Lazuri classes to begin in secondary schools in Turkey

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

A group of people are seen attending a Lazuri class in this file photo. Hürriyet photo

The Education Ministry has decided that the Laz language, spoken particularly in the Black Sea region, is to become an elective course in secondary schools as of the 2013 and 2014 education year.

The Laz language will be offered as part of the “living languages and dialects” course introduced in secondary schools last year. The courses planned so far include three languages: Kurdish, Circassian and Abkhaz.

Four elective languages

Fifth grade students are able to elect one of these three languages and continue learning it for four years.

The Education Ministry’s Board of Education and Discipline decided to include Lazuri as a part of the languages on offer. Students in secondary schools and religious İmam Hatip Secondary Schools are able to elect Lazuri as part of the “living languages and dialects” course starting from this term.

The board has prepared a curriculum for the Lazuri classes, aiming to teach children how to use the language in their daily lives.

The board used the Common European framework of reference for languages while preparing the language program.

The courses will have listening, speaking, writing and reading sessions. Resources such as interviews, movies and cartoons in Lazuri will also be part of this course.