language, literature and I

language, literature and I

My parents were great readers of books of all sorts. I was interested and wondered why they spent so much time with Turkish books. I read just German books, and was never interested in Turkish books. I read all the best known German literature for children. Eventually, at the age of thirteen, I started to read books from my parents’ library. All of them were in Turkish and it was a new experience for me to read in Turkish. At the same time, in school we were reading various novels of German authors. Our German teacher taught us how to interpret, to read between the lines, and to pay attention to word order and vocabulary. I naturally used this new knowledge in reading Turkish novels, and after a few pages, I could picture the physical and psychological setting of the story. It was so real; I would become deeply involved in the story, and could see the power of literature, language and grammar. Thos started my interest in literature of authors from different national backgrounds. Now, I hope to pursue this passion as a career.

I was raised in a completely bilingual and bicultural environment. My study of English has further expanded my multicultural perspective. I think that people with this kind of background tend to feel a certain creative tension, which can be resolved in various ways. For me, a deep interest in language and literature, and in both teaching and translation, are ideal ways to deal with the contradictions of my life and of the dynamically changing world we all now live in.