Teaching and learning the Georgian language in Turkey

In 2005 for the first time in Turkey (!) there was established the department of Georgian language and literature in Kars Caucasus University, and in 2006 the admission of students was started. The achievement gained as a result of the treaties ratified between Turkey and Georgia in the educational and cultural fields can be undoubtedly assessed as the great victory of diplomats, scientists, educational workers of both countries and Georgian scholars of Turkish studies. Following Kars the department of Georgian language and literature was established in the structures of Caucasian languages and cultures at Ardahan, Recep Tayip Erdogan Rize Universities and at last at Duzce University. I consider that at the universities of Turkey at least at the initial stage the Georgian language should be taught by Georgian scholars of Turkish studies. Until Turkish specialists have completed the education of corresponding levels, Georgian teachers will always be needed here. The undergraduates of Kars University are doing their Master and Doctorate degrees successfully at the different universities of Georgia. After educating the appropriate generations, this field will certainly be handed to the scholars of Georgian studies having acquired their education in Turkey. This year there have been enrolled 26 students on their first year at the department of Georgian language and literature. In spite of the fact that Duzce Muhajair region is considered to be populated by the Georgian descendents, there is no Georgian among students. There is only a single year-second ethnical Georgian student and even he is the representative of the ethnical Georgians of Amasya region. This autumn there was signed the directives for teaching the Georgian language as the optional subject at the secondary schools of Turkey. In case of ten of the parents expressing their desire, the additional lessons of the Georgian language will be given to the children in secondary schools. We would like to share our opinion about teaching Georgian as a foreign language in Turkey; to talk about the challenges and problems which we come across in the process of teaching; to set the ways of solving these problems. In the paper there will be given the brief information about the Georgian language. Also there will be discussed the programs and text-books being used in the process of teaching.