3. PLAZA TURKISH
«Bugün İtalya ile bir conference call set edelim. Availablelar mı
check edelim önce . Ancak, değillerse de push edelim mümkün
olduğunca. Schedulem aşırı loaded bugünlerde. Bu aralar bu
toplantıyı yapmamız must. Meeting için emaillerin hardcopylerini
alalım. Sistemden data çekelim ve rapor hazırlayalım. Raporların
simple olmasını istiyorum, mümkün olduğunca idiot-proof olsun.
Bir presentation hazırlaman must değil ancak nice to have. Major
concernlerimizi iyi belirleyelim ki time-management sorunu
yaşamayalım. Toplantı bitince main pointleri içeren bir email
yazalım. Email’i bana post etmenize gerek yok. Beni ccleyerek
İtalya’ya direk gönderebilirsiniz. Sonrasında mail üzerinden
ilerliyor oluruz.»
4. TURKISH
«Bugün İtalya ile bir görüntülü konuşma ayarlayalım. Müsaitler
mi soralım önce. Ancak, değillerse de zorlayalım mümkün
olduğunca. Programım aşırı yoğun bugünlerde. Bu aralar bu
toplantıyı yapmalıyız. Toplantı için epostaların çıktılarını alalım.
Sistemden veri çekelim ve rapor hazırlayalım. Raporların basit
olmasını istiyorum, mümkün olduğunca «aptala anlatır gibi»
olsun. Bir sunu hazırlaman zorunlu değil ancak yaparsan iyi
olur. Temel kaygılarımızı iyi belirleyelim ki zamanımızı iyi
kullanalım. Toplantı bitince ana noktaları içeren bir eposta
yazalım. Epostayı bana atmanıza gerek yok. Bana bilgi geçerek
İtalya’ya direk gönderebilirsiniz. Sonrasında epostalar
üzerinden ilerleriz.»
7. AND EXCEPTIONS...
Hardcopy Almak
Data Çekmek
Presentation Hazırlamak
CClemek
Forwardlamak
Aksiyon Almak
Focuslanmak
Deadlinelar İle Çalışmak
Cooperative Davranmak
Info Geçmek
Start Vermek
Level Atlamak
Feedback Vermek
Feedback Almak
Event Planlamak
Brief Vermek
Mail Dönmek
Print Almak
Audit Geçirmek
Conflict Çözmek
Meeting Request
Göndermek
Attachlemek
Expense Göstermek
Inboxa Düşmek
Spame Düşmek
Pipeline Oluşturmak
Hardcopy Almak
Data Çekmek
Presentation Hazırlamak
CClemek
Forwardlamak
Aksiyon Almak
Focuslanmak
Deadlinelar İle Çalışmak
Cooperative Davranmak
Info Geçmek
Start Vermek
Level Atlamak
Feedback Vermek
Feedback Almak
Event Planlamak
Brief Vermek
Mail Dönmek
Print Almak
Audit Geçirmek
Conflict Çözmek
Meeting Request
Göndermek
Attachlemek
Expense Göstermek
Inboxa Düşmek
Spame Düşmek
Pipeline Oluşturmak
8.
9. GRAMMAR
WILL/BE GOING TO + BE + V(ing)
(-YOR OLACAĞIM/OLACAK)
EXAMPLE: Öğleden sonra toplantı odasında telekonferans yapıyor olacağım.
YAPALIM/EDELİM
(LET US/SHALL WE…)
EXAMPLE: Acilen bir toplantı set edelim vendorlar ile.
*Notice that the speaker «in fact» orders the listener to arrange a meeting. It
is not open to discussion and not to be questioned. This is definitely not a
suggestion or a request.
(I am going to be making a conference call in the meeting room in the afternoon.)
(Let’s arrange a meeting with the vendors urgently!)
10. GRAMMAR
UNNECESSARY USE OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
EXAMPLE: Müşteri kredinin ne zaman hesaba geçeceğini bilmek
ister.
The client would like to know when the credit will be
posted to his account.
The client wants to know when the credit will be posted to his acco
11. TIPS
DO NOT DO THIS:
«Bu by far en efficient yöntem
bence.»
USE THESE:
İçine sinmemek
Mail üzerinden ilerlemek
12.
13. WHY DO PEOPLE SPEAK PLAZA
TURKISH?
To Show Off
To Fit In
Textbook Stuff (specifically MBA textbooks…)
English-Medium Instruction (especially in Higher
Education)
Turkish Is Not Suitable For «the Business World»
14.
15. JUST FOR FUN…
«Follow-uplarımızı review edip ona göre aksiyon alalım.»
«Takibimizdeki işleri gözden geçirip ona göre hareket edelim.»
«Concernlerimizi açık bir biçimde discuss edebiliyor olmamız essential.»
«Kaygılarımızı açık bir biçimde tartışabilmemiz elzem.»
«Proje bazlı çalıştığımızdan deadlinelar, dolayısı ile time-management çok önemli.»
«Proje bazlı çalıştığımızdan vadeler, dolayısı ile zaman yönetimi çok önemli.»
