Non-Heritage and Heritage Sections:  The class is divided into two groups, those who have very little or no prior exposure to Persian and those with some family background, travel, advanced study in other languages, etc.  Even among these two groups, there is usually a wide range of skill levels and expectations on the part of the students which we take into consideration when we organize the class each year.  Please do not think you are not welcome if you had a difficult time in your high-school language class or on the other hand, because you are fluent and a Persian expert.  Due to the richness and complexities of Persian there is a place for everyone in the class, sincerity and effort being the key to having a rewarding experience of learning and contributing to the learning of others.  Before the first day of the semester, you should have submitted the PRS506 Online Questionnaire so as to best determine your specific skills and needs.

Requirements: Exams, daily quizzes, daily homework, class participation, online participation and language lab participation.  In order to not disrupt the class, students must arrive on time,  remain the entire class period and participate actively.  There will be a short vocabulary quiz during the first 5 minutes every day.  Daily written homework assignments are to be written in your own handwriting.  Only those assignments which are specifically designed to teach Persian word-processing may be typed.  As an aid to keeping everyone on track, all students will assess their own performance and give themselves  their own grade each day on their "My Grade" online assessment service.

Prerequisites: None. Everyone is welcome.  Please see the instructor if you are not sure this is the right class for you.  For students with previous exposure to Persian not wishing to take the class, a placement for credit (but not grade) may be administered in lieu of PRS 506.

What this class is not: This class is not a Berlitz, crash-course  promising to make you "proficient" in three months or your money back.  Nor is this class a haven for native speakers looking for a way to fulfill language requirements and beef up their gpa.  This is not a hobby class serving as a relaxing entertainment break from your "real" classes.  Nor does this class present Persian as a dead language with only literary or classical component. 

Textbooks:

1.  M. R. Ghanoonparvar and F. Givehchian, Persian for Beginners. Available from Paradigm  after the first day of class.

2.  Windfuhr, Gernot and Tehranisa, H.  Modern Persian Elementary Level.  Available from the UT Coop OR online from ibcbooks. (This book is currently being printed for us so it will not be available until early September from either of these 2 sources.)

Materials

3.  Blank Index Cards.  Students will be required to make vocabulary flashcards and bring them to class to show the teacher from time to time.  3 x 5 size are fine and may be further cut in half or in fourths so you can nicely keep them in your pocket and at the ready at all times!

4. 3-ring binder.  From time to time the instructor would like to take a look at your past assignments and tests and chat with you about them.  Please keep them in order in a binder from the start.

Computer:

If you do not own a computer, the computers in the Middle Eastern Languages Language Lab in the basement of the FLAWN Academic Center (which also houses the UGL Undergraduate Library)  have been equipped to handle your Persian typing and browsing needs.  The lab is open Mon-Fri 9-5. 

Computer hardware, software and peripherals is available at the Campus Computer Store in FAC with UT ID:

All students will also need to have a cheap computer microphone to record your own voice.  These start at around $10 and plug into the mic socket on the back of most computers. 

Browsers:

Windows users must download Internet Explorer 6 (IE 7 Beta now available but not recommended) and optionally may also like to have Mozilla Firefox.

Mac users should NOT use Internet Explorer for Persian, however Mozilla Firefox and Safari should both be installed.

Electronics:

Of great use in this class are mp3 players such as iPod which allow you to "study" on the go.

A pair of earphones is also helpful in listening to some of the trickier listening exercises.

Grading: Your final grade is based on the total combined points of:

1) One final exam

2) Test 1

3) Test 2

4) Test 3

5) daily vocabulary quizzes

6) daily homework (including redo)

7) participation in weblog

8) participation in online forum (Watering Hole)

9) language-lab participation

10) active, high quality class participation. You will receive extra credit bonus points for enhancing the classroom experience for others by having a positive attitude, helping someone you see having trouble, asking intelligent questions and generally bringing up the morale of the class.  

These are weighted equally and each of these 10 categories will be worth 10% of your final class grade.

Class Overview and Text-Based Syllabus:

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This page contains archived class material for past courses in the Persian Studies Program at the University of Texas at Austin.

These are provided for historic interest and no longer reflect current courses or teaching methods in use at UT.

If you are interested in current courses taught in the UT Persian program, please visit the department site.