Talking Turkey: The Language, Culture and Identity of Turkish Speaking Children in Britain

This is the book that teachers and others working with Turkish speaking children and young people have long needed. The author’s academic rigor combined with his insider’s view of the communities’ families, culture and work patterns affords readers real understanding of a community which has developed its own diaspora over the last half century but about which there is little research and scant learning support.

Part 1 outlines the backgrounds of the Turkish speakers - their immigration and employment patterns - and examines their community and economic activities in some depth. Part 2 is devoted to the children’s language and the ways in which they use and acquire both Turkish and English in a range of real-life situations in their families and family businesses, and in their communities. From his analysis of these processes the author identifies what teachers need to know to develop these children’s language skills further at school and so enhance their academic attainment.

"Talking Turkey" will be essential reading for all those who work with Turkish speakers and will be of interest to teacher trainers, educational policy makers and to the Turkish communities.