Learning Persian For Fun

Problem
How do you learn Persian? Why bother, especially if you have no immediate plans to go there?

Answer
Why not? It provides a topic of conversation with anybody who speaks another language or who is learning English. And once you start learning another language, you notice people from a country which speaks that language. You might even recognize the words of greeting when standing on a bus or train or boarding a plane, or checking in. That will awaken your interest and keep it fresh in your memory.

Story
I was at a Toastmasters International meeting in London. In London both the clubs to which I belong (HOD and Harrovians) have at least one Spanish speaking member who often mentions Spain and Spanish language and learning English in their talks.

Over in Singapore I often meet people with names ending with ez, which means their family was of Portuguese origin. On paper, Portuguese looks similar to Spanish. Many of them have ancestors or relatives from mach or Goa.

I was evaluating a talk on language by the Spanish speaking girl. I was also asked to do the table topics (questions for impromptu two minute replies by guests and members of the audience who have not had the chance to stand up and give a prepared speech). When I heard that her speech was on learning the English language, I was delighted. An opportunity for me to give topics on learning English, and learning or speaking other languages.

Spain was under Moorish rule for a while. The Moors came from across the sea to the south from Morocco (hence the name Moors). Their language was close to Arabic spoken all around North Africa at that time.

In the audience was somebody from Iran. During the interval he explained to me that when he said he was Persian, English people often replied, "Oh - you mean Iranian?"

His answer is: "Iranian and Persian are different. Iran is the current name of a country. Persians are a race and a language. You can speak Persian, or be of Persian race, even if you live in a country bordering Iran, or the other side of the world in Europe, England or America. You can be both Persian and Iranian. You could be one but not the other."

(I have to attend a meeting. More shortly.)

Tips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyWaiEHlaCQ (Tells you greetings. Free three minute course.)

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, public speaker, workshop leader, author and language teacher (English and other languages).