From Zaman Newspaper on 14th October 2007

A Translation - English Turkophile has Taught Turkish to 70 people

John Guise is a 65 year old Turkophile. In his retirement he has settled in New Zealand. He visited Turkey for the first time 29 years ago on a holiday to Alanya. Since than he has visited Turkey 77 times and has also taught Turkish to 70 students. He ha also set up a website which offers an easy way to learn Turkish for everybody.

John Guise first visited Turkey for a holiday in Alanya 29 years ago (in 1979). A year later he started to work in Manisa. Living in Sair Esref Bulvari in Izmir he worked as a Professional Technical Engineering Manager in a factory producing diesel engined industrial vehicles. Besides a daily journey from Izmir to the Manisa factory for two consecutive years, he also found time to visit Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Balikesir, Nevsehir, Ayvalik, Isparta and Bodrum for short holiday trips. At the end of his working contract he returned to his own country.

To show his gratitude to the Turkish people for various kindnesses shown to him, he decided to teach Turkish to fellow Language learners. From 1998 he gave touristic Turkish lessons. In 2001 he passed the London University examination Grade B in the Turkish language. After this he began to teach Turkish at his local Technical College at Coventry in the UK. He has also given private lessons in his own home.

John Guise himself had studied Latin and Greek in his own grammar school days. Also he can speak and write some French and Spanish. Before he began to work in Turkey he had said to himself - "I now have a chance to learn Turkish.." He states that because he already knew some languages then it was easier to assimilate Turkish. Having visited Turkey 77 times and also having volunteered to teach 77 people our beautiful native language we can truly agree to call him Educational Ambassador.

From Pazar Keyfi on 14th October 2007