Introduction
Persian Empire and Iran
Persia is one of the world’s oldest inhabited regions. Archaeological sites in Iran show that people have lived there for over 100,000 years. The land of Persia was invaded by Arabs, Turks, and Mongols.
In the late 18th century, Russia and Britain took control of parts of Persia. In 1921, Reza Khan, a Persian army officer, took control and sought to end outside influence. In 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi officially requested that foreign delegates use the name “Iran” in formal correspondence. The name change was a declaration of cultural sovereignty, and a step toward modern nation-statehood. The name “Iran” comes from the Persian word Aiyran, which means “land of Aryans.”
Persian Language
Persian is an important language of the Middle East and Central Asia. Persian, also known as Farsi, is an Indo-European language spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan in three mutually intelligible standard varieties, respectively Iranian Persian, Dari Persian, and Tajiki Persian. It has about 62 million native speakers, ranking it among the world’s 20 most widely spoken first languages; another 50 million or more speak it as a second language.
Persian is not related to Arabic, though it is written in a variety of the same alphabet. Its relatives are the languages of northern India and, more distantly, the major European languages including English.
Studying Persian provides an entry into a rich and diverse culture that produced major epic and Sufi poets such as Ferdowsi, Rumi, and Hafez; exquisite miniature painting; fine carpets; and world-class films. Since Persian has not changed significantly in over a millennium, the basic grammar for the classical and modern forms of the language is virtually the same and is relatively easy to learn. After two years, students can begin to read both classical poets and modern short stories and poetry in their original forms, and watch Iranian films without subtitles. Both BBC and VOA have extensive Persian programs and reports online that allow students to practice their listening and reading skills and become acquainted with the three main varieties of the language.
Intermediate Persian
Intermediate Persian is an online, interactive theme-based textbook for intermediate students in the Persian language that promotes communicative, linguistic, and cultural competence. It has a mixture of pedagogical approaches to fit all types of learning and teaching philosophies and styles to achieve the Intermediate High ACTFL proficiency level within a two sequence semester.
The book has six chapters: Chapter 1 through 6 are based on the following themes: daily activities, illness, shopping, weather in Iran, travel in Iran, and marriage and festivals in Iran.
Each chapter starts with a review of the vocabulary and has 2–3 reading/listening activities tailored to fit the proficiency level of the intended learners. Reading/listening sections have pre- and post-activities to help learners achieve interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication skills. Each chapter also has a “Focus on the Form” section to explain grammatical points in depth. Grammar sections include explanations of 3–4 grammatical items which are followed by interactive activities.
The book caters to different learning and teaching styles, so learners can go through the reading/listening and grammar sections in either order to develop linguistic competence. The vocabulary sets in the reading/listening sections include the English meanings, so learners can infer other meanings and glean context. Activities in reading/listening and grammar sections are developed using H5P, so learners can get immediate constructive feedback.
At time we repeat the process of making further adjustments to context, language, complexity, and structure—thoughtfully considering the challenges and opportunities most appropriate for our students. We recognize the limitations of these collaborations and strongly encourage students and teachers to supplement this book with authentic materials to further support language development and cultural awareness.
Lastly, this book is the continuation of a journey and not the end of it. I promise to keep this book updated and revised based on users’ and experts’ feedback, so if you find any errors, or just have a suggestion, please feel encouraged to write to nshiran@msu.edu.
