Online English lessons for children in Türkiye (Turkey): from regular Turkish spelling to English

How do children in Türkiye learn English at school?

English is the main foreign language in Turkish schools and is taught from the early primary years, starting with songs, games and simple phrases and building towards reading and writing. Many private schools teach more English, and some teach parts of the timetable in it. Many families also choose English classes or tutors outside school.

Your child's school is the best source for what they cover in each grade. Children of the same age often have very different English, and that's normal.

Why does English spelling surprise Turkish readers?

Turkish spelling is very regular: each letter has one sound, so once children know the letters, they can read almost any Turkish word aloud. English is different. The same sound can be spelled in several ways, as in see, sea and me; the same letters can sound different, as in cow and snow; and some letters are silent, as in knee.

Children who expect English to work like Turkish may sound out every letter and get stuck. Phonics teaches English letter sounds and spelling patterns in a clear order, and the tricky words that need remembering, so reading becomes predictable. See what phonics is and sight words vs phonics.

Which letters sound different in Turkish and English?

Which English sounds and patterns take practice?

• **The th sounds** in think and this, which may come out as t, s, d or z.
• W and v, as in wet and vet, because Turkish has no w.
• Short and long vowels, as in ship and sheep.
• **The word the**, which Turkish doesn't have, so children often leave it out.
• Word order. Turkish usually puts the verb at the end; English puts it after the subject: I like cats.

These are normal and improve with listening and practice. Repeat sentences back the right way rather than stopping your child: I cats like. Oh, you like cats? Do you have one?

When can a child in Türkiye fit in an online lesson?

Türkiye keeps the same clock all year, so your weekly slot stays at the same local time through the seasons. The simplest option is usually to choose a 25-minute lesson after school, between about 4pm and 8pm, or a Saturday or Sunday morning. With no journey, a lesson fits easily around school, homework and dinner.

If your child's teacher is somewhere that changes its clocks, the lesson time may shift by an hour in late March and late October. Check your next lessons' times in those weeks. Our guide to online lessons across time zones explains more.

What age should my child start English lessons?

From around four, short, playful lessons with songs, pictures, games and letter sounds help children enjoy English, with no pressure to write. From six or seven, as reading in Turkish takes off at school, English phonics can grow alongside it, with extra care over the letters that sound different. Older beginners often move quickly, because they already read Turkish well. See English for 4-year-olds.

What should I look for in online English lessons?

• A live, real teacher who talks with your child.
• 1-to-1 lessons with plenty of speaking time.
• Clear phonics for reading, including the letters that sound different.
• A starting level, feedback after lessons and visible progress.
• Clear safety rules: checked teachers, lessons only inside the provider's classroom, and a way to report a concern.

For an international view of your child's level, the CEFR describes ability in “can do” terms. Its early levels for children are Pre-A1, A1 and A2. See CEFR levels for children explained.

How can I support English at home in Türkiye?

• Read English picture books together, and point out words that aren't spelled the way they sound.
• Play a letter game with c and j: say cat, jam or city and ask which letter it starts with.
• Sing English songs; their repeated lines teach word order naturally.
• Keep reading in Turkish too. Strong reading in one language helps the other.

How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in Türkiye?

CurioKids gives children aged 4–12 live, 1-to-1 online English lessons with a real teacher, 25 minutes each, in the CurioKids classroom: video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. Most children start with Phonics Starter, our 52-lesson reading course, then move on to CEFR-based levels. Teachers can't teach until our team has confirmed a background check and they have signed our teaching agreement. See our levels and safety pages.

Visit our Türkiye page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in Türkiye haven't opened yet, the page has a waitlist: leave your details and we'll let you know when you can book your child's free first lesson. Plans for families in Türkiye are priced in US dollars: see the prices for Türkiye.