Camp Location: First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue
1717 Bellevue Way Northeast, Bellevue, WA 98004-2853

What is Persian? Persian is the official language of Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan and is also spoken in Bahrain, Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Historically, the language has been a medium for literary and scientific contributions to the Islamic and Western worlds. For five centuries prior to British colonization, it was one of the primary languages used within the Indian sub-continent. It influenced several neighboring languages, including Urdu and Hindi. Today there are 60-80 million native speakers (2006 estimate). Persian is most commonly used in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Why learn a language prominent in the Middle East instead of a European language? Persian has been identified as a "critical language" by the US Department of State. Groups such as the government, humanitarian organizations, and multinational companies are desperately searching for people with Arabic, Persian, and Urdu language skills. Having knowledge of one of these languages could greatly increase your child's options as they grow older in terms of job and study opportunities. For instance, the Department of State currently offers scholarships for students to go abroad and study these languages with flights, housing, and food all included.

How to start a Persian Class in your community: Please send an inquiry to wlp@cultural.org stating that you are interested in setting up Persian Classes at your child's school and the area in which the school is located.

FAQs

Is there a 2011 Persian Summer Camp?
No. We have decided to postpone our 2011 Persian Summer Camp due to lack of grant funding. In 2010 we received a generous grant which allowed us to run an extremely successful camp and we are confident that with continued interest and support we will be able to offer such a camp again in the future.

Are there current Persian Classes available?
No. Our current Persian Class is no longer accepting students but we are very much interested in continuing to offer Persian Language Classes during the school year. If you or anyone you know is interested in starting a School-based Persian World Language Program please email us at wlp@cultural.org.

Does my child have to speak Persian in order to attend classes or camp?
No. Any child, no matter what his/her native language, may attend our classes and camp. We encourage students of all levels to sign up.

How will my child's time be spent during Persian classes or camp?
Our language classes and camps are full of games, songs, art, physical activities and more, all of which will be facilitated in the Persian language. Even though we will be teaching the alphabet, numbers and some sight words that coincide with the different themes of the week, students will not be sitting at a desk reading and writing as in a traditional-style classroom setting. Please see below for our explanations of "Second Language Teaching Methods" to better understand our teaching methods.

What types of Second Language Teaching Methods does A.C.E. use in the classroom and how much of the class is taught ONLY in Farsi?

The A.C.E. World Language Program incorporates several goals and combines several teaching methods. Below is a summary of our goals and the methods A.C.E. uses as well as an explanation of how we implement these into our classes.

A.C.E. Goals:

• Create awareness of other cultures through languages.
• Provide a positive experience with a new language.
• Introduce vocabulary and phrases through authentic, engaging activities.
• Spark interest in further study.

Teaching Methods:
The methods we use were first established over 25 years ago by Dr. Stephen Krashen, Dr. Tracy D. Terrell and Dr. James Asher. Termed "The Natural Approach" and "Total Physical Response," these methods are supported by language professionals nationwide. As recommended by Krashen, Terrell and Asher, our teachers focus on communication rather than language form. During this process, with plenty of language input from the teacher, comprehension precedes speech production. Each child's speech will emerge naturally, when the student is ready. These methods encourage children to follow the natural pattern of language acquisition that they did when they were first learning to speak.

How these methods are used in the classroom:
The curriculum for immersion programs is intended to provide maximum exposure and minimum translation process. We are trying to achieve this goal while keeping our children interested in continuing the program. The child has to experience success in order to want to continue. At times this support requires a short explanation, comment or reminder to keep the child motivated. I do not know of any immersion programs other than pre-school set ups that do not use other than target languages at times. As for the Farsi vs. English/Farsi concerns, our curriculum does not require translation and uses the target language 100%. The student will learn as long as the student "participates". Our goal is not to use any other language. However, a concurrent goal is to preserve and promote confidence and interest in the child to motivate him/her to participate and use the language and value the learning of Farsi. If in the achievement of this goal, the teacher needs to utilize another language as a tool, then she uses her discretion as to when and where she needs to use this tool knowing that the success of the program is in minimizing the use of translation.

How fluent will my child be after the camp is finished?
The current goal of the foreign language curriculum is exposure, comfort, and enthusiasm towards learning a new language and culture. By using the Natural Approach and TPR teaching methods mentioned above, a low anxiety environment is created while exposing students to the target language. The students will progress through a series of natural stages as they become more proficient in the target language. There are five stages that are recognized in the Natural Approach: 1) the silent period or early production, 2) early speech, 3) speech emergence or extending production, 4) intermediate fluency and, 5) full proficiency. In the first stage, the silent period, students are introduced to the target language through games, songs, chants, and lessons to teach target vocabulary. At this point the students are listening, comprehending and using non-verbal responses. The first stage is many times overlapped with the second stage of early speech wherein the students are beginning to verbalize the language using single words and short utterances. The third stage of extending production is when the students start using phases and sentences to have short dialogues. While students are in the fourth stage, intermediate fluency, their short dialogues will move into extended dialogues with fewer and fewer grammatical mistakes. In fact, it may very much seems as though they have become fully proficient and reached the fifth stage when their language skills are matched with the students of their same age and grade that have grown up speaking the target language as their first. It takes time to move through the stages in order to become "fluent" in a target language, just like it did when we were learning our first language. Sixty hours of instruction is not enough time for a child to acquire "full -fluency". The level of fluency that your child will obtain through the camp session depends a lot on the foundation that your child has in the target language. Those students who have an environment at home where the target language is spoken will have an advantage to those who don't. Our camp provides an excellent basis for future study whether or not your child speaks Persian at home. Moreover, whether your child is a beginner or more advanced speaker, the camp is still helpful in providing a foundation for advancing your child's studies in the years to come.