Heritage Language Education for Iranian-American Children Hoori Ghahremani Khayam Persian School Foundation Irvine, California A non-profit 501c3 organization

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