'I can...' statements: Resource 4: Turkish

Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program

The Polyglots: Turkish

Information for primary school educators

ELLA is a fun, digital, play-based language learning program for children in preschool. The aim is for children to recognise the different sounds and concepts of a language other than English through the introduction of words, sentences and songs in age-appropriate experiences and practices. Early experience in language learning is an important platform for encouraging language learning in the later years of education.

Preschools involved in this project have chosen one of the available languages to incorporate into their educational program. The ELLA apps are designed to provide children with early language learning experiences and are aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Australian Curriculum (Foundation to Year 2).

The ELLA apps

The ELLA apps are designed to be engaging and educational.
The design and development of the ELLA apps was guided by experts in languages, early childhood and technology.
Children play together as they explore the apps, sharing ideas and helping each other.
Learning experiences within apps are play-based and draw on the interests and activities of young children; for example, a sandpit, cooking experiences, art activities, building and role-play.
Educators and children learn together – an effective and collaborative learning method.

What are the benefits for children of participating in ELLA?

There are many benefits to learning another language in the ELLA program.

Children expand their knowledge of how language works and apply these skills to other literacy tasks such as listening carefully to sounds in words. These skills will be used when children learn to read and write.
Language learning increases memory, concentration and critical thinking skills.
Children use social skills when they play with the apps. They share the tablets and their knowledge, and they interact and help each other.
The apps provide opportunities for children to increase their digital skills.
The apps create opportunities to celebrate culture and diversity, to share home languages, and to strengthen links between families and the preschool.
The skills and understandings developed through ELLA can be extended in children’s language learning experiences at school, whether this be continuing with the same language or transferring to a new language.

The ELLA program is funded by the Australian Government and managed by Education Services Australia.

Want to find out more? Visit the ELLA website

Key Turkish language included in the ELLA apps

Each of the ELLA apps engages children in play-based activities in different contexts to provide meaningful opportunities to hear and use language. There are also many cultural elements included in the apps.

Below is a brief description of each app and some of the key words and phrases that children are introduced to.

App 1: The Polyglots in the Playroom

When exploring The Polyglots in the Playroom, children become familiar with language relating to greetings, introductions, farewells and expressing likes and dislikes.

Through engaging with App 1, children will begin to develop skills to:

sing the ‘Hello’ song in Turkish
say some simple greetings in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Merhaba!	Hello!
Görüşmek üzere!	See you later!
Alo!	Hello! (on the phone)

introduce themselves in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Benim adım (name).	My name is (name).

App 2: The Polyglots at the Beach

The Polyglots at the Beach provides a playful environment and opportunities to explore the language of colours.

While playing above and below the water, children are encouraged to interact with the language of colours, sea creatures and expressions of preference.

Through engaging with App 2, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some colours in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Sarı	Blue
Yeşil	Green
Turuncu	Orange
Pembe	Pink
Kırmızı	Red
Mav	Yellow

express some likes and dislikes in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Ben kırmızıyı severim!	I like red!
Ben sarıyı sevmem!	I don’t like yellow!

App 3: The Polyglots at the Birthday Party

The Polyglots at the Birthday Party is an opportunity to explore the language of numbers through counting candles, singing songs, making cakes and saying how old children are.

Through engaging with App 3, children will begin to develop skills to:

count to ten in Turkish

Turkish phrase	English translation
Bir	One
İki	Two
Üç	Three
Dört	Four
Beş	Five
Altı	Six
Yedi	Seven
Sekiz	Eight
Dokuz	Nine
On	Ten

say how old they are in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Ben beş yaşındayım! I.	I am five years old.

say happy birthday in Turkish

Turkish phrase	English translation
Ben beş yaşındayım! I	Happy birthday!
Doğum günün kutlu olsun	Happy birthday! (formal)

App 4: The Polyglots at the Zoo

The Polyglots at the Zoo features animals in an open-range zoo and introduces children to words for foods and drinks, and phrases for being able to say they are hungry and thirsty, for asking politely and saying thank you.

Through engaging with App 4, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some fruits in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Elma	Apple
Muz	Banana
Portakal	Orange
Çilek	Strawberry

say I’m hungry/thirsty in Turkish

Turkish phrase	English translation
Acıktım!	I’m hungry!
Susadım!	I'm thirsty!

say thank you in Turkish

Turkish phrase	English translation
Susadım!	Thank you!

make simple requests in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Elma suyu istiyorum.	I’d like/I want an apple juice.

App 5: The Polyglots at the Circus

The Polyglots at the Circus takes children to the magical space of a circus, providing them with the opportunity to experience language related to parts of the body.

Through engaging with App 5, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some body parts in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Baş	Head
Kol	Arm
Bacak	Leg
Ayak	Foot

say some parts of the face in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Göz	Eye
Kulak	Ear
Ağız	Mouth
Burun	Nose

say something hurts in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Başım ağrıyor!	My head hurts!

use some adjectives in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Büyük	Big
Küçük	Small

App 6: The Polyglots at the Park

The Polyglots at the Park features games and activities that encourage children to actively engage in learning verbs and adverbs relating to actions.

Through engaging with App 6, children will begin to develop skills to:

respond to some simple instructions in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Yürü!	Walk!
Dans et!	Dance!

use some adverbs in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Hızlı	Fast/quickly
Yavaş	Slowly

App 7: The Polyglots in the Town

The Polyglots in the Town provides an opportunity for children to use familiar language developed through apps 1–6 in a range of experiences in the town.

Through engaging with App 7, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some shapes in Turkish. For example:

Turkish phrase	English translation
Üçgen	Triangle
Kare	Square
Daire	Circle

recognise the meaning of some words written in Turkish
say goodbye in Turkish

Turkish phrase	English translation
Hoşça kal!	Goodbye!

Connections with the Australian Curriculum for Turkish

The ELLA apps provide an engaging and enjoyable resource to support children in the initial stages of learning Turkish.

The statements below are taken from the Achievement Standards of the Australian Curriculum for Turkish. They capture some of the elements that children will have learnt by the end of Year 2 – after three years of learning Turkish at school.

The ELLA apps provide opportunities for children to engage with the following statements from the Australian Curriculum. Children’s abilities and levels of achievement will be influenced by a range of factors.

Foundation to Year 2 Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 2, students interact with the teacher and peers to share information about themselves and to exchange greetings, for example Merhaba and Hoşça kal.
Students use repetitive language when participating in guided activities and use movement, gestures, pictures and objects to support meaning-making, for example, by singing and performing actions to songs.
When interacting, students reproduce the sounds of Turkish.
Students use simple sentences with appropriate word order to communicate information about themselves.
Students translate the meaning of Turkish words, phrases and gestures used in everyday contexts and situations.
Students identify the sounds of the Turkish language.
Students provide examples of different words, expressions and gestures that are used by speakers of Turkish to address and greet people in different contexts and situations.

ELLA is funded by the Australian Go ELLA is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and is managed by Education Services Australia. © 2021 Commonwealth of Australia, unless otherwise indicated. This material, other than Commonwealth trade marks in The Polyglots characters and The Polyglots logo, may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 licence, unless otherwise indicated.

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Education Services Australia Limited ABN 18 007 342 421

Level 5 440 Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia

www.esa.edu.au Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +61 3 9207 9600 ELLA helpdesk: 1800 468303