Support for Turkish courses
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Fulya Özerkan
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 02, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - Turks in Germany accept German is the official language taught at schools throughout the country but call for more Turkish courses. Just as the Europeans are pressing the Turkish government for Kurdish courses, it is the same with the Turks living in Germany, says MP Hakkı Keskin
A proposal from Germany's Green Party Co-chairman Cem Özdemir to give additional Turkish language courses in German schools has received overwhelming support from members of the Turkish community.Â
"Özdemir's proposal is nothing new but it is a fair demand. We have been defending this for 15 years. Turkish courses in German schools will help integration," Turkish-born member of the German parliament Hakkı Keskin told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
"German must always be the most important language for children who live and grow up in Germany. But we also need to make sure that children with an immigrant background can develop their multilingualism. Why not offer more Turkish in addition to English, French, Spanish and Russian?" Özdemir said in comments published in the Turkish and German press.
Optional courses
"Germans say multilingualism is important but they change their attitude when it comes to Turkish," said Kenan Kolat, head of the Turkish Federation in Berlin.
Turkish courses are among optional language courses at schools in a few German states densely populated by Turkish immigrants but they are not taught as a mother tongue. Turkey's consulates in Germany also offer Turkish courses to voluntary Turks in evening classes separate to Germany's official school curriculum. That means the marks given by Turkish teachers in these courses are not directly reflected in the school reports of immigrant pupils.
"I have been critical of Turkish courses offered by the consulates from the very beginning. Turkey should not set aside extra funds from its budget to send teachers to Germany. Instead, the German government should offer Turkish courses," said Keskin.
Turks in Germany do not oppose German being taught at schools as the official language but want Turkish to be taught as a mother tongue and as one of the optional language courses after a certain age, he said.
"Turkish immigrants have the right to learn their mother tongue. Just as the Europeans are pressing the Turkish government for Kurdish courses, it is the same with the Turks living in Germany," said Keskin. Turkish representatives complained about the low interest in optional Turkish courses given at some German schools.
"Turkish courses, also attended by Germans, start from abc, prompting Turkish pupils not to join the classes," said Kolat. "New classes are not opened when students do not opt for it."
Lessening interest
Mete Atay, head of the Federation of the Turkish Teachers Associations in Germany, told the Daily News that lessening interest in Turkish courses could be explained by the failure to adapt language teaching methods to modernity.
"Turkish courses given to immigrants with methods from 20 years ago are outdated," said Atay.
Özdemir's call for additional Turkish courses has drawn mixed reactions from German politicians. While the Social Democrat Party, or SPD, warmly welcomed the idea, the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and the Christian Social Union, or CSU, spoke out against it.
"It would be wise to offer intensive Turkish courses at schools as a first or second foreign language. That could open the path to success for the children of Turkish families. German students can also be given the opportunity to learn Turkish," said Sebastian Edathy of the SPD.
CSU Secretary-General Theodor zu Guttenberg said nobody in Turkey could demand German courses at state schools for Germans living there.
For his part, Kolat said Özdemir's remarks at least sparked a debate in German society and said it was for states in Germany to resolve the problem.
"Özdemir's proposal is nothing new but it is a fair demand. We have been defending this for 15 years. Turkish courses in German schools will help integration," Turkish-born member of the German parliament Hakkı Keskin told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
"German must always be the most important language for children who live and grow up in Germany. But we also need to make sure that children with an immigrant background can develop their multilingualism. Why not offer more Turkish in addition to English, French, Spanish and Russian?" Özdemir said in comments published in the Turkish and German press.
Optional courses
"Germans say multilingualism is important but they change their attitude when it comes to Turkish," said Kenan Kolat, head of the Turkish Federation in Berlin.
Turkish courses are among optional language courses at schools in a few German states densely populated by Turkish immigrants but they are not taught as a mother tongue. Turkey's consulates in Germany also offer Turkish courses to voluntary Turks in evening classes separate to Germany's official school curriculum. That means the marks given by Turkish teachers in these courses are not directly reflected in the school reports of immigrant pupils.
"I have been critical of Turkish courses offered by the consulates from the very beginning. Turkey should not set aside extra funds from its budget to send teachers to Germany. Instead, the German government should offer Turkish courses," said Keskin.
Turks in Germany do not oppose German being taught at schools as the official language but want Turkish to be taught as a mother tongue and as one of the optional language courses after a certain age, he said.
"Turkish immigrants have the right to learn their mother tongue. Just as the Europeans are pressing the Turkish government for Kurdish courses, it is the same with the Turks living in Germany," said Keskin. Turkish representatives complained about the low interest in optional Turkish courses given at some German schools.
"Turkish courses, also attended by Germans, start from abc, prompting Turkish pupils not to join the classes," said Kolat. "New classes are not opened when students do not opt for it."
Lessening interest
Mete Atay, head of the Federation of the Turkish Teachers Associations in Germany, told the Daily News that lessening interest in Turkish courses could be explained by the failure to adapt language teaching methods to modernity.
"Turkish courses given to immigrants with methods from 20 years ago are outdated," said Atay.
Özdemir's call for additional Turkish courses has drawn mixed reactions from German politicians. While the Social Democrat Party, or SPD, warmly welcomed the idea, the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and the Christian Social Union, or CSU, spoke out against it.
"It would be wise to offer intensive Turkish courses at schools as a first or second foreign language. That could open the path to success for the children of Turkish families. German students can also be given the opportunity to learn Turkish," said Sebastian Edathy of the SPD.
CSU Secretary-General Theodor zu Guttenberg said nobody in Turkey could demand German courses at state schools for Germans living there.
For his part, Kolat said Özdemir's remarks at least sparked a debate in German society and said it was for states in Germany to resolve the problem.