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Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-09, 12:45
by księżycowy
So I'm interested in getting into some Persian eventually, and I'm looking for a good textbook to learn it from (in English). Any suggestions guys?

I've seen quite a few on the market lately, but the reviewers are all over the place, so I figured I'd ask here before potentially wasting my money.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-09, 13:00
by kotrcka
download teach yourself persian in PDF and print it.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-09, 13:51
by Rémy LeBeau
DLI's Dari course is without a shadow of a doubt the single best set of coursebooks (complete with comprehensive audio recordings) you'll find, even taking Farsi and Tajik coursebooks into consideration. Don't bother getting the student books, just get the teacher books (usually marked T), which are exactly the same but with the addition of answer keys at the back. They are in true PDF format, so you can get them printed and bound as books very easily.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-09, 14:11
by księżycowy
Rémy LeBeau wrote:DLI's Dari course is without a shadow of a doubt the single best set of coursebooks (complete with comprehensive audio recordings) you'll find, even taking Farsi and Tajik coursebooks into consideration. Don't bother getting the student books, just get the teacher books (usually marked T), which are exactly the same but with the addition of answer keys at the back. They are in true PDF format, so you can get them printed and bound as books very easily.

It does look quite good. Thanks Remy!

kotrcka wrote:download teach yourself persian in PDF and print it.

Well I do have a few books already. (Should have said that before)
I have TY (by Mace), Colloquial Persian (2001 version), and Modern Persian: A Course-Book.
I have to confess I was eying the following two books:
Spoken World Farsi
An Introduction to Persian by Thackston
Are they any good?

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-09, 14:26
by Rémy LeBeau
Once you get past the grammar, introductions to colloquial speech and common idioms that are covered by the first semester books, the second semester books are where this course really shines: Each lesson has a listening segment from an authentic Afghan short story (a few paragraphs from the same story every lesson for continuity), a 'text' segment which is read aloud on the recordings formally, dialogue segments which are recorded colloquially, a 'gist' section where you're given 5 subject titles and then you listen to 5 dialogues and associate the correct dialogue with the correct subject title, vocabulary exercises and of course the obligatory military vocab section. Oh, the story, text and dialogue sections come with their own sets of exercises as well.

I haven't used Spoken World Farsi or Thackston's book, but I've heard good things about Thackston's book. My personal favourite back when I started learning was Modern Persian: A Course-Book.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-09, 15:27
by księżycowy
Ok, I think I'll use the DLI course, and maybe check out Thackston's book (in addition to the others I have). Thanks again Remy! :)

Oh, and I also liked Modern Persian: A Coursebook as well, back when I tried learning Persian a few years ago. It was a great course, that really helped me learn the alphabet (due to the fact that it's only in the Persian script). I'll definitely use that again!

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-13, 9:58
by kalemiye

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-01-15, 10:47
by eskandar
The two best books I have seen for beginning or intermediate learners are Mace's Persian Grammar and Thackston's Introduction to Persian (especially the latter, which is wonderful).

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-02-10, 13:37
by Hassaan Zia

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-02-23, 18:30
by księżycowy
Persian for Beginner's by Bashiri any good?

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-02-27, 22:12
by Meera
księżycowy wrote:Persian for Beginner's by Bashiri any good?


I think it's very dry.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-02-27, 22:18
by księżycowy
Meera wrote:I think it's very dry.

Hmmm . . . :?
I was wondering about that. But it's not like I don't have enough already for Persian. I may still look at a few of the stories in the latter lessons though. I think that'll be fine.
Thanks Meera!

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-03-02, 22:55
by Meera
I mean it's deffintely Subjective, whats borining to one person may not be to another. So if you want to check it out you should.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-03-08, 11:09
by księżycowy
I always check out free resources. :wink:
But either way I’m not going to start with it.
And I agree with you 100%!

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-03-17, 16:51
by Meera
Good luck with Persian :)

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-03-17, 18:51
by księżycowy
Thanks. Though I'm not starting it yet. But soon hopefully.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-06-12, 0:26
by ceid donn
I just discovered this website for learning conversational Persian:

Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation

It's almost free (you can download the basic podcasts for free; support materials are $1 a lesson). They only have 10 lessons up so far, with a new lesson planned every other week. The accompanying PDF that you get for your $1 does not focus on reading Persian script, so you can start learning even if you're not 100% comfortable with the script yet, like me :oops: (although the vocabulary lists show the words in both Persian script and transliteration)

I've only done the first lesson, but it seems quite promising to me. And since it's a learning course in progress, you can offer feedback to the creators if you wish.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-06-13, 4:25
by Meera
Wow! Nice site.

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-07-04, 15:02
by ceid donn
In case anyone noticed, the Chai and Conversation site that I linked to above was down for a few weeks. It's back up now. :)

Re: Learning resources

Posted: 2011-07-04, 16:17
by Ghoti
I'm not sure if this has been posted already, but at the bottom of the linked page is a list of arabic loanwords with their persian equivalents, e.g.:
بجای اول بگو نخست

And it goes on for 22 pages!

You can find it at the bottom of this page:http://www.bips.ac.uk/language/

Just click the link 'Use Persian'.