This book is for Kurds who don't know how to read and write Kurmanji and want to gain literacy in the language. All Kurmanji speakers value their mother tongue and prefer to use it in communication. However, most of them were not able to learn how to read and write Kurmanji at school. Reading and writing in the mother tongue is very interesting and satisfying. One could compare it with a mother's milk that nourishes her children, laying a good foundation for their lives. People who are literate have more opportunities for education and employment. Reading and writing skills are also a good foundation for learning foreign languages.

The lessons in this book are short and can be completed quickly. We believe that this book could serve as a first reader for mother tongue Kurmanji speakers who want to learn to read and write the language. The time spent taking these first steps toward Kurmanji literacy will also help students maintain their use of the language of their heart.

If you are interested in a slightly different version of this primer, developed for the Transcaucasia region and written in Cyrillic script, look here.

Send us your comments or questions