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Study information

Advanced Persian Language II

Module titleAdvanced Persian Language II
Module codeARA3145
Academic year2021/2
Credits15
Module staff

Mr Ali Mossadegh (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

5

Module description

Building on your study of Advanced Persian I (ARA3144), which is its prerequisite, this module will: develop your skills in reading, writing and speaking Persian; broaden your skills in using Persian through the reading of Advanced level Persian texts; give you the capacity to carry on conversations in Persian at the Advanced level; perfect your skills in composition and translation of Persian; consolidate your use of colloquial modern Persian through using a wide range of written and audio-visual materials; and enable you to comprehend classical Persian literature at a sophisticated level of expertise.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to actualize your active and passive command of the Persian language acquired in ARA3144 (Advanced Persian I) through a wide range of written and pedagogical materials, that is, by study of classical and modern Persian texts, both prose and poetry, using films and other media where appropriate. It aims to give you mastery of most all aspects of higher Persian grammar, with a deeper knowledge of its grammatical and syntactical structures, as well as to perfect further your writing and listening skills. Emphasis will also be given to enabling you to write modern Persian at an advanced level and the develop the capacity to carry on conversations in Persian to the level of semi-fluency. You will develop your reading skills to an advanced level for both modern and classical Persian, using texts of various genres and historical periods.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the grammatical and syntactical features of written Persian and spoken Persian;
  • 2. Read various genres of classical and modern Persian texts, to write in modern Persian, as well as to translate from both classical and modern Persian;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 3. Speak modern Persian semi-fluently;
  • 4. Decipher and translate classical Persian texts with minimal use of a dictionary;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Demonstrate time management skills and ability to conduct independent study; and
  • 6. Demonstrate written and oral communication skills in a foreign language.

Syllabus plan

The class will be conducted mostly in Persian. Teaching includes lectures and commentary on the main textbook (Safar-Moghaddem); group discussion of the learning materials of classical Persian prose and poetry given as homework; as well as translations from English into Persian and from Persian into English will be introduced. Students will also give oral presentations (each student talks for 10-15 minutes in the class in Persian about a given topic), followed by questions by other students, replies by the presenter, and feedback from the teacher. Students will also listen to listen to Persian BBC TV broadcasts, news programmes, interviews, etc., and discuss these in groups.

Weeks 1-5. Advanced Persian Grammar (text based); study and translation of advanced Classical Persian texts
Week 6: mid-term quiz
Weeks 7-9: Advanced Persian (conversational and listening skills)
Weeks 10-11. Review of entire class

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
441060

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity4422 x 2 hour Lectures and seminars on Persian grammar, reading comprehension and translation. Interactive class work on written texts, consolidating the linguistic skills of reading, writing, and translating
Guided Independent Study106Weekly homework assignments in writing, translation, grammar, oral presentations, etc. Each homework assignment consists of around 4.5 hours work

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Writing, reading, dictation and translation assignments40 minutes per week1-4, 6Verbal
Conversation and dialoguevaries class to class1, 3, 6 Verbal
Listening comprehension study20-30 minutes per week listening to radio and TV1, 3, 6Verbal

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
305020

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Assessed homework30Weekly homeworks throughout term: approx. 4 hours’ homework per week1,2,4,5,6Written and verbal
Written examination502 hours1,2,4,6Written
Oral, grammar, listening and dictation tests2040 mins per week1-5Verbal
0
0
0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Assessed homeworkWritten examination (1.5 hours; 30%)1,2,4,5,6August/September reassessment period
Written examinationWritten examination (2 hours; 50%)1,2,4,6August/September reassessment period
Oral, grammar, listening and dictation testsWritten examination (1 hour; 20%)1-5August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Zarghamian, Persian Language Training Course, Preliminary Advanced Level, vols. 2, 3.

Yadollah Samareh, Amuzesh-e zaban-e farsi (advanced).

Saffar Moqaddam, Persian Language; Book 3.

In addition to the above textbook, the required course texts will be a packet of readings selected from Buf-e Kur by Sadeq Hedayat; Dai Jan Napoleon by Iraj Pezeshkzad; Shazdeh Ehtejab by Hushang Golshiri, all photocopied in the coursepack. Some classical Persian texts from Sa'di's Golestan and Hafez's Divan, as well as some Persian prose fiction written after the Revolution will also be provided.

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Key words search

Advanced Persian

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

ARA3144

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

6

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

01/07/2013

Last revision date

13/01/2021