Tatar language belongs to Kipchak brunch of Turkic languages of Altaic language family. Like all Turkic languages, Tatar is characterized by vowel harmony and  agglutinative nature of grammatical relations between words. Based on the lexicostatistical matrix of Turkic languages and according to the to recent article in Journal of Language Evolution, Tatar language exhibits more than 50% of basic lexical similarities with at least 12 Turkic languages (Azeri, Bashkir, Crimean Tatars, Kazakh, Karachi, Khakas, Kyrgyz, Turkish, Turkmen, Tuvan, Uyghur, Uzbek). Tatar language has several dialects based on geographical location (Astrakhan, Siberian, Kazan) and on grammatical nuances (Mishar). Crimean Tatar language is much closer grammatically, phonetically and lexically to Turkish language.

The modern written Tatar language is based on the Cyrillic script since 1938, prior to that it was in Latin (1927-38) and Persian-Arabic scripts, Uyghur writing and ancient Turkic runes.  

Tatar language along with other ethnic minority languages of Russian Federation ( 26 “official” languages, 15 “recognised” languages, 15 endangered languages ) have been experiencing devaluation by heritage speakers due to deliberate promotion of titular language (Russian) and decreasing minority language instructions at schools.

Consider introducing yourself to Tatar language and culture to broaden up your horizons! Below are several online resources available as of December 2021:

Learn

• Take online individual Tatar sessions with Alima Academy
• Tatar Alphabet, Tatar Phonetics and Pronunciation (with English pronunciation parallels)
• 500 Tatar words: online, for iPhone. Sounds of Tatar speech
• Online dictionary: English-Tatar: GoogleTranslate. Russian-Tatar: Ganiev.org, Translate.Tatar
• Engaging Learning materials: AnaTele, Әйдә!Online, Language Heroes ,Tatar with Petrov, Tatar with Ләйсән
• Tatar Grammar: MustGo, Electronic Textbooks by N.Poppe (1963), by G.Burbiel (2018)
• Corpus of Written Tatar (Corpus’ User’s Manual)
• Collection of softwares, applications localized for Tatar language – TatSoft.Tatar 
• Fun linguistic experiment on comprehension of Tatar sentences by Turkish speakers

Read, Listen, Watch

• Animated children’s stories and cartoons: Bala.ru
• Talks on various topics: Elbette.ru
• Electronic books: Baigysh.tatar, WikiBooks
• Audiobooks: Azatliq.org, Tatkniga, Tatar Virtual School
• Internet radio with Tatar classic, folk music and literature citing: Tatarstan Avazy
• Internet and online radio, audio and video podcasts: Kitap.fm
• Internet radio with Tatar modern pop and folk music: Tartip FM
• Online radio of alternative Tatar music: UrbanTatar
• Daily news podcasts on Tatar: TRT
• Documentary of round-abouts and perceptions of Nurbek Batulla’s artistic work “әlif” about Tatar letters that were lost during painful alphabet transition from Persian-Arabic script to Latin to Cyrillic.

Selection of Tatar Music

• Iconic Tatar singer Ilham Shakirov sings song “Chulpan” (“Morning Star”)
• Beautiful songs by Saida Mukhametzyanova in the capturing Tatar settings
• Fun folk song “Almagaschlarim” (My Lovely Apple Trees) and dance by ZuLayLa
• Lesson on how to dance Tatar Folk dance 
• Elsa Zayari and Artur Islamov concert with numerous beautiful Tatar songs
• Folk song “Su Buylap”(“Along the Idel river”)
• Tatar classical music by DuoMong
• Works by Tatar composer, multi-instrumentalist Adeliia Faizullina 
• Beautiful Soviet-era Tatar song “Min sine shundyi sagyndym” (“I missed you so much”) in modern interpretation of young singers Saida and Ilnar with views of Kazan city
• Tatar Folk songs Interpretations by cellist Elena Korableva
• Soulful interpretation of “Qaytu” (“Returning”) song by Bulat Shaymi
• Original works of young Tatar poet and singer Shirin Al Ansi on her YouTube channel.