Yusuf Mardin's Colloquial Turkish is, without exception, an excellent introduction to conversation in the Turkish language. The lessons combine an effective, pattern based technique, to teach the student how to construct increasingly difficult phrases, with vocabulary that in introduced in sensible and intelligent way. The grammar is introduced as required in the lessons, and also appears in a self-contained and complete Turkish grammar at the beginning of the book. This feature is a boon for the student, as it allows one to easily consult a point of grammar that appear in the lessons, without a lot of searching. TURKISH is not a difficult language to learn: Its grammatical structure has similarities to that of Latin; its orthography is phonetic; and above all it is logical. It is, therefore, surprising that in many manuals and grammars Turkish is made to appear needlessly complicated. It was the problem of finding suitable text-books and teaching material that led me to prepare my own lessons when i began teaching Turkish to English and American students fifteen years ago. From these lessons grew the pre sent course. I found that by presenting the main forms of Turkish grammar diagrammatically, or in what I have called 'patterns', both accidence and syntax were assimilated more easily. At the same time the unfamiliar vocabulary, one of the main difficulties in learning Turkish, became impressed on the student's memory. My course, in short, makes use of the direct method assisted by visual patterns. By constant repetition of words, phrases and sentences the student learns without conscious y translating from one language to another; and by constantly seeing patterns of accidence and syntax before him he is given the additional visual aid which is of such value when 1earning a wholly unfamiliar language. The words I have made use of in the course have been carefully selected to limit to a minimum the build on the learner's memory. I have had in mind the needs of everyday life, as also those of the visitor to Turkey. For the latter, conversations are added to the end of lessons.

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