The Turkish Program
Our Team
Meet our dream team!
Our instructors are high qualified, experienced pedagogy, native speakers of Turkish and highly passionate about teaching.
Yağız Director, Founder, and Lead Turkish Language Instructor and Curriculum Developer
Born and raised in Istanbul, and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Yağız has been passionate about language, particularly his native Turkish since a very young age. He has a master's degree in Linguistics from Boğaziçi University, has over 10 years of experience teaching Turkish to non-native speakers and has taught Turkish summer intensive programs at Boğaziçi University, the top Turkish language program in the world, and at University of Pittsburg. In addition to English and Turkish, Yağız is also fluent in German, and is currently working on Russian and Quechua. Yağız is also an accomplished translator and interpreter. Besides his impressive language experience, Yağız is a performing musician, music teacher, specializing in Greek, Turkish and Balkan music, and a writer.
Çağla Turkish Language Instructor, Social Justice Expert
Çağla is a philosopher and a linguistic justice activist. She is currently working on her dissertation as a Ph.D. Candidate in the Philosophy Department at Syracuse University. Her research is about linguistic agency with a special focus on nonnative speaking. She tries to understand what it is like to navigate the world with different languages and different kinds of expertise in each of these languages. She is particularly interested in ways in which nonnative speaking changes the speaker's relationship with their own mind. Çağla is also an active member of various linguistic justice initiatives. In addition to impeccable English and Turkish, she is also fluent in French.
ZeynelTurkish Language Instructor, Curriculum Developer
Zeynel is a seasoned linguist with over a decade of experience in translation, localization, and language education. He splits his time between Turkey and Buenos Aires. He has worked on language localization at major tech companies like Apple, Amazon, and Meta, handling diverse projects from technical documentation to marketing, always ensuring culturally appropriate communication. Zeynel specializes in teaching Turkish to English and Spanish speakers, backed by his expertise in curriculum design and a pedagogical formation certificate. His passion for language extends to cultural preservation, with a special focus on indigenous and endangered languages, enriching his culturally sensitive teaching approach.
AlevEnglish Language Instructor
Alev is an artist, translator and teacher based in Istanbul/Paris. Alev grew up in Istanbul and Kyrenia, in a bilingual household and went on to study a mixture of literature, poetry and arts in Canada and the US. She taught language proficiency courses in the English Language Preparatory program and the School of Foreign Languages at Kadir Has University and Special Topic courses focusing on experimental writing at Boğaziçi University between 2011-2019. Her creative practice ranges from installations incorporating audio/visual/textual content and site-responsive performances to stop-motion animation and poetry.
Elena Research, Communications and Marketing Director
A lifelong time language lover, Elena is fluent in English, Russian and French, and is currently studying Turkish. Elena has over 12 years of experience conducting research on Education in the international development context, and is now running research on language learning, developing the programs marketing and communications materials, and leading unperson events for the Turkish Program. 
NikrizProgram Coordinator and Art Director
Nikriz is an art and linguistics specialist with a passion for language revitalization and linguistic justice. With a Bachelor's degree in Ottoman Art from Mimar Sinan University and advanced studies in linguistics, Nikriz bridges the worlds of art, language, and cultural preservation. Their work focuses on endangered languages and the cultural value they hold, advocating for the preservation and revitalization of these languages. A firm believer in linguistic justice, Nikriz promotes inclusivity and empowerment for marginalized communities through equitable language access. Their unique interdisciplinary background allows them to approach projects with a holistic, culturally aware perspective, fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding.