish as a first or second language? The majority of these speakers live in Turkey and the surrounding areas.
If you’re looking for the top online program for learning this language, check out our unbiased review of TurkishClass101.
What is TurkishClass101?
TurkishClass101, by Innovative Language, is an online course to help students learn to speak Turkish. The course can be used as a supplement to in-person learning or as a stand-alone class. It is designed to help absolute beginners to intermediate speakers learn and hone their skills of speaking Turkish.
There are both audio and video lessons composed by native Turkish speakers. You will also find a wide array of reinforcement learning tools, the latest news, and cultural lessons included with this course. Additionally, TurkishClass101 offers:
- On-the-go learning with mobile or desktop app
- Three monthly subscription packages
- Quick lessons
- Flashcards, voice-recording and word banks
- Multiple-choice lesson quizzes
- Ongoing progress assessments
- One-on-one instruction (PremiumPLUS)
- Downloadable lessons and transcripts
What We Liked about TurkishClass101
Pro #1: Guided Learning Pathways
Unlike some competitors, TurkishClass101 offers a guided learning pathway that aligns with A1-A2 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) scale for language learning. As an absolute beginner or someone intent on becoming fluent in Turkish, this pathway is the most direct route to learning.
The absolute beginner Level 1 Turkish is extremely extensive with 50 lessons in the pathway including Introducing Yourself in Turkish, A Long, Hot Turkish Summer, and Meeting the Family in Turkey. After finishing the guided pathway, you can still study other pathways to increase your knowledge. It feels as if there is unlimited content in TurkishClass101.
Pro #2: Access to a Personal Instructor
This feature requires PremiumPLUS subscription, but we feel it’s worth a mention. Your instructor will make a personalized learning plan, grade assignments, offer ongoing progress reports, and be available to answer your questions. When you consider the costs involved in taking an actual Turkish class, this is an excellent deal. You can also be certain you are heading in the right direction with your learning.
What We Didn’t Like About TurkishClass101
Con #1: No Rewards System
We understand that the ultimate reward is being able to converse in Turkish, but there is no other type of motivation to keep us going with TurkishClass101. Some competitors have gamified their courses to encourage you to use it daily, but TurkishClass101 has no such system. As such, it may be difficult for those who lack motivation to keep going with the program.
Con #2: No Obvious Structure
The guided learning pathways do not feel structured in any particular order. It almost feels as if you are simply being asked to memorize phrases for certain situations. Because of this, we found it difficult to form our own sentences early on. Also, if you jump around to different pathways, it can be hard to retain information for the long term. We’d recommend completing one pathway prior to starting another. Some information may still remain elusive, however.
TurkishClass101—Who it’s For
Because most lessons are under 15 minutes, TurkishClass101 is easy to fit into any busy, working adult’s schedule. Since you can access the course almost anywhere, you can maximize the use of your time while waiting in school pick-up lines, commuting to work, or even during lunch.
Teens or adults who are already taking another course learning to speak Turkish will appreciate the additional content found with TurkishClass101. As a supplement, TurkishClass101 can help students get better scores on high-school or college exams.
Main Features of TurkishClass101
Dashboard
Your dashboard is where you will access everything TurkishClass101 has to offer including the latest Turkish news, updated vocabulary and phrase lists, and your lessons. You can also upgrade your monthly subscription package or change your expertise level here.
Pathways for Learning
Learning pathways are available on your dashboard, and you can choose from as many as you’d like. Each learning path offers a themed set of lessons to study. For example, the intermediate expertise level offers pathways including Must Know Turkish Slang and Extensive Reading in Turkish for Intermediate Learners, along with the Level 3 Turkish guided pathway. These pathways can be especially handy for those who only want to learn quick bits of Turkish for business or upcoming travel.
Lessons—Audio and Video
Both audio and video lessons generally last for about 15 minutes, unless you choose the Three-Minute lesson pathway. They are performed by one to three instructors who are native speakers. They are generally upbeat and try hard to keep the content interesting. Most often you will watch or listen to a conversation and you will be asked to repeat it. Phrases and words are spoken in regular-speed Turkish, slow-speed Turkish and in English.
