Persian 201, fall 2014
Lecturer: Mani Motiee
mmotiee@mail.sdsu.edu
Class duration: August 25- December 22
Course Description: Development of speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills, with emphasis on language of
everyday conversation. Integrated approach to learning Persian to include awareness and appreciation of Persian culture.
Not open to students with credit in Persian 102,201, 202, 301, or a higher-numbered Persian course. Through a selection of
authentic Persian material, including articles, the student is exposed to a wide variety of language forms (including
colloquial and formal). The selected materials are designed to enhance the students’ ability to function at a fairly
intermediate level of the target language. While the focus is standard Persian, various aspects of spoken Persian are also
covered.
Course Objectives
1. Students are assisted and helped to consolidate their existing knowledge of Persian.
2. Provide students with strategies to become life-long learners.
3. Work on language skills individually and in group.
4. Use easy-to-learn techniques to develop skills.
5. Develop the four language skills, with Persian being spoken during class time.
6. Perform language tasks typical of the level at which the learners are (about 70 per cent of the time) and the next
higher level (about 30 per cent of the time)
7. Use of authentic Persian texts in a multimedia format (i.e. print, audio and video).
8. Daily assignments in class and for homework.
9. Completion of a written exam.
10. Preparation and performance of a short dialog or debate in group, without the use of written text before the end of
the course term.
Prerequisites: Persian 102
Learning material
1. Book: Modern Persian. Simin Abraham, Routledge Curzon publisher
2. Handouts: as necessary according to student’s needs and knowledge.
3. Movie sequences and learning clips as well as class discussion, with related material.
Student responsibilities
1. Attend all class sessions.
2. Submit homework assigned the previous day.
3. Prepare a conversation (topic of choice).
4. Participate in all tests and quizzes.
Activities: Weakly 2:00pm-3:50pm (Monday/ Wednesday)
A wide variety of topics are included in the assigned material. In most reading and listening periods you will encounter
linguistic and cultural lessons which make reading in a foreign language something of a challenge.
1. Activities
a.
b.
c.
d.
for assigned readings are:
Vocabulary exercise.
Reading of new lessons.
Discussion of topics.
Correction of written assignment in class.
1
Course schedule:
August 25
Introduction, Scheduling, New book
August 27
Lesson1- Rembiner: Alphabet, vocabulaire & verbes, Grammaire, conjugation
Sept. 1-3
Holiday- Lesson 2- New vocabulary, plural, possessive & adjectival, exercise
Sep. 8-10
Lesson 3- New vocabulary, the plural, personal pronoun suffixes, exercise
Sep.15-17
Lesson 4- New vocabulary, Dialog, reading, present tense “To be”, negative, exercise
Sept. 22-24
Lesson 5- New vocabulary, Demonstrative adjectives and pronoun, Basic word order, exercise
Sept. 29- Oct.1
Lesson 6- New vocabulary, Dialog, reading, verb “To have”, the numerals, time, hours, days, exercise
Oct. 6- 8
Lesson 7- New vocabulary, Text, Reading, Stem of verbs, compound verbs, exercise
Oct. 13-15
Lesson 8-New vocabulary, Dialog, Reading, Specific direct object, exercise
Oct. 20- 22
Lesson 9-New vocabulary, Text, Reading, The past stem, exercise
Oct. 27-29
Lesson 10- New vocabulary, Text, reading, Subjunctive present, pronominal suffixes, exercise
Nov. 3-5
Review
Nov. 10-12
Midterm test- Lesson 11- New vocabulary, Dialog, Reading, use of subjunctive present, exercise
Nov. 17-19
Lesson 11- New vocabulary, Dialog, Reading, use of subjunctive present, exercise
Nov. 24-26
Lesson 12- New vocabulary, Text, reading, the imperative, exercise
Dec. 1-3
Lesson13- New vocabulary, Text, Reading, past continuous, exercise
Dec. 8-10
Lesson 14- New vocabulary, Dialog, Narration, past participle, exercise
Dec. 15-17
Review- Final exam
Assessment is based on:
1- Daily evaluation of performance, homework and class participation
2- Tests: oral and written
Grade breakdown:
Performance and participation in class
Ability to perform language functions according to set task and context
Depth and breadth of vocabulary
Reading assignment and follow-ups
Homework submission
Midterm test
Final exam
Oral proficiency
15
15
15
15
10
10
10
10
2