The Uyghurs are one of the oldest Turkic-speaking peoples of Central Asia. Their language is closely related to Uzbek, with which it shares a common ancestor. Modern Uyghur is spoken by about 11 million people in Xinjiang and 2 million people in Central Asia and elsewhere. This textbook offers beginning students a thematically organized and integrative approach to the Uyghur language that emphasizes communicative activities, step-by-step development of linguistic skills, and elements of Uyghur culture. A multimedia DVD includes audio that helps develop listening and speaking skills and videos filmed in different regions of Xinjiang, China.

Gulnisa Nazarova is a lecturer in Central Eurasian studies at Indiana University.

Kurban Niyaz is a Uyghur language material developer at the Center for Languages of the Central Asian Region, Indiana University.

"Uyghur: An Elementary Textbook by Gulnisa Nazarova and Kurban Niyaz is an excellent resource for students beginning to study the Uyghur language. The interactive activities and 'real world' objects interspersed throughout the text make this an essential guide to learning both the language and the culture of Xinjiang."

Scope and Sequence

Preface

A Note to the Instructor

An Introduction to Uyghur

1. The Uyghur Arabic Alphabet

2. Greetings and Farewells

3. Introducing Yourself

4. Classroom Objects

5. Commands and Requests

6. Daily Routines

7. My Family

8. Describing People and Objects

9. Talking about Age and Past Events

10. Buying Fruit at a Grocery Store

11. Ordering Food and Drink

12. Guests Bring Happiness

13. Weather and Seasons

14. Talking about Clothing

15. Health

Complementary Reader

Appendix A: Uyghur Alphabets

Appendix B: Transcripts of Listening Exercises

Appendix C: Transcripts of Uyghur Realia

Appendix D: Uyghur Vowels

Appendix E: Grammatical Summary

Appendix F: Maps

Uyghur-English Glossary

English-Uyghur Glossary

Index