Language Information
Persian is an Indo-European language that has several major dialects, Farsi referring to the Persian spoken in Iran, Dari in Afghanistan, and Tajiki in Tajikistan. During the Middle Ages, Persian gained immense prominence in many of the Central Asian empires as it was the lingua franca of royal courts and philosophical, poetic, religious, and scientific writings from the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent.
At Indiana University, Persian courses are offered by the Department of Central Euroasian Studies. The first two years of Persian at IU focus primarily on the spoken modern dialects of Iranian Persian. Students that continue onto the third year will get to delve into modern and medieval literature and poetry. At IU, you can not only become proficient in Persian but also study the region in depth by choosing a Major or Minor in Central Eurasian Studies.
During the summer, intensive online courses are available through the Language Workshop.