Historically Persian was the language of poetry, literature, science, religion, law, and more for people in many regions, from the Balkans in Southeast Europe through the Caucasus, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and even extended to parts of Siberia and China. Today Persian is spoken by over 100 million people in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and elsewhere. The United States is also home to hundreds of thousands of Iranian- and Afghan-Americans, many of whom speak Persian. Oklahoma in particular has significant Iranian and Afghan communities.
The Persian language is sometimes also called “Farsi.” The proper name of the language in English is “Persian”; Farsi is what Persian is called in Persian, just as German is called Deutsch in German, or French is called Français in French.
The Farzaneh Family Persian Language Scholarship supports full-time OU students enrolled in Persian language with a GPA of 2.5 or above.
This course is for students who have no background in the Persian language and wish to learn the language at an academic level. Students learn the Persian alphabet, phonology, and syntax.
A continuation of PERS 1115. An elementary-level course, which stresses oral communication, vocabulary building, simple sentence structure, reading comprehension and writing elementary-level texts, and gaining familiarity with Persian culture.
Continuation of PERS 1225. An intermediate level course, which will stress listening, speaking, reading and writing at the intermediate level with more emphasis on reading and writing. Students are expected to gain proficiency of Intermediate Mid on the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages Scale.
Continuation of PERS 2113. Intermediate-level course, which will continue developing language skills: speaking, writing, listening and reading at the intermediate high-level. Students are expected to gain proficiency of Intermediate High on the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages Scale.
In this course, students will delve into Persian literature post-1994, exploring how modern narratives capture the complexities of contemporary Persian society. Through a mixture of class discussions, reflective writing assignments, and analytical essays, students will refine their language skills and engage critically with the material. By the end of the semester, students should reach the ACTFL Advanced Low proficiency level.
Students will explore a rich array of Persian literary works, from classical poetry to contemporary narratives, as we trace the evolution of Persian poetry and cultural expression. This course will further enhance students' command of the Persian language, with an emphasis on both classical and modern texts. Students will refine their language skills while engaging critically with the material.
