Learning Turkish Beyond the Classroom at Medipol TÖMER: Six Student Clubs to Welcome Students in the New Academic Year!

Istanbul Medipol University Turkish Language Teaching Application and Research Center (TÖMER) invites students not only to learn Turkish but also to experience the language, explore Turkish culture, build new friendships, and create together during the 2026–2027 academic year.

Designed in line with a student-centered educational approach, six different clubs will bring language learning together with art, music, cinema, literature, cultural experiences, and professional communication.

Bringing together students from different countries and cultural backgrounds, these clubs aim to create welcoming, interactive environments where Turkish is learned beyond textbooks and practiced in real-life situations.

Traditional Turkish Culture and Arts Club: Discovering Culture and Exploring Art Together!

Watching colors dance on the surface of an ebru (Turkish marbling) tray, discovering the stories behind traditional patterns, and exploring the rich cultural heritage of Türkiye from past to present...

The Traditional Turkish Culture and Arts Club invites students not only to learn about Turkish culture but also to experience it firsthand.

Through hands-on workshops featuring ebru, calligraphy, and traditional decorative arts, as well as cultural excursions, conversations about customs and traditions, and intercultural exchange activities, students will discover different aspects of Turkish culture while sharing their own cultural backgrounds with friends.

In this club, every work of art will introduce a new word, and every cultural experience will open the door to a new friendship.

Speaking Club: One Coffee, One Conversation, and Lots of Turkish!

Do you feel nervous when speaking Turkish? Would you like to use the words you have recently learned in everyday conversations? Then the Speaking Club is just for you!

Inspired by the warmth of Turkish coffee and tea gatherings, our club will bring students together in groups suited to their language levels, offering opportunities to discuss a wide range of topics, from daily life and travel to culture and art.

Through speaking games, small-group activities, and intercultural conversations, students will be encouraged to express themselves more comfortably in Turkish, improve their fluency, and gain confidence in communication.

Because we believe that one of the most enjoyable ways to learn a language is through the wonderful friendships we build while speaking it!

Cinema Club: One Film, a Thousand Stories, and a World of New Words!

The lights go down, the screen comes to life, and our Turkish-learning journey continues in the magical world of cinema!

The Cinema Club will introduce students to selected films from different periods and genres of Turkish cinema. Following film screenings, students will come together for conversations and discussions exploring characters, storylines, cultural elements, and social issues.

As they discover everyday expressions and new vocabulary through films, students will also explore how Turkish is naturally used, different styles of communication, and culturally specific ways of expression.

Sometimes, a single movie scene can teach us more than a long lesson. Together, we will watch, reflect, discuss, and learn!

Music Club: Discovering the Rhythm of Turkish Together!

Sometimes, a song helps us remember a newly learned word. At other times, just a few musical notes introduce us to a culture we have never encountered before.

The Music Club will take students on an enjoyable journey through the rich and colorful world of Turkish music.

Through activities ranging from traditional Turkish folk music to popular contemporary songs, students will explore song lyrics, sing together, and participate in rhythm and listening exercises.

The club aims to expand students' vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and introduce them to different musical expressions of Turkish culture.

And we will not stop at discovering Turkish music! We will also organize intercultural gatherings where students can share music from their own countries.

Because music is a universal language, and Turkish is the voice that brings us together!

Fairy Tale Club: Once Upon a Time… A World of New Adventures Through Turkish!

Every culture has a story to tell, and every fairy tale has a lesson to share.

The Fairy Tale Club will bring students together in the colorful world of Turkish and international fairy tales.

Selected stories from the Turkish fairy tale tradition, along with tales students bring from their own cultures, will come to life through shared reading, storytelling, creative writing, and drama activities.

Through fairy tales, students will develop their reading comprehension, oral expression, vocabulary, and creative thinking skills while exploring shared human values, cultural symbols, and storytelling traditions from different societies.

Sometimes we will become the heroes of a fairy tale, sometimes we will write our own stories, and sometimes we will discover something new about one another's cultures.

In this club, every story opens the door to a new world!

"What Is the Patient Saying?" Medical Turkish and Clinical Communication Club: Understanding the Patient Begins with Asking the Right Questions!

"My heart is racing!" "I can't catch my breath!" "I feel dizzy!"...

But what exactly is a patient trying to communicate when using these expressions? As healthcare professionals, what questions should we ask? How can we connect patients' everyday expressions with medical terminology?

The "What Is the Patient Saying?" Medical Turkish and Clinical Communication Club has been designed particularly to help international students studying in health-related fields use Turkish accurately, clearly, and effectively in their future professional lives.

Under the planned academic supervision of the Medical Turkish Commission, students will engage in hands-on learning through patient–healthcare professional dialogues, case analyses, role-playing activities, simulated patient encounters, and medical terminology games.

Club activities will focus on the relationship between everyday patient language and medical terminology, with particular emphasis on taking patient histories, asking appropriate questions, summarizing clinical information, and developing patient-centered communication skills.

Through educational scenarios representing real-life clinical situations, students will have the opportunity to strengthen their communication skills in Turkish.

Because effective communication in healthcare is not simply about hearing what patients say, but about truly understanding what they mean.

Our Students Are More Than Participants: They Are Active Partners in This Journey!

At Medipol TÖMER, the new academic year's club activities aim to create a learning environment in which students do more than attend events: they share ideas, contribute to activities, and create together.

By considering different language proficiency levels, cultural backgrounds, interests, and learning needs, these activities aim to contribute to students' social, cultural, academic, and professional development.

An important part of this initiative will be regularly collecting students' opinions and suggestions, monitoring participation, and improving club activities based on the feedback received.

This approach supports TÖMER's commitment to integrating student-centered learning, inclusivity, intercultural interaction, quality assurance, and continuous improvement into its social and cultural activities.

A New Academic Year, New Experiences, and New Friendships at Medipol TÖMER!

With club activities scheduled to begin in the 2026–2027 academic year, we invite all our students to experience the excitement of learning, sharing, discovering, and creating together.

Whether you want to speak Turkish more fluently, explore Turkish culture, express yourself through art and music, or improve your professional Turkish communication skills...

At Medipol TÖMER, there is a club for you, a new world waiting to be discovered, and a wonderful story waiting to be shared!

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