Courses

Persian Courses

101 Elementary Persian I U 5
Introduction to Persian; development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.

Au Qtr. 5 cl. Not open to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credit, or to students with 3 or more years of study in this language in high school, except by permission of dept. This course is available for EM credit. GEC for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.

102 Elementary Persian II U 5
Further development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.

Wi Qtr. 5 cl. Prereq: 101. Not open to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credit. This course is available for EM credit. GEC for lang course. FL Admis Cond course.

103 Elementary Persian III U 5
Development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills; reading of simplified literary texts about Persian culture.

Sp Qtr. 5 cl. Prereq: 102. Not open to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credit. This course is available for EM credit. GEC for lang course.

104 Intermediate Persian I U 5
Reading of Persian short stories and poems with attention to literary and cultural appreciation; development of basic language skills.

Au Qtr. 5 cl. Prereq: 103. Not open to native speakers of this language through regular course enrollment or EM credit. This course is available for EM credit. GEC for lang course.

The Persian language has a literary history of more than 2,500 years and a provenance that includes vast areas of Asia. Modern literary Persian, or Farsi, has an extremely rich literary tradition of 1,000 years and presently is used and spoken by approximately 40 million people. This four-course sequence is designed to guide a student to proficiency in the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This means that students, at the end of four quarters, are able to speak adequately in all social situations and read and write all general, non-specialized material without frequent resort to dictionaries or grammars. In Persian 101, Elementary Persian I, students learn the alphabet, some basic conversational Persian, one third of the grammar content of the required text, and about 500 words in addition to basic grammatical items. They also read and write simple prose of approximately one paragraph in length. The final grade is determined on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, a midterm test, and a final examination. In Persian 102, Elementary Persian II, students develop and gain confidence in spoken Persian, master the second third of the grammar content of the required text, acquire an active vocabulary of about 1,200 words and read and write simple prose. The text and dictionary is the same as in Persian 101, and additional reading material is provided. The grade determination is on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, a midterm test, and a final examination. In Persian 103, Intermediate Persian I, students begin consolidating skills in conversational and social Farsi, master the last third of the required text of 101 and 102, acquire an active vocabulary of 2,200 words, begin to read shorter, annotated literary texts, and write simple expository prose of about a page in length. The required text and dictionaries are the same as in 101 and 102. The final grade is determined on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, a midterm test, and a final examination. In Persian 104, Intermediate Persian II, students master conversational and social Farsi and read and write in Farsi about general or non-specialized subjects without frequent reference to bilingual dictionaries or grammars.

201 Intermediate Persian II U 5
Extensive reading from literary texts, with practice in conversation and composition.

Wi Qtr. Prereq: 104 or equiv. Effective Spring 2005: not open to students with credit for 401.

202 Intermediate Persian III U 5
Continued reading from literary texts, with further practice in conversation, composition, and translation.

Sp Qtr. Prereq: 201 or equiv. Effective Spring 2005: not open to students with credit for 402.

In these courses students consolidate their command of Persian grammar and composition. This is accomplished through regular assignment of compositions and readings in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Students increase their passive and active vocabularies and their ability to read Persian poetry and prose. Students also acquire the required skills for literary pursuits. Classes are conducted mainly in Persian on a variety of topics.

241 Persian Culture U 5
A survey of Persian culture through the reading of Persian literature in translation, viewing of Persian films, and listening to Persian music.

GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course.

This course will expose students to the diversity and richness of Persian culture. Because of the importance of religion in Persian culture, students will study in broad outline the distinguishing features of Shi'a Islam as practiced in Iran and they will be introduced to the main tenets of Persian sufism. The impact on Iran of two outside cultures - that of the Arabs and that of the industrialized West - will also be considered. The course will take into account endemic tensions in Persian culture: for example, between indigenous and outside forces, between absolutism and populism, etc. Much of the instruction will be through the examination of literary works, particularly twentieth century literary works; students will also see Iranian films and receive an introduction to Persian music and the Persian tradition of miniature painting.

293 Individual Studies U 1-5
Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

294 Group Studies U 1-5
Special topics to be announced in the quarter previous to the one in which the course is offered.

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

370 Persian Mythology and Folklore U 5
Mythology and folklore of Persian-speaking lands, from cosmological texts through popular theater and narrative performance to popular customs and beliefs.

Prereq: English 110 or 111. GEC arts and hums lit course.

