Resources for Learning Kurdish in Istanbul

Maybe you’re thinking of traveling to eastern Turkey. Perhaps you want to get on better terms socially with Kurdish-speaking friends. Or maybe you just want to get to know one of the other major cultures of Anatolia. Whatever your motivations, there are an increasing number of resources available for learning Kurmanji, the dialect of Kurdish most widely spoken in Turkey.

Learn

ENSTÎTUYA KURDÎ YA STENBOLÊ (Kurdish Institute of Istanbul)

Founded in the early 1990s, Kurdish Institute of Istanbul’s mission is to promote Kurdish language and culture. The Institute offers Kurdish courses to both non-natives who are learning from scratch and Kurdish speakers who want to improve their reading and writing skills.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

We know that foreigners living in Turkey who want to learn Kurdish think that they need to speak Turkish in order to attend Kurdish courses. However, Turkish is not a prerequisite to learn Kurdish at the Institute. We are planning to have a special Kurmancî class which will be given by a multilingual (Kurdish, English, Turkish, etc.) teacher. If you are a foreigner in Turkey and hesitate to come to our institute because you think that being proficient in Turkish is required to participate in a Kurdish course in Turkey, don’t hesitate to come start learning Kurdish.

For more information about the Institute, check out their website. For more information about the classes on offer, click here.

Dersa Kurdi

Dersa Kurdi is a series of fun, well-produced lessons available for free on YouTube. Hosted by Kurdish instructors Azad, Bawer and Rojda, the lessons give learners the basics in small, learnable chunks with lots of context and visual aids. Clearly, Dersa Kurdi is aimed at heritage speakers as they often correct common errors made by native speakers who have poor grammar. Learning through Dersa Kurdi will mean putting up with hints of Kurdish nationalism but the occasional moments of flag-waving and fist-pumping are not too distracting.

Look it up!

Glosbe.com is a reliable and easy-to-use online Kurdish-English dictionary. The lexicon includes not just single words but also common phrases and expressions.

Read

Medya Kitabevi

Medya Kitabevei and its founder Selahattin Bulut were featured recently in an article from al-Jazeera proclaiming the store to be Europe’s largest supplier of Kurdish literature.

Rudaw

Rudaw is a news network reporting on issues concerning Kurds throughout the region. Their content is available digitally, in print on a weekly basis, as well as radio and television broadcasts. The network delivers content in Kurdish, Turkish, English and Arabic.

Listen

SBS Kurdi

SBS is an Australian broadcasting network offering podcasts in a variety of languages. Their Kurdish podcasts include informational content as well as interviews. New podcasts are released very frequently and are available through both SBS’ website and iTunes.

Kurdish Music on YouTube

Most websites featuring Kurdish music do not work properly. However, their owners often have YouTube channels with long and varied playlists. Two that are worth checking out include:

Awaz Muzik

Kurdi Muzik

Again, these are the names of YouTube channels. The websites do not appear to be functioning.  Also, be on alert for the occasional nationalistic music video.

Watch

The website sinemayakurdi.com features information on the latest developments in Kurdish cinema, although understanding the content requires you to know either Kurdish or Turkish.

Think

İki Dil Bir Bavul (On the Way to School) is a 2008 film documenting the experience of primary school teacher Emre Aydın as he tries to teach Kurdish school children in a remote village. The film relates the frustration and alienation of Emre, who hails from modernized Western Turkey, as communication difficulties undermine the educational experience of his students.

Do you have any other resources for learning Kurdish? If so, share in the comments!

Dayla Rogers is a contributor to Yabangee