Heritage Language Education for Iranian-American Children

Hoori GhahremaniKhayam Persian School Foundation

Irvine, CaliforniaA non-profit 501c3 organization

www.persianschool.org

Our Mission

1. To provide Iranian-American children with the Persian language skills necessary for proficient communication and comprehension

2. To develop more effective and creative methods for teaching Persian.

3. To raise Iranian-American awareness & support for Persian heritage language learning.

4. To encourage young Iranian-Americans to pursue and help develop Persian language teacher training.

5. To provide Persian cultural arts programs for Iranian-American children

The Persian language

• Official language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikestan

• 32 letters in alphabet; 6 vowels

Our HL Learners

• Ages: 6-12 years• Most are US born• One parent or both

parents are native speakers• Most HL learners speak English at home:– Although parents speak to them in Persian, HL

learners respond in English.

Differentiation

• Based on age group• Different proficiency levels:– High proficiency: Schooling in HL country (Iran)– Medium proficiency: Speaking with family and

community members– Low proficiency: Not speaking at all

• Each group is given appropriate instruction and activities

Teaching strategies• Small groups with single instructor• Associate language with cultural knowledge:– Social customs– Special occasions (e.g., celebrations and festivals)– Geography – learning about parents’ birthplace

• Comparison of Persian and English sentence construction

• Memorizing poetry• Singing national anthem• Learning and practicing traditional Persian dance• Theatrical performances

Special projects

Cultural activities: Persian New Year (Norooz) Celebration

Persian cultural workshop for Irvine public school teachers