Students will become familiar with the concepts and individuals (gods, heroes, demons) of ancient and more recent Persian mythology, as well as with various categories of folklore and folklife in present day Iran. This course will also introduce students to the basic concepts and methods of comparative myth and folklore studies. Although a variety of texts will be read, the emphasis of the course will be on the mythological and folk aspects of the texts, rather than their purely literary qualities.

371 Persian Literature in Translation U 5
A study of Persian literature in translation and the history of its discourses, genres, and styles.

GEC arts and hums lit course.

This course will expose students to Persian literature in translation from both classical and modern periods in order to make it available to students and comparativists in other languages and disciplines. The aim of the course is for the student to become acquainted with a number of representative works of Persian literature, to identify enduring themes in the literature, and to see the ways in which modern Persian literature has grown from its classical origins.

651 Persian Prose U G 5
Selected readings reflecting the major genres of classical Persian prose, plus a modern novel.

Prereq: 402 or permission of instructor.

This course seeks to familiarize students whose command of Persian is at an advanced level with the major genres of both classical and modern Persian prose. Students who have in the lower level courses read excerpts chosen largely for their degree of difficulty will read entire works, or major portions of such works, chosen for their literary quality and for their seminal influence in genre and style. Students will increase their fluency in reading and learn to exercise an enhanced facility in the language.

652 Persian Poetry U G 5
Selected topics in Persian poetry, concentrating primarily on the medieval poetic narrative, as exemplified by epic, romance, and the mystical/didactic poem.

Prereq: 402 or permission of instructor.

This course seeks to familiarize students whose command of Persian is at an advanced level with the major genres of both classical and modern Persian poetry. Students who have in the lower level courses read excerpts chosen largely for their degree of difficulty will read entire works, or major portions of such works, chosen for their literary quality and for their seminal influence in genre and style. Students will increase their fluency in reading and learn to exercise an enhanced facility in the language.

693 Individual Studies U G 1-5
Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

694 Group Studies U G 1-5
Special topics to be announced in the quarter previous to the one in which the course is offered.

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

697 Study at a Foreign Institution U G 1-15
An opportunity for students to study at a foreign institution and receive Ohio State credit for that work.

Prereq: Written permission of dept chairperson. Repeatable to a maximum of 45 cr hrs. This course is Progress ("P") graded. Students will pay Ohio State fees and any fees in excess of Ohio State tuition, as well as all travel and subsistence costs.

721 Studies in Persian Poetry U G 5
Advanced study of specific poetic periods, figures, and/or topics involving extensive reading and discussion of appropriate primary and secondary source materials.

Prereq: 10 cr hrs of Persian literature at the 600 level or equiv. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

Through close reading of a number of primary texts and consultation of major secondary sources, students will become acquainted with a range of poets, discourses, and critical questions, as well as with the historical and cultural context that gave rise to them. In addition, they are expected to advance significantly in their ability to deal competently with complex Persian cultural issues and to gain greater familiarity with the various sources where aid in dealing with these issues may be sought.

H783 Honors Research U 3-5
A program of research for each student which includes individual conferences and which culminates in an honors thesis or oral defense.

Prereq: Approved candidacy for graduation with distinction, which includes faculty adviser and ASC Honors Committee approval of project, a minimum 3.50 pt-hr ratio in the field of distinction, sr standing, and CPHR commensurate with honors program membership. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

811 Seminar in Persian Studies G 5
Intensive investigation of a selected topic or problem in Persian literature, literary culture, philology, or linguistics.

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 20 cr hrs.

This course will give graduate students an opportunity to explore thoroughly a major issue or phenomenon in the larger context of Persian literary culture and to examine its ramifications and implications. The objective is to provide a well-defined area of concentrated literary/cultural study and invite the investigation of a specific scholarly problem through the application of appropriate research skills and methodological approaches. By the end of the course, students ought to have sufficient familiarity with the requirements and parameters of literary analysis; the specific character of Persian literature and its audience; and the challenges to interpretation posed by the peculiarities of Persian culture and tradition. Students will be expected to read and prepare all texts for discussion by their assigned dates. Each student, in consultation with the instructor, will choose and prepare a particular text which will then be assigned to the entire class and dealt with in a discussion directed by that student. In addition, students will compose one major research paper, based upon the sources used in the course (and any other appropriate sources), due during the final week of class.

998 Research in Persian G 1-10
Research for thesis purposes only.

Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 10 cr hrs.

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