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This article reports on a study of Turkish immigrants, a group that has resisted the rapid shift to English throughout their four decades in Australia. The study sought to identify the unique set of sociohistorical reasons for continued Turkish use and youth perspectives on Turkish vitality. Study participants were students and graduates of secondary Turkish programs in the state of Victoria (n = 16). Information on their language biographies, bilingual achievements, and language orientations were collected in large-scale surveys (n = 858) and follow-up interviews (n = 177). Participating youth expressed an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward Turkish maintenance yet were not confident in their Turkish skills. They recognized that the future of Turkish depended on their commitment to learn and use Turkish and pass it on to the next generation.
Young people’s assessment of the available Turkish language programs revealed that additional support is needed to sustain Turkish bilingualism beyond the second generation, including a relevant and coherent curriculum to teach Turkish as a second language, well-prepared bilingual teachers, and Turkish classes in universities to upgrade teachers’ language skills.
