Word: turkishly
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...common stereotype among Germans, the cause of the young migrants' poor German skills isn't laziness or indifference or an unwillingness to learn the language of their host nation. They simply have little reason to speak German outside work or school. Almost three-quarters of Germany's 2 million Turkish residents, the largest ethnic group in the country by far, live in urban enclaves with extensive Turkish networks of shops, restaurants, mosques and professional services. They can even watch Turkish TV on more than a dozen channels available via cable or satellite. "You just don't need to know...
...home, too, Turkish is usually the language of choice. "Many second-generation Turks in Germany, particularly the men, choose spouses from among their relations back home rather than partners who have been raised here, often because they consider them too progressive," explains Ucar. Because the new immigrants have no command of German, conversations among family members - including the children - are necessarily held in the mother tongue...
...many young Turks, inability to communicate effectively in the language of their adopted country is a real handicap, not just an inconvenience. It often means poor scholastic achievement and inferior educational qualifications. In 1998, only 14% of Turkish secondary school students qualified for university admission, compared to more than 30% of their German counterparts. "They come to school with incredible linguistic deficits," says Friedrich Maroner, the principal of Marxloh Comprehensive, where 65% of the 600 pupils are of Turkish descent. "It's impossible for us to ever work off those deficits with the staff resources we have...
...Almost 40% of Turks ages 20 to 29 have no vocational qualification, compared to a mere 8% of their German peers. With unskilled jobs becoming ever scarcer, unemployment among those untrained Turkish youths is more than twice the national average of 9.6%. This leads to growing frustration among the youngsters and makes many of them susceptible to political and religious extremism. In recent years, they have boosted the popularity of both fundamentalist Islamic organizations like Milli Görüs - New World Perspective - and nationalist Turkish associations...
...Many Turkish parents blame the German school system, which they say does not offer enough language training. School officials in turn blame parental indifference. "This is an empty debate and one that is conducted on the backs of the children," says Cem Ozdemir, 34, a Turkish-German member of the Bundestag. Ozdemir believes parents should realize "how important it is for them to promote their kids' language skills" at home. Educational authorities, he says, should draw up "intercultural curricula," organize more German and integration courses down to the kindergarten level and better prepare teachers to work with foreign-born pupils...