Listening to a podcast on your computer or smartphone is an excellent way to pick up a new skill or learn about a new topic. Podcasts are a particularly great resource when you’re learning a new language, like Turkish.
They’re a convenient complement to just about any Turkish course out there, whether you’re taking a course online or in person. Additionally, thanks to the number and variety of podcasts available online, you can often easily find a podcast suitable to your skill level and interests, without doing a lot of digging around the web.
We’ve made the process of finding the right language-learning podcast for you even easier, by compiling our nine favorite podcasts to learn Turkish.
Podcasts for Beginners
Are you an absolute, complete newbie? No worries. There’s no need to be able to understand even a letter of Turkish in order to make use of a Turkish language-learning podcast. There are quite a few podcasts available that are built with novices in mind.
TurkishClass101
The TurkishClass101 podcast is one of the most extensive Turkish learning resources you’ll find. In addition to podcast lessons, the brand also offers other educational tools on its website. Episodes are uploaded on a regular basis, and episodes range in difficulty, from beginner to advanced.
Beginners will especially like just how thorough the podcast is when it comes to teaching new concepts and how the podcast keeps things interesting by incorporating culture and current issues into each episode. If you think this podcast might be a good option for you, check out our full review of TurkishClass101.
Let’s Learn Turkish
This podcast was created when the host’s partner (who is originally from Turkey) wanted to learn Turkish as a native Spanish speaker. Inspired by their experience, the host decided to create a series of podcast episodes, to help others learning Turkish more easily get through the challenging beginner phase.
The podcast is both approachable and entertaining and looks at topics such as verbal nouns, dialogue, practical questions, verb tenses and more. Each episode is around 10 to 15 minutes long.
Fluent in Turkish
Fluent in Turkish only has a limited number of episodes, but the podcast does have some value for those seeking a complement to their more formal Turkish language course. There are seven episodes, most around 10 minutes long, and they cover grammar concepts and basic vocabulary, such as greetings, key phrases you might need while traveling in Turkey and numbers.
Learn Modern Turkish
This podcast also offers a limited number of episodes, but it’s likewise a nice complement for those learning basic Turkish elsewhere. The podcast goes over the essentials of grammar, etymology and language, but then talks about other items you might find interesting, such as Turkish history, culture and common expressions.
Intermediate
So you know the basics of speaking, reading and comprehending Turkish? Then it’s time to take your skills to the next level. These intermediate podcasts can help.
Learn Turkish with Turkish Coffee
This podcast is fully in Turkish, but don’t let that scare you away. It’s designed with intermediate Turkish learners in mind, created to help you practice your listening skills. The narrator talks about the Turkish language and culture and speaks very slowly, using very simple words and sentence structures. There are transcripts and translations for every episode so you can read and follow along as you listen or so you can try translating the podcast on your own before checking your work.
Turkish Tea Time
Turkish Tea Time is hosted by Turkish learners, teachers and natives, all who fully grasp the language and how challenging it can be for anyone learning it, no matter what level they’re at. The episodes range in difficulty, but most hover around the intermediate level. Each lesson focuses on a single language concept, with dialogue included (annotations are available online, as are vocabulary sheets, quizzes and other educational resources). While the podcast is no longer being updated daily, there are more than 100 episodes available and many are around 20 minutes in length.
Advanced
If you can comprehend spoken Turkish with only a little difficulty, you can start becoming even more fluent in Turkish when you begin listening to more podcasts that are totally spoken in the language.
Bilim Kazani
With dozens of episodes, each about an hour long, Bilim Kazani is a good advanced podcast for those with an interest in not only learning to speak Turkish, but also learning about scientific matters. The podcast is hosted by graduate students in subjects like genetics and physics and the podcast covers interesting scientific questions, but in simple, easy-to-understand terms that, if you have a basic Turkish vocabulary and a good grasp on Turkish grammar rules and sentence structure, you should be able to understand.
SBS Turkish
Listen to news and information on international events in the Turkish language, with the SBS Turkish podcast from the Special Broadcasting Service. Listening to information on happenings you’re already familiar with can make listening to full Turkish podcasts a little bit easier, if you’re intimidated by moving from English podcasts to those with no English whatsoever. The podcast is updated quite regularly and episodes are short, less than 10 minutes each.
Turkish Music
Finally, if you’re a music lover, listen to Turkish music from several years ago via this podcast, which offers 16 episodes. You’ll not only test your comprehension skills while you listen to Turkish lyrics, but you’ll also learn a little about Turkish culture and modern tastes as you uncover Turkey’s top radio hits.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your reason for learning Turkish, you can find great language-learning resources online. Podcasts make it easier for you to pick up a new language just by listening and to strengthen language skills you may be developing through a more formalized course.
What are your favorite podcasts for learning the Turkish language? If we didn’t list it above, let us know!