The spread of multilingual and multicultural processes in the global educational environment has led to students encountering different languages and facing various challenges in this process. Students in the English Department of Cihan University, located in Duhok, Iraq, also encounter multiple difficulties, such as phonetics, grammar, and sound harmony, while learning Turkish as a second language. This study was conducted using qualitative research methods to gain an in-depth understanding of students’ experiences in learning Turkish. Data were collected through surveys, audio recordings, and semi-structured interviews with students and analyzed using content analysis techniques.

The findings indicate that students primarily struggle with the phonetic features of Turkish (ğ, ı, o-ö, u-ü) and sound confusions originating from English (i, a, c, e). Students find it particularly challenging to pronounce these sounds correctly, which often leads to misunderstandings. Additionally, they face difficulties in learning grammar rules, especially in areas such as tense forms, sentence structure, and parts of speech. These challenges slow down their process of learning Turkish and may negatively affect their motivation.

The research aims to address the issues students face in learning Turkish. In this context, it is recommended to place greater emphasis on phonetic training in language education, provide additional support in grammar, and offer students more opportunities for speaking practice. This study aims to guide educators in enhancing students’ language proficiency and making the language learning process more effective.proficiency.

Turkish language learning, multilingual education, language learning strategies, phonetic features.