A Language Journey in the Shadow of History: The Turkish Speaking Club Visits Bursa

Through the Bursa trip organized as part of the Turkish Speaking Club’s "Walk and Talk: Step by Step Turkish" project, international students had the opportunity to practice Turkish and get to know the ancient Ottoman capital firsthand.

The Üsküdar University Turkish Speaking Club chose Bursa as the latest stop of its "Walk and Talk: Step by Step Turkish" series, which aims to help international students develop their language skills in a social setting. This special trip, held on December 12, 2025, was organized to help students connect with Turkish not only in the classroom but in the midst of everyday life.

40 international students from different parts of the world took part in the event, organized in partnership with the Üsküdar University International Student Office (ISS Office). Exploring Bursa’s historic fabric during the trip, the students examined the architectural heritage of the Ottoman Empire on site and enriched their cultural knowledge. Turkish speaking practice at each stop combined the event’s academic purpose with a social setting.

Visiting Bursa’s iconic landmarks such as the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami), Tophane and the historic bazaars, the student group had the opportunity to improve their language skills by interacting with local people. Guided by its "Step by Step Turkish" vision, the club enriched students’ vocabulary while also conveying Türkiye’s cultural depth to young minds. The guided commentary reinforced the use of Turkish in different contexts with concrete examples.

The friendships formed and the warm conversations during the event also contributed greatly to international students’ adaptation to university life. Students who joined the trip said they greatly enjoyed hearing the stories of historic sites told in the richness of Turkish, and that such events speed up the language learning process. The day spent in the shadow of architectural heritage became an unforgettable memory for the students.

Turkish Speaking Club officials emphasized that the main goal of the project is to introduce Türkiye and the Turkish language as a whole, and stated that similar cultural trips will continue. Supporting Üsküdar University’s multicultural structure, this event went on record as a productive language workshop in which academic development is supported by social projects.