• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Advanced Persian Language II

Module description

Persian is a modern Indo-European language spoken today by over 100 million people—chiefly in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.  It provides you with the means and opportunity for you to take your reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills in Persian to level C1 (mastery-proficiency) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Through language, the module will deepen your exposure to Persian cultural expressions.

 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.

If you have prior knowledge of Persian acquired outside of your degree programme or have not completed the prerequisite modules, your level will be assessed by the module convenor in order to establish whether this module is suitable for you—admission in such cases is not guaranteed.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to continue developing your advanced Persian. It will enhance your ability to use complex grammatical structures of Persian through a wide range of written materials, e.g. media and cultural, and to hone your writing, speaking and listening skills. The module also aims to further develop high-demand skills such as translation. Building on your existing knowledge, you will further develop your ability to use complex Persian in your writing, speaking and listening. The module will further enhance your ability to tackle complex syntactic structures  through a wide range of written materials such as media, literature and religious texts. You will become more familiar with a range of text registers in writing and translation. You will also further learn how to present a topic for discussion and to engage in class debates.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Extract a sense and specific details of authentic written texts from various genres at CEFRL level C1
• 2. Extract a sense and specific details of authentic aural texts from these genres at CEFRL level C1
• 3. Present a detailed argument written in Persian in answer to essay questions on a range of topics.
• 4. Verbally communicate competence in Persian at CEFRL level C1.
• 5. Engage in an oral discussion of a range of topics in Persian, articulating your own opinions and responding to the opinions of others.
• 6. Extract a sense and specific details of authentic written texts from various genres (including literary and journalistic) at CEFRL level C1.
• 7. Extract a sense and specific details of authentic aural texts from these genres at CEFRL level C1.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 8. Consolidate your own learning by using available learning aids, in a variety of media, and organise this process independently and with guidance from course tutors.
• 9. Recognise and understand core linguistic terminology individually and as part of a group.
• 10. Use a bilingual dictionary to glean information about meaning, register, usage and grammatical forms.
• 11. Engage, independently and under guidance, with Persian media printed and online.

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 12. Working in groups at solving linguistic tasks at CEFRL level C1.
• 13. Use time management strategies through skills of self-study.
• 14. Deploy cognitive and analytical skills.
• 15. Utilise subject knowledge to solve problems and develop practical skills.
• 16. Show a nuanced appreciation of the literatures and cultures of the people who speak (and spoke) Persian.

Syllabus plan

• Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, the syllabus will cover the following topics: 
• Reading: You will be introduced to different types of authentic texts; including literary, practical and journalistic.
• Writing: You will be introduced to different styles of writing. You will learn how to present a topic, a discussion and a conclusion. 
• Translation: You will translate advanced texts from Persian into English and vice versa.
• Listening and Speaking: Here you will enhance your listening and speaking capabilities by listening to and discussing topical issues. 
• Literature: You will be exposed to different types of classical and modern Persian writings to deepen your knowledge of Persian culture.

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

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

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

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