Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3144: Advanced Persian Language I

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of this course is to initiate you into the higher reaches of Persian language studies, in particular in relation to classical and modern Persian literature, as well as to introduce you to some important forms of modern Iranian media. A great deal of your participation will focus on helping you develop your written and spoken Persian language abilities, such as your ability to watch, comprehend and discuss the subjects broached in contemporary Persian TV shows and other types of media. The course also aims to familiarize you with aspects of higher-level Persian grammar and some of more sophisticated aspects of Persian culture and civilisation.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Deal with advanced written and aural materials of various types in Persian; 2. Produce grammatically accurate written Persian in summary form or more extensively;
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Peruse at a reasonable speed (and demonstrate comprehension of) classical Persian literary texts; 4. Acquire an advanced understanding of the importance of Persian language and civilisation in the broader context of Islamic civilisation and culture;
Personal and Key Skills	5. Demonstrate an appreciation of modern Persian as a form of communication; 6. Demonstrate an appreciation of Classical Persian as a form of literature; and 7. Develop time management skills and ability to conduct independent study, as well as working in groups in conversation and text-based work.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Teaching varies between lectures and commentary on the main textbook (Safar-Moghaddem), in-class readings, translation, dictation from and discussion of Persian texts. Persian-to-English translation exercises will be done collectively by the whole class. There will be regular vocabulary reviews and poetic and prose texts will be read aloud together. Individual students will give presentations of grammatical points or texts that they have studied or read independently. In terms of reading, you will study different types of texts, such as historical, literary, current affairs, etc. In terms of writing, you will learn to master different styles of expression, how to present a topic and lead a discussion to conclusion. In terms of translation, we will read poetic and prose texts aloud together, and work together on your translation and similar homework assignments. In terms of listening and conversation skills, activities will include watching and listening to media Persian (TV broadcasts, news, interview, documentaries etc.) and discussing various topics in colloquial Persian. Your listening comprehension skills will be refined by listening to and discussing various genres of classical Persian music and song.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
44	106	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	44	22 x 2 hour lectures and seminars on Persian grammar, reading comprehension and translation. Interactive group work on written texts, consolidating the linguistic skills of reading, writing, and translating.
Guided Independent Study	106	Weekly homework assignments in writing, translation, grammar, oral presentations, etc. Each assignment consists of around 4.5 hours work and each group activity tests different language skills

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).