Made for little learners — by someone who lives between French education, science, and motherhood.

Mini Bonjour was created to make early French exposure joyful, simple, and age-appropriate. Our goal is not to push children to memorize or perform — it’s to help them hear, observe, touch, point, repeat, move, sing, and play with a new language at a comfortable pace.

Dr. Avci

Founder & Lead Teacher

French
English
Turkish

Dr. Naze Gul Avci Kilicarslan brings together a lifelong connection to French education, a PhD-level scientific background, and the everyday perspective of a mother of two young girls. She began her French-language education in Istanbul through two of the city’s historic French schools: Sainte Pulcherie for middle school and Saint Joseph French High School for high school.

Professionally, Dr. Avci is a senior biomedical scientist with more than 10 years of experience in biotechnology and academic research. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston and has also served as a Research Assistant Professor, mentoring students and junior scientists.

As a mother of two girls, ages 4 and 1, she understands how young children learn best: through warmth, repetition, movement, real objects, curiosity, and play. Mini Bonjour reflects that balance of French language, calm structure, hands-on discovery, and respect for each child’s pace.

✨ Her favorite Mini Bonjour moment is when a quiet observer suddenly joins in on the songs.

Sainte Pulcherie · Istanbul

A historic French school

Founded in 1846, Sainte Pulcherie is one of Istanbul’s historic French educational institutions and one of Turkey’s officially recognized French lycees. The program centers on an intensive French preparatory year and bilingual learning.

Saint Joseph · Istanbul

A selective French high school

With roots in the 19th century, Saint Joseph is one of Turkey’s oldest and most rigorous French schools, known for selective admissions and French-language instruction across subjects.

Dr. Avci’s personal French journey began at these schools. Mini Bonjour is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, Sainte Pulcherie or Saint Joseph.

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