Course Description
Oral fluency, written expression, and reading comprehension of Dari (the dialect of Persian spoken in Afghanistan). Taught through the use of vocabulary in simulated settings through repetition drills, frequent use of vocabulary, acting, and reading aloud.
Athena Title
Elementary Dari I
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is designed to be a comprehensive approach to learning Dari focusing on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. By the end of this course, students will be able to converse in everyday social situations, read texts of elementary level difficulty, write elementary narrative style paragraphs, and develop a cultural awareness.
Topical Outline
Week 1 Conversation: Introductions: How are you? Focus: First 1/4 of the alphabet Week 2 Conversation: Introductions: Where are you from? Focus: Second 1/4 of the alphabet Week 3 Classroom expressions and conversations Focus: Third 1/4 of the alphabet Week 4 Last 1/4 of the alphabet Review of previous conversations and the alphabet Test 1 Week 5 Subject pronouns Present tense Noun plurals The verb "to be" (budan) Questions and answers using the present tense of budan Week 6 Cardinal numbers from one to ten Demonstrative pronounds and adjectives The verb "to have" (dashtan) The negative "ech," the suffix "-am," and the question word "chi" (what?) Week 7 Speaking about the weather Courteous expressions Kuja (where?), inja/unja (here/there) Adjectives Compound nouns Week 8 Review, Test 2 Week 9 Expressions for leave-taking Ki (who?) and –e Ki (whose?) Attached personal pronouns The possessive form of nouns cardinal numbers 11-20 Week 10 Formation of the present tense: kadan (to do), shudan (to become), & raftan (to go) Compound verbs Definite direct object marker Week 11 Shopping at the bazaar (conversations about cost and price) Making change Common prepositions Cardinal numbers from 20 on. Week 12 Review, Test 3 Week 13 Conversations about the family Adverbs of time Imperatives Week 14 Conversations about Afghanistan pt. 1 Simple past tense (budan, kadan) past-time prefixes and words Ke (who, whom, that, which) as a relative pronoun Week 15 Conversations about Afghanistan pt. 2 Days of the week Time telling Week 16 Comprehensive review