Program Structure

The CLS Persian institute aims to provide U.S. students the opportunity to strengthen their proficiency in Persian by offering an integrated and intensive immersion-based language and culture program in Tajikistan’s capital city, Dushanbe. Over eight weeks, the institute covers the approximate equivalent of one academic year of university-level language coursework. It is designed to meet the needs of students from a variety of proficiency levels and backgrounds, from students who have completed one year of university-level Persian language training or the equivalent (advanced beginning) to advanced learners with three or more years of college-level language training.

Formal classroom language instruction consists of approximately four hours of class per day, five days per week, with a minimum of 20 hours per week of classroom instruction. Students at more advanced levels may be assigned an independent project, for which they will conduct research with guidance and support from instructors. The academic program will focus primarily on Persian Farsi, with a small number of class hours devoted to Persian Tajiki—the local dialect, which is generally mutually intelligible with Persian Farsi, but is written in Cyrillic. Students also participate in cultural excursions in and around the city which are designed to reinforce and enhance language acquisition and familiarity with the host culture. Language learning is further supported by accommodations with local host families and regular meetings with language partners—usually local college—aged students who serve as informal language tutors and provide an insider’s perspective on the city, language, and culture.

The CLS Persian institute is hosted by American Councils in Dushanbe, and offers participants a stimulating and engaging environment in which to gain rapid proficiency in Persian and a deeper understanding of Central Asia. To learn more about American Councils in Tajikistan, click here.

Language Levels Offered:

• Advanced Beginning: Completion of one academic year of college-level Persian, or its equivalent, prior to the start of the program.
• Intermediate: Minimum Completion of two academic years of college-level Persian, or its equivalent, prior to the start of the program.
• Advanced: Completion of three years of college-level Persian, or its equivalent, prior to the start of the program.