At times, the lessons can feel like they are very slow. We don’t consider this a fault of the program as all material is new and relevant to life as we know it. It is more likely the dynamics of learning another language, and sometimes it moves slowly.
Lesson Notes and Transcripts
Your lesson notes are at the end of each lesson and contain important grammar and culture information. You will find out why certain words are used in particular times but not others as well as Turkish manners. You can download and print both the notes and transcripts for additional practice. We do recommend following along to the transcripts during audio lessons for better understanding.
Assignments and Quizzes
You will find multiple-choice quizzes sprinkled throughout the pathways to test your knowledge. These are available to Premium and PremiumPLUS subscribers. Additionally, PremiumPLUS subscribers will be given assignments throughout the learning pathways. These will be hand-graded by your personal instructor.
Learning and Reinforcement Tools
In order to enhance grammar and build on your vocabulary, a number of learning tools are available. You will find spaced-repetition flashcards featuring both English and Turkish words. Once you have determined what the card says, you will get the answer spoken in Turkish. Either mark it correct or incorrect so you can study more later.
There are also word and phrase lists that allow you to listen to the Turkish word being spoken. You can record your own pronunciation of the word and compare it to the instructor’s. Save words and phrases to your own customized word bank to review later.
Additionally, there is a Turkish dictionary in which you can enter the word in English or Turkish to find its equivalent. Not only will the dictionary pull up the word you requested but also other words with the same letter combinations.
TurkishClass101 Alternatives
Babbel vs. TurkishClass101
Babbel Turkish is also an online monthly subscription program for learning Turkish. The Babbel interface is somewhat game-like and easy-to-use, however the content is lacking in comparison to TurkishClass101. Most of the learning comes by participating in activities, rather than watching videos or listening to podcasts. You can listen to voice recordings and make your own for comparison purposes. However, these recordings can feel very robotic and not very realistic.
Duolingo vs. TurkishClass101
Duolingo Turkish is a free, game-like program that teaches you Turkish basics in a quiz-style lesson. You are rewarded when completing daily usage streaks and increasing your time on the program. Though Duolingo is fun and kept us motivated to keep going, it cannot be used solely to teach Turkish. It would serve better as a supplementary learning tool to a more advanced course.
How Much is TurkishClass101?
There are three subscription levels and a free lifetime account. The free account includes the first three lessons in each learning pathway. New lessons are frequently added. For additional lessons and more learning resources, choose one of the following plans.
Basic—$8/Month Check Price With Our Discount
The Basic plan includes unlimited access to the lesson library and all learning pathways. You are granted access on a desktop computer or mobile device with the app. All lessons and notes are downloadable, and you will also be able to access the top 100 core words in Turkish.
Premium—$25/Month Check Price With Our Discount
The Premium plan includes everything the Basic plan has, and further builds upon it with high-definition videos, ongoing multiple-choice quizzes, 2,000 core words and phrases, voice recordings, and flashcards. The best part is that you can try out this plan for free for seven days or for $1 for your first month.
PremiumPLUS—$47/Month Check Price With Our Discount
The PremiumPLUS plan allows for one-on-one instruction with your teacher. You will get a dedicated learning plan designed just for you, hand-graded assignments, and your questions answered when you have them. This is the recommended plan if you are using TurkishClass101 solely for learning to speak Turkish.
Final Thoughts on TurkishClass101
Overall, TurkishClass101 is a comprehensive program for beginning to low-intermediate students of Turkish. The price point is a bit higher than most of its competitors, but so is the amount of learning content. This is one of the few Turkish courses we could recommend for solely learning Turkish or as a supplement.
Michael has been an avid language learner and traveler for many years. His goal with LanguageTsar is to discover the most fun and effective ways to learn a language. He is currently learning Japanese, French and Indonesian.