AZOFA group

AZOFA group

 

(Teaching Iranian language and culture to non-Persian speakers)

It is about two years that this part has started its activity. The abbreviated name of AZOFA has been selected to show the real role of this group in teaching Persian language as well as the Iranian culture to interested people. In fact AZOFA group is as a representative of teaching Persian language and culture in the academic places as Shiraz, Isfahan, Allameh Tabatabayi and Mashad Universities. Introducing historical, cultural, literary, and ancient attractions of Iran by the use of advanced and new technologies such as audio-visual software to other countries is one of the main objects of AZOFA. In this way the contents of AZOFA are as a garden that its beauty and fragrance touches the spirit and heart of the mankind. This part tries to have strong relationship with the Persian language and literature part in improving Persian teaching.

The paradise of Persian language and literature has been flourished and its fruits have reached to scientific and educational centers. We hope that it can find its lofty position in the real world. In this text we have tried to point to the reasons of the popularity of Persian language outside of Iran and then we tried to examine the principles of Persian language education and related problems. Finally we have evaluated the function of the responsible institutes in Persian language education and why we have made up AZOFA part.

 

Popularity of Persian language out of the country

It is about 50 years from the time that Ministry of science and higher education started to expand Persian language education to other countries. Limited and short activities of that time have changed now to an outstanding and valuable activity in many countries of the world. These great changes are the result of the following items:

a) Exploration of the internet and the virtual world which resulted in close relationship of nations and more interactions between them

b) Inclination toward knowing different nations and their past and present culture

These two items has caused language to play an important role in the world

 

 

Head of the AZOFA department

Dr. Ahmed Saffar Moghadem

 

Expert personnel:

Vida noor khalatbari

Mrs. Nasim Ashraf  Al-oghalayi

Mrs. Masoomeh Lavayi

 

The first book software

The first volume software of the “Persian language book” which was consisted of all the pages, all the images and its questions was produced in 2009 with the cooperation of Aryana Company. This software was introduced in the 3^rd festival and exhibition of Tehran software and was selected as the best software.

 

The Persian language collection

The positive feedbacks that earned in 1998 with the publication of “General Persian book (1)” urged the IHCS to start the second research project and tried to publish the second volume of this book. In this way teaching the Persian language to non- Persian speakers was followed seriously. Complete support by the head of the IHCS and coordination of the related council changed the 2^nd volume of this project to a 9 volume series with the name of “Persian language” that consists of the following volumes:

Fist book: Basic courses

Second book: The capital of Iran

Third book: Iran Today

Fourth book: History, Culture and Iran’s civilization

For every one of these books we have provided a work book and for the whole series we have provided a guide book. Production of the audio-visual soft ware for each separate book is in the program.

 

Teaching of the Persian language

Persian language and the Audiences

Persian language is being taught in different countries and in different levels. Students of this filed have different motivation and various interests even in one class. The time of education and the amount of assignment are different. Language environment are not similar in the case of Persian speakers and communication with Iranians and the ability of professors are not similar. So it is necessary to provide a special book for every special group of language learners that have similar situation, but this is not totally possible at the moment.

 

Th e task of preparing this current collection is the task that has been fulfilled by AZOFA group (in IHCS) and the council of Persian language development. In spite of having a lot of limitations, the AZOFA group decided to provide this collection of courses in more general form in order that more people can use it. So we insist that the AZOFA collected courses are not restricted to a special time or place and it can be used for different students and different countries.

 

Responsible institutions

The council of Persian language and literature was established officially in 1987 based on the article of Cultural Revolution. The aim of this council was to follow the research, scientific, policy making, and planning affairs of Persian language teaching to non- Persian speakers all over the world. The other responsibility of this council is to coordinate the other responsible institutes. Members of this council are the Ministers of Science, Minister of culture and Islamic Guidance and Minister of education and Minister of foreign affairs beside six leading professors of Persian language and literature

 

Centers of Education

The international center for Persian language teaching of Tehran University is the first academic institution that established exclusively for teaching Persian language. This center was established in 1989 with the suggestion of Dr. Shahidi, the head of Loghatnameh Dehkhoda Center. This center is the first center that was founded for providing dictionaries and terminologies. Up to 2010 about 9000 person have learned Persian language in International center of Persian language. Current training courses are two compact courses of morning and afternoon for 6 weeks and in 6 levels. Reading and writing courses are of two levels and the advance course of Persian language has increased to three semesters. Every year more than 500 students of all over the world are learning Persian language and literature.

This center published the first Persian teaching book in 2005 in beginner level entitled with “Persian to Persian”. This book is written by Dr. Shokoofeh Shahidi one of the faculty member of the center. The head of the center has been Dr. Shahidi from the beginning up to now.

E_mail: ICPS@ut. ac. Ir      Fax: (0098-21) 22 71 7118         Tel: (0098-21) 22 71 7120

Mail: No. ,3011 Loghatnameh Dehkhoda & International Center for Persian Studies, Vali-e-Asr Ave. , Pesyan Bus Stop, Shemiran, Tehran Iran

 

 

General Persian book

The first period of two volumes of General Persian was prepared based on the related experience of Henkook University in South Korea. Fortunately at that time there was not any opportunity to publish the book and just a collection of Persian language information was published. This collection was then revised by the related organizations and was enriched by Iranian culture and literature and republished in 1998.

 

Verbal Persian book

The collection of Persian language which is the first educational Persian language book was prepared by the council of Persian language and IHCS. This book is aimed to teach four language skills simultaneously. On the other hand the framework of this book is in the way that all of the language learners in different levels can use it. This verbal book has two volumes with two beginner and intermediate levels. As its name shows it is related to teaching conversations in Persian language. Every volume has 26 lessons that can be taught in two semesters. The themes of these lessons are related to education and social issues of everyday life. Verbal language of this book is of the standard form and in the second volume it is in formal language. The new words in every lesson are about 20 words. The audio-visual attraction is one of the most important aspects of the book so it has been tried to use a lot of images and films in the book.