Immerse in language and culture.
Having had a few of my students travel to Iran for a week or so, I realised how helpful it is for someone to visit the country, and immerse themselves in its culture and interact with local people. Students who have had the chance to visit Iran, have come back with a richer vocabulary and much better understanding of the language – something very hard to achieve even with many hours of classroom study. Therefore, I decided to seek out an opportunity for my students, as well as others who may be interested in Farsi language immersion, to live in my hometown of Shiraz, with trusted Iranian families to experience the culture alongside participation in structured classes.
I am going to give you an insider’s view of Shiraz and the surrounding areas, show you how people from different classes and professions talk and interact, give you some understanding of Persian literature, history, poetry, philosophy, music, film, architecture and, of course, Persian cuisine.
This is a 10-day course, with about 30 hours of language classes during the immersion course and will include various workshops and activities in the afternoons. The time outside of the classroom is just as important as work in the classroom. In the afternoons after class we will take part in cultural activities, including sightseeing, visiting historical sites, Film night.
The principal advantage of this program is practicing the language in its cultural context, and the intense classes alongside immersion will provide structure to the immersion experience and will equip you with the benefits of a truly holistic educational experience.
This way of learning language might be your preferred option if time is tight and you would like to improve your language and get an insight into the culture. You’ll be able to practice actively what you already understand passively, to enjoy again the pleasure of learning Farsi at your own pace. Classes will be run by myself and one or two other Farsi teachers, depending on number of participants.
We have one weekend in this 10-day course during which we will visit Persepolis and a traditional village outside the city. The village has pomegranates gardens so if we visit at the right time we will see the process of making traditional pomegranate sauce which is a crucial ingredient in many Persian dishes.
I have chosen some of my relatives and close friends as host families, who will have been given some training so that they will know what you expect from them. You all have a choice with which family to stay. The families will provide you with breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be eaten together – usually at selected local restaurants. You will have your own private room. Of course, you can choose to stay in a hotel, ‘traditional hotel’ or bed and breakfast if you are more comfortable with this.
If you are interested let me know when is the best time for you.
I’m very flexible and will be happy to arrange other activities so just let me know if there are other things you are interested in.