The universiTy of Texas aT ausTin

IntensIve PersIan summer Language InstItute

The ideal learning environment for a student of

Persian would be a complete immersion in the

study of history, politics, culture, and language at an

Iranian university. Since such an opportunity is

not available to most American students, UT’s

Persian Summer Institute provides the next

best thing.

This innovative program aims to push students

toward Intermediate to Superior proficiency

in Persian by means of proficiency-based

communicative language instruction and

discipline-based content courses on Iranian

history, politics, culture, and media.

The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Middle Eastern Studies

Summer Language Institutes

1 University Station F9400

Austin, TX 78712-0527

Phone: (512) 471-3881

Email: utsummerinstitutes@austin.utexas.edu

www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/mes

InstructIonaL staff

Kamran Scot Aghaie

Institute Director

Associate Professor of Iranian and Islamic History

The University of Texas at Austin

Advanced Persian Coordinator

Blake Atwood

Lecturer, Persian

University of Pennsylvania

Intermediate Persian Coordinator

Anousha Shahsavari

Lecturer, Persian

The University of Texas at Austin

Beginning Persian Coordinator

the unIversIty of texas at austIn DIfference

Who shouLD aPPLy?Students’ skills should range between complete beginner to Advanced proficiency on the ACTFL

scale at the start of the program. Informal oral proficiency interviews will be conducted as part

of the admissions process, and students will be placed in whichever level best suits their skills,

with consideration also given to other academic criteria and pedagogical issues. Applicants for

the intermediate level will typically have completed one or two years of Persian study before starting the program; applicants for

the advanced level typically will have completed at least two years of study. Applicants should be prepared to engage in an intensive

program of study that will activate all language skills—reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The program is not open to native speakers of Persian, but heritage learners whose proficiency levels are appropriate for the

program are encouraged to apply.

What WILL It cost?Tuition for the program is $3,800, excluding travel, room and board, and other living expenses. Offering over 150 contact hours, the

Persian Summer Institute qualifies for the Summer FLAS Fellowship. Contact your home institution for details on applying for the

FLAS Fellowship.

hoW Do I aPPLy?Visit our website at www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/mes after December 15, 2011 to download the application. The priority application

deadline is March 1, 2012.

Program at a gLance

m Ten-week intensive program running from May 28 to

August 3, 2012

m Courses offered at all levels: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced

m Offers 12 credits at the beginning level and 9 at intermediate and advanced

m Over 150 contact hours at all levels

m Weekly activities include group discussions, student presentations, reading, writing, and multi-media activities (and one-on-one discussions at the intermediate & advanced levels)

m Meets Summer FLAS Fellowship requirements

courseWork

The institute will offer three levels of instruction—

beginning, intermediate, and advanced—and students

will be divided based on their pre-program proficiency

levels (according to the ACTFL scale) as well as other

academic criteria and pedagogical issues.

The beginning course will target students who are

true beginners in the language and aims to bring

them to intermediate proficiency by the end of the

summer. The intermediate course will target students

at Intermediate proficiency who are working to reach

Advanced. The advanced course will target students

who are already at Advanced proficiency and are

working toward Superior skills in Persian.

IntermeDIate PersIan courses

course tItLe Instructor

m Iran since the Revolution Blake Atwood

m Urban Youth Culture Dena Afrasiabi and Politics

m Intermediate Conversation, Golsheed Bagheri Reading, and Writing Teaching Assistant

aDvanceD PersIan courses

course tItLe Instructor

m Iran since the Revolution Mikiya Koyagi

m Gender and Sexuality in the Maryam Shariati Islamic Republic

m Advanced Conversation, Beeta Baghoolizadeh Reading, and Writing Teaching Assistant

BegInnIng PersIan courses

course tItLe Instructor

m Intensive Persian I Anousha Shahsavari

m Intensive Persian II Mahyar Entezari

m Both Courses Somy Kim Teaching Assistant