Summer session starting the week of July 7, 2008 - enroll now!
Deadline: July 2, 2008

Farsi Group Classes

8 different levels

Classes meet once per week for 2.5 hours

NEW: Accelerated classes meet twice per week covering
Basic 1 & 2 or Basic 3 & Intermediate 1 in one term

Small class size (max. 9 students)

Experienced, native-speaking teachers

Four 10-week terms per year

Affordable tuition

Conveniently located at Dupont Circle

The Farsi Language Program at ILI consists of four 10-week terms throughout the year. We are offering eight different levels from beginner to advanced, plus two accelerated classes covering two levels in one term. Classes meet at the Institute once a week in the evening or on Saturday mornings. The accelerated classes meet twice per week. Our teachers are all native-speaking and experienced. The Farsi Language Program integrates speaking, listening, reading and writing. We maintain small class sizes to enable adequate time for conversation in every class. To find your level, please refer to the level description or use our self-evaluation guide. If you have further questions, please call Francisco Todd, ILI's Foreign Language Coordinator, at 202-686-5610 ext. 105.

Level Description

Basic 1: This course will introduce the student to modern spoken Farsi (Persian). At this level, students will be exposed to most everyday conversational needs such as formal introductions, offering thanks, ordering food in restaurants, ordering merchandise at the local Persian stores, paying bills, and discussing the weather. . Introduction to basic listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. This course is for those students with little or no ability in Persian language. Previous knowledge of Farsi not required.

Objective:	To introduce students to basic Farsi vocabulary, simple sentence structure, and to provide students with the ability to engage in simple conversation. The emphasis of this class is on learning Persian sounds and alphabet pronunciation and writing, vocabulary building, basic grammar and basic conversation.
Learning Outcome:	Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to make simple sentences; engage in basic conversations involving greetings/introduction of self and the description of things; know general expressions and short phrases.
Topics:	Grammatical topics covered in this level will include the Persian alphabet, simple sentence structure, interrogative and negative sentences, numbers, singular and plural names, definite and indefinite nouns, demonstrative pronouns and adjectives.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners " $42
Lessons:	Part I/Pages 1-95

Basic 1: Tuesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Accelerated Basic 1 & 2: Mondays & Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Basic 2: This level continues to build up necessary grammar skills that will enable students to understand, read, write, and translate sentences. It continues to build on Farsi basic 1 level by adding vocabulary and more complex sentences. Classes will focus on speaking grammatically correct Farsi, engaging in meaningful longer conversations, also discussions and debates on familiar everyday topics. In addition, the names of the seasons, months, days of the week, telling time, weather, geographic elements, and names of the countries in Farsi are among some of the topics that will be introduced/ reviewed.

Objective:	To continue to develop and enhance students’ introductory level toward intermediate level of reading, writing and oral skills in Persian language through more intricate verb tenses and lengthier speaking, writing, and reading assignments.
Learning Outcome:	Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to use more complicated Persian vocabulary in dialogues and written work; to correctly use present, past, future and imperative tenses; and to continue to read increasingly complex passages in Farsi.
Topics:	Introduction of the simple present, past, and future tenses. Expanding on the grammatical structures learned from the previous level, prepositions, adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, direct and indirect object pronouns will be introduced.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners " $42
Lessons:	Part II/Pages 104-255

Basic 2: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Accelerated Basic 1 & 2: Mondays & Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Basic 3: This course is ideal for those who have studied some Farsi and need a refresher. The first part of the course will be dedicated to the review of the previous Basic levels. Building on the previous basic levels, students will expand their vocabulary to include more specialized areas of interest such as business, culture, politics, and extended family. Grammatical complex topics will be introduced and practiced while engaging in advanced conversations and oral presentations by the students.

Objective:	To work toward a more advanced level of grammar, reading, comprehension and speaking with increasingly more complex subject matter and style. Students will have acquired a solid foundation of the language.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this level students will be able to engage in conversations and be involved with reading about a broader range of topics with greater confidence and precision. At the end of this third basic class students will be ready to move on to the intermediate levels.
Topics:	Much of the course introduces new materials, such as exclamative sentences, prepositions, adjectives and adverbs, building suffixes and prefixes, order of words in the sentence, and past participle tense.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners " $42
Lessons:	Part III/ Pages 259-309

Basic 3: Thursdays: 6:15 - 8:45 pm
Accelerated Basic 3 & Intermediate 1: Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 1: This course will include a review of the basics of Farsi with continuing understanding of intermediate elements in the language. Grammatical topics will include review of verb tenses, as well as order of words in the sentence. More advanced vocabulary and grammar will be introduced. Cultural, political, and family topics will be discussed.

Objective:	Through more complex vocabulary, grammatical style, and topics, students will work toward a more complete understanding of reading and speaking in Farsi.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this level students will be able to take a Farsi conversation or written passage to a more complicated level while acquiring a more advanced understanding of Persian language and culture.
Topics:	Review of all basic verb tenses. Introduction of the subjunctive and conditional tenses with more a more complex view into the use of conjunctions, adjectives, genitives, active and passive voices, review of indefinite suffixes, omission of “ezafe”, and more complex sentence structures.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners " $42
Lessons:	Part III/ Pages 310-391

Intermediate 1: Tuesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Accelerated Basic 3 & Intermediate 1: Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 2: At this level, the conversations and grammar become more complex. Introduction of the compound verb tenses in the simple and progressive forms. Students will review complex verbs and tenses, building sentences, speaking on different topics. Also included will be a deepening of already acquired topics, such as adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. Subjects of Persian geography, history, culture, and politics will be presented in more details than before.

