Reading: The students have two articles to read, both about the history of the art of painting in Iran. The first one is from Kojaro.com by Zahra Salehnejad and the second is from Artsobhan.com.
Listening: Here we have two videos on modern Iranian art. The first is a small interview by BBC Persian, with Bahar Behbahani, modern Iranian artist and painter based in New York. The second is another interview by Iran International with Hossein Mahjoubi, one of the pioneers of the modern Iranian art.
Subject of Conversation: Modern Art vs. Traditional Art (هنر مدرن در برابر هنر سنتی)
The students will be divided into two groups, each of which will be required to gather materials on either classical Iranian art of painting (miniature) or modern Iranian painting. In class, students will present their views on both schools while trying to argue in favour of each. Correct use of the vocabulary presented above will be taken into account while assessing the success of each group.
Homework: To be determined.
Vocabulary (First article and first interview):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| غارنگاره | γārnegār | cave painting |
| مینیاتور (نگارگری) | miniatur (negārgari) | miniature |
| ظروف سفالی | zoruf-e sofāli | earthenware |
| هنرمند | honarmand | artist |
| هندسی | hendesi | geometrical |
| دوره اشکانیان | doure-ye aškāniān | Arsacid period |
| حاشیه | hāšiye | margin |
| مکتب | maktab | school (in arts) |
| بدعت | bed’at | innovation |
| رکود | rokud | recession |
| مصور | mosavvar | illustrated |
| تحت تاثیر بودن | taht-e ta’sir budan | be under the influence of |
| از چیزی الهام گرفتن | az čizi elhām gereftan | to be inspired by something |
| منجر به چیزی شدن | monjar be čizi šodan | to result in something |
| نسخه (خطی) | nosxe (xatti) | manuscript |
| در دست بودن | dar dast budan | to exist, to survive |
| متخصص | motaxasses | specialist |
| امضا | emzā | signature |
| تأثیرگذار | ta’sirgozār | influential |
| پرارزش | porarzeš | precious |
| رنگ روغن | rang-e rouγan | oil paint |
| بوم نقاشی | bum-e naqqāši | canvas |
| هنر تزیینی | honar-e taz’yini | decorative art |
| قلمدان | qalamdān | penner |
| افول | oful | decline |
| پایه‌گذار | pāyegozār | founder |
| تذهیب | tazhib | illumination |
| راهی جایی شدن | rāhi-e jāyi šodan | set out for somewhere |
| شیفته | šifte | enchanted |
| طبیعت‌پردازی | tabi’atpardāzi | naturalism |
| پیروی کردن | peyravi kardan | to follow |
| شبیه‌خوانی | šabihxāni | a theatrical performance in ta’ziye ceremony |
| پرده‌خوانی | pardexāni | another form of religious theatrical performance |
| نقال | naqqāl | storyteller |
| حماسی | hemāsi | epic |
| سقاخانه | saqāxāne | part of a building in Iranian architecture, for providing water |
| تقلید | taqlid | imitation |
| خوشنویسی | xošnevisi | calligraphy |
| صور هندسی | sovar-e hendesi | geometric shapes |
| غلیظ | γaliz | thick |
| وسیله (جمع: وسایل) | vasile (plur. vasāyel) | means, appliance, instrument |
| اواخر (مفرد: آخر) | avāxer (sing. āxar) | last days, end, latter parts |
| کنجکاوی | konjkāvi | curiosity |
| مؤلف | mo’allef | author, compiler |
| هشت‌ضلعی | haštzel’i | octagonal |
| کاشیکاری | kāšikāri | tilework |
| کنده‌کاری | kandekāri | carving |
| راجع به | rāje’ be | about, regarding |
| باغشناس | bāqšenās | botanist |
| بومی | bumi | indigenous, local |
| تبدیل کردن | tabdil kardan | to convert, to transform |
| طرح | tarh | design, sketch, plan |
| مجسمه | mojassame | statue, sculpture |
| وزنه | vazne | weight |
| حافظه | hāfeze | memory |
| مطالعه | motāle’e | study, reading |
| انتزاعی | entezā’i | abstract |
| منطق | