Readings in advanced courses vary from year to year depending on the interests of the students and instructor. Princeton regularly sends students to summer intensive courses in beginning and intermediate Persian courses at various sites in the U.S. Instruction in Persian is complemented by a number of courses in the NES Department on Iranian history and culture, and the history and culture of the Near East in general. Turkish can be the vehicle for future study of the Turks of Central Asia and the Caucasus, an area rapidly opening up to Americans. In addition to a rich and varied literature, Turkish offers the student the opportunity to study from the inside the long and exhilarating history of the Turks in the Near East, from 1100 to the present. All language skills are stressed.
Authentic language is introduced early to instill familiarity and thus put the learner at ease.
Often, summer internships with scientific projects, business, the media, or the Foundation for Women's Study in Istanbul, can be arranged for a total immersion into the culture.