«Taskler assign edilmeli en kısa sürede ki sonradan time-management bir issue haline gel
«Görevler en kısa sürede tayin edilmeli ki zaman yönetimi sonradan bir mesele haline gelm
16. THANK YOU!
Feryal ÇİÇEK BİLGİN
MARMARA UNIVERSITY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
TEACHING DEPARTMENT
feryalcicek@gmail.com
Editor's Notes
When I was on the verge of starting my Professional career I knew there were several challenges ahead. However, it had never occured to me that I would have to learn a different language. I knew English but, as a matter of fact, this was not the language I was expected to learn. I would soon discover that this language was, indeed, a bizarre mixture of Turkish and English. There must have been a tacit agreement, a code which made all of us in the business world feel compelled to learn this new language they called “Plaza Turkish”. I worked for 4 different companies in 9 nine years and there was never an exception. Plaza Turkish was like the official language of white collar professionals in business world. I worked for, Barilla, an Italian food company for almost four years. There were actually no expatriots in our Office but for some reason none of us really knew why, we would not speak “Turkish” with each other. I remember a colleague say “Bu by far en efficient yöntem.” this is an extereme example and we will come back to that later. I would like to show you some comc strips to give you an idea…
Not realistic? Exaggerated? Well, How about a real-life example?
This is my Manager at Barilla, Barış, speaking Could you quickly look at it and come up with Turkish words for the words in English?
See? It is easy. Well-done!
Let’s go deeper and talk about basics of Plaza Turkish. You can practically take any English Word and pair it up with either one of «olmak» «yapmak» «etmek». Of course there are exceptions but let’s have A look at «the rule» first to see if there is a pattern.
When we take look at this table we see that there really is a pattern. Verbs usually go with «etmek». It really does not matter the word itself is a verb and we in Turkish do not use «etmek» with verbs. «Olmak» on, the other hand, goes with adjectives whereas «yapmak» comes together with nouns. This also sounds strange however it still makes sense to a certain extent. I mean, we use olmak with adjectives in Turkish as well. But yapmak + nouns must have something to do with noun incorporation in Turkish. For example, compare yorum yapmak vs comment yapmak (make a comment) or teslimat yapmak vs delivery yapmak (make a delivery). ÖDEV YAPMAK, YEMEK YAPMAK, PİKNİK YAPMAK, İŞ YAPMAK, ANLAŞMA YAPMAK, TOPLANTI YAPMAK, YORUM YAPMAK, TESLİMAT YAPMAK, KAYIT YAPMAK….
There are exceptions too. Sometimes we add suffixes to the verbs. For example forwardlamak, focuslanmak etc. Notice that vowel harmony is still important even if the root is practically an English word. Also mail dönmek would be an interesting example. First of all mail is extensively used for email. And also it is grammatically nonsense because in Turkish one «email ile dönüş yapar» or «emaile dönüş yapar.» And here are some videos that I would like to show you. You will now see some plaza professionals speak Plaza Turkish.
«return my email» «reply my email» vs bana mail dön!
And some grammar… Well of course this is not literally a language but there are still some rules to follow in terms of grammar. For some reason, future continuous is preferred to simple future even though it does not sound natural. In our daily lives we almost never use future continuous. You don’t say: «I will be studying in my room.» when speaking to your mom. You either say «Odamda ders çalışıyorum.» «Odamda ders çalışacağım.». Future progressive is always possible of course but it definitely does not sound natural. I think the reason why future progressive is preferred is that that it makes the speaker sound like he is up to something really important and deeper than you would understand.
In Turkish, we normally use present progressive for these kinds of situations. So, in daily conversations one would most probably say « bilmek istiyor» instead of «bilmek ister». This might well be a strategy to make it sound more like «would like» in English.
Do not do this if you are not %100 percent sure that there is nobody who does not speak English amoung your peers. By this I mean, «do not use adverbs, prepositions, conjuctions etc.» in these situations because that would simply mean that you are showing off and being dismissive.
In Plaza Turkish, you never say openly that you do not like something or you are not really satisfied with the work of others. You just say «içime sinmedi» which practically means that you want the job redone. Mail üzerinden ilerlemek is one of the things that you will hear if you are to work in a Plaza. It means that «let’s maintain the communication via emails.»
Simply to show off and/or to fit in. Because all those serious guys in fancy suits talk like this. Almost all of these big guys have MBA degrees from prominent universities hence another reason might be that they learn business from textbooks written in English. So they switch to English as they cannot come up with a Turkish Word for a business-specific term. Well, even the ones who do not have a MBA degree speak Plaza Turkish, right? May be, we should blame it on the English-Medium Instruction in higher education which, according to some, is a part of the plot to Americanize the whole culture through assimilation of language. Some also believe that Turkish is not suitable for the business world. I would hold this viewpoint as well if it were only the business terms we borrowed. However, it is hardly the case as demonstrated by this presentation. Now let’s listen to the words of a former colleague about Plaza Turkish. This is Ayşe and note that she does not know English.
Now let’s try to translate these sentences in Plaza Turkish to the Turkish we all know.
