Reading: This article from Radio Farda is about the Chaldean Christians, a lesser-known Christian group in the Middle East and Iran.
Listening: A video from a historical YouTube channel authored by Saber Sadeghi providing a brief history of Christianity in Iran from the early centuries to the present day.
Subject of Conversation: Is the decline of Christian population in the Middle East inevitable? (آیا کاهش جمعیت مسیحی در خاورمیانه اجتناب‌ناپذیر است؟)
In this discussion, students will explore the reasons behind the decline of Christian populations in the Middle East and debate whether this trend is inevitable. They will be encouraged to consider historical, political, social, and economic factors influencing the migration and demographic changes of Christian communities. Drawing on the reading and listening materials, students will express their opinions, present arguments, and engage in a meaningful debate in Persian.
Homework:
- Please read today’s article and study the vocabulary.
- Choose 10 new words from today’s vocabulary and use each one in an original Persian sentence.
- Conduct some background research to be well-prepared for tomorrow’s discussion.
Vocabulary (Reading):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| کلدانی | kaldāni | Chaldean |
| هزاره | hazāre | millennium |
| بین‌النهرین | beynolnahreyn | Mesopotamia |
| بنا بر | banā bar | based on |
| شواهد (مفرد: شاهد) | šavāhed (sing. šāhed) | evidence |
| سکونت داشتن | sokunat dāštan | to reside |
| تابع | tābe’ | subject |
| منتسب به | montasab be | attributed to |
| شئون (مفرد: شأن) | šo’un (sing. ša’n) | here: matters, affairs; (usually in sing.) dignity, status |
| آشوری | āšuri | Assyrian |
| اندک | andak | little, small amount |
| در جایجای | dar jāyjāy-e | throughout, in every part of |
| قدمت | qedmat | antiquity, oldness |
| خَیّر | xayyer | benefactor; person who does charitable work |
| وقف کردن | vaqf kardan | to make an endowment |
| وصیت کردن | vasiyyat kardan | to make a will, to give sth to sb after one’s own death |
| به طور مشترک | be tour-e moštarak | jointly |
| عهده‌دار بودن | 'ohdedār budan | to be in charge |
| سکونتگاه | sokunatgāh | settlement |
| اسقف اعظم | osqof-e a‘zam | archbishop |
| متولی | motavalli | custodian, trustee |
| کشیش | kešiš | priest |
| تأسیس کردن | ta’sis kardan | to establish |
| هم‌کیش | hamkiš | co-religionist |
| سرگذشت | sargozasht | history, story; adventure(s) |
| مشابه | mošābeh-e | similar to |
| نقل‌مکان کردن | naql-e makān kardan | to resettle |
| هم‌اکنون | ham aknun | nowadays, now, currently |
| اسقف | osqof | bishop |
| صومعه | soume’e | monastery |
| پویا | puyā | dynamic, active |
| افراطی | efrāti | extreme, radical |
| برتافتن | bar tāftan | here: to tolerate |
| نسبی | nesbi | relative |
Vocabulary (Listening):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| نسطوری | nesturi | Nestorian |
| مصادف بودن | mosādef budan | to coincide |
| حداقل | hadd-e aqall | minimum, at least |
| شفاعت کردن | šafā‘at kardan | to intercede |
| عیسی‌دم | ‘isādam | Christ-breathed |
| احیا کردن | ehyā kardan | to revive |
| ساسانیان | sāsāniyān | Sassanids |
| اشکانیان | aškāniyān | Arsacids |
| مبلغ (جمع: مبلغان، مبلغين) | moballeq (plur. moballeqān, moballeqin) | missionary |
| تبلیغ کردن | tabliq kardan | to preach, to proselytize |
| آزادمنش | āzādmaneš | broad-minded |
| اعتقادات (مفرد: اعتقاد) | e‘teqādāt (sing. e‘teqād) | beliefs |
| تعقیب شدن | ta‘qib šodan | to be pursued |
| آزار و شکنجه شدن | āzār o šekanje šodan | to be tortured and persecuted |
| اعدام شدن | e‘dām šodan | to be executed |
| میانرودان | miyānrudān | Mesopotamia |
| عیسوی | ‘isavi | Christian |
| رواداری | ravādāri | tolerance |
| اسیر (جمع: اسراء) | asir (plur. osarā’) | captive, prisoner |
| سریانی | soryāni | Syriac |
| خاور نزدیک | xāvar-e nazdik | the Near East |
| تکلم شدن | takallom šodan | to be spoken |
| دستگاه دیوانی | dastgāh-e divāni | court apparatus |
| متحرک | motaharrek | dynamic, moving |
| الهیات | elāhiyyāt | theology |
| نشان از چیزی داشتن | nešān az čizi dāštan | to reflect something, to indicate |
| چیره شدن | čire šodan | to prevail, to win, to overcome |
| زانو زدن | zānu zadan | to kneel |
| اسکان دادن | eskān dādan | to settle |
| بدگمان شدن | badgomān šodan | to become suspicious |
| شورای اسقفان | šourā-ye osqofān | council of bishops |
| مقرر شدن | moqarrar šodan | to be decreed, to be decided |
| در پرانتز | dar parantez | in parentheses |
| شخصیت | šaxsiyyat | personality; character |
| طبیعت | tabi‘at | nature |
| عقاید (مفرد: عقیده) | a‘qāyed (sing. a‘qide) | beliefs, doctrines |
| تکفیر شدن | takfir šodan | to be excommunicated |
| فرارود | farārud | Transoxiana |