Objective:	Through increasingly more complex vocabulary and working interrelationships of verb tenses, students will deepen their knowledge of topics regarding reading and speaking and writing.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this level, students will have deepened their knowledge acquired in Intermediate 1 class, and be able to successfully use all working verb tenses in an interactive manner.
Topics:	Grammatical points covered in this class will include most complex verb forms and the more complex sentence structures. The main focus of this class will be in translating Persian literature.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners " $42
Lessons:	Part IV/ Pages 395-403. Other materials: Persian literature, newspapers, magazines, based on the students’ individual interests.

Intermediate 2: Thursdays: 6:15 - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 3: This course is the last of Intermediate level classes. Students will continue to work on translating Persian literature. This level is designed to prepare the student for advanced work in Farsi. There will be review of topics taught in previous levels and introduction of new topics such as more sophisticated vocabulary and themes in Persian culture.

Objective:	Through new, advanced vocabulary, students will become accustomed to communicating in different tenses as well as review of reflexive verbs. A wealth of new vocabulary and idiomatic expressions will be introduced together with exposure to new cultural/social topics.
Learning Outcome:	Students will become comfortable speaking in most complex situations and will acquire the confidence to participate in the more advanced level classes. Students will also be able to communicate in an evermore sophisticated fashion.
Topics:	Review of most complex grammatical points including most complex verb forms and the more complex sentence structures. The main focus of this class will continue to be in translating Persian literature.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners " $42
Lessons:	Part IV/ Pages 404-414. Other materials: Persian literature, newspapers, magazines, based on the students’ individual interests.

Intermediate 3: Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Review and Pre-Advanced: This level introduces the advanced levels in Farsi. This course is ideal for those students who can speak, read, and write Farsi but lack confidence. The Pre-Advanced level is intended to help learners reach an advanced level of proficiency. Several authentic texts by writers from across the Persian speaking world will address a wide range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and represent a range of genres, styles, and periods.

Objective:	To build on writing and conversational skills acquired in the intermediate levels to assist the student in formulating ideas, writing essays, and ideas that would be considered complicated and sophisticated.
Learning Outcome:	Students will also start paying attention to the stylistic features of Farsi. This level will also begin to engage students in complicated text translations and interpretation of more complicated and sophisticated conversations.
Topics:	Although this level focuses on modern spoken Farsi, some Persian classical texts will be incorporated in the curriculum to introduce students to the continuity of the language throughout its history, including a thorough review of the Persian Lessons for Foreigners textbook. Readings of uncomplicated texts, advanced conversations and discussions, building vocabulary and starting to understand the spoken Farsi of the elite educated Persian culture will also be introduced throughout the course.
Textbook:	"Persian for Foreigners", $42; and special advanced complex writings, literature, newspaper editorials and other specialized materials will be used based on the student’s individual interests.

Review and Pre-Advanced: TBA

Advanced: This level continues the advanced level curriculum in Farsi. Several texts by writers from across the Persian speaking world will address a wide range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and represent a range of genres, styles, and periods. This level will continue engaging students in text translations and interpretation of conversations. Students will continue reading, analyzing, discussing, and debating these texts.

Objective:	To expand on student’s current writing and conversational skills such as formulating ideas, writing essays, and ideas that would be considered complicated and sophisticated.
Learning Outcome:	By the end of this class, students will have expanded their capabilities in the Farsi and will be able to use it in various professional capabilities.
Topics:	Readings of complicated texts, advanced conversations and discussions, building advanced vocabulary used in the spoken Farsi of the elite educated Persian culture.
Textbook:	Special advanced complex writings, literature, newspaper editorials and other specialized materials will be used based on the student’s individual interests.

Advanced: TBA

Program Details

2008 Schedule:

Winter Term	Jan. 14 - Mar. 22, 2008	Deadline: Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Spring Term	Apr. 7 - June 14, 2008	Deadline: Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Summer Term	Jul. 7 - Sept. 13, 2008	Deadline: Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Fall Term	Sept. 29 - Dec. 6, 2008	Deadline: Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tuition: $320 for one level, $640 for the accelerated class. Please click here to apply on-line.

Duration: Classes meet once weekly (or twice for the accelerated class) in the evening or on Saturday mornings for 10 weeks. Each session is 2.5 hours.

Refunds: No refunds are issued once classes have started.

Textbooks: May be purchased at the time of registration or at the Institute before or on the first day of class.

Inclement Weather: Classes are cancelled in accordance with federal government closings (not school closings!) due to inclement weather. Please check public announcements on radio, TV and the Web; or call ILI at (202) 362-2505.

Cancellation/Substitution: The International Language Institute reserves the right to cancel any class if deemed necessary. Prior to commencement of class, students will be given a full refund. In the event of cancellation after the commencement of class, the pro-rata portion of the unexpended tuition will be refunded within $5. The prorated amount of refundable monies will be determined by the ratio of classes completed to the total number of classes in the scheduled program. The International Language Institute reserves the right to assign substitute instructors whenever necessary.

Location: See address below.

Questions? Please call Francisco Todd, Foreign Language Coordinator of ILI, at 202-686-5610 extension 105.