Critical Languages Institute

Persian (Dari/Farsi/Tajik) -- ( فارسی / دری / тоҷикӣ)

Scholars recognize three major dialect divisions of Persian: Farsi, or the Persian of Iran, Dari Persian of Afghanistan, and Tajik, a variant spoken in Central Asia. All are more or less mutually intelligible.

Dari, mainly spoken in Afghanistan, until recently, deferred to the Tehran standard as its model, and Farsi and Dari remain quite similar. The dialectal variation between Farsi and Dari has been described as analogous to that between European French and Canadian French. Tajik is slightly less similar; Farsi and Tajik have been compared to American and Australian English in terms of mutual intelligibility.

Dari and Farsi are written with a modified Arabic script. Tajik is written with a Cyrillic script. Here are samples:

DARI

FARSI

TAJIK
Тамоми одамон озод ба дунё меоянд ва аз лиҳози манзилату ҳуқуқ бо ҳам баробаранд. Ҳама соҳиби ақлу виҷдонанд, бояд нисбат ба якдигар бародарвор муносабат намоянд.

(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as cited by http://omniglot.com. Map and description by UCLA Language Materials Project (http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=55&menu=004).)


CLI PROGRAMS FOR PERSIAN

Intensive Elementary Persian (D/F/T) (SLC 194)
Location: ASU main campus.
For beginning students. No prerequisites.
Intensive Intermediate Persian (D/F/T) (SLC 294)
Location: ASU main campus
Prerequisite: Elementary Persian, D/F/T, Farsi or equivalent training (2 semesters)
Summer study-abroad in Dushanbe (SLC 494)
Location: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Short-term, 3-week study for students of Advanced, Intermediate, or Elementary Persian (D, F, or T).

ACADEMIC-YEAR PROGRAMS FOR PERSIAN (FARSI)

SLC 194: Elementary Persian (Farsi)
SLC 294: Intermediate Persian (Farsi)

For more information on these classes, visit the ASU course catalog and search for Keyword "Farsi".


Accepting applications: November 15, 2009 to March 1, 2010. Rolling admissions for unfilled classes after March 1.

[ Application Form (MS Word vesion) | Application Form (PDF vesion) | Cost | Scholarships | FAQ | Housing/Dining Information ]


Comments

Dipta Kazi, Persian 1, 2008

My experience with CLI is something I will treasure forever. Not only did it give me exposure to a whole new language and culture, it broadened my horizon and helped me understand the minds of people in a critical part of the world. Arizona was a very fun place to learn and enjoy the college environment. Going over to Tajikistan and being a part of a family there was priceless. It allowed me to absorb and utilize the language and mingle with the local culture. It also brought me closer to the people in the program. I would recommend the CLI program for anyone looking to learn a challenging new language and culture, and experience a part of the world often only heard about in the news.