Guest writer · English teacher, mother of three

Zehra Topaç

I studied Foreign Language Education at Middle East Technical University in Ankara and did my master’s at Ohio State University. I have taught English since 1999, and since 2011 I have been a lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University.

I am Merve’s older sister, and I have two sons and a daughter. I write for Meşgalem’s Inspiration pages as a guest: about how a new language gives a child not only words, but the courage to connect with the world.

My photograph will appear here soon. Until then, get to know me through what I write.

Zehra Topaç on avesis.aybu.edu.tr

Written by Zehra Topaç

A sunlit living room: a cream sofa with a sage knitted throw, a brass tray on the wooden coffee table with two glasses of tea and a plate of lokum, a stack of three plain-covered books beside it; through the open balcony door an iron railing, green trees and a pale sky

Mother & Baby

My nine-year-old son, our guest from Greece and Harry Potter

Zehra Topaç has taught English for many years. She recalls the moment her nine-year-old son fell into an excited conversation about Harry Potter with a guest from Greece — and why teaching a child a new language means opening a door onto the world.

October 4, 2026 · 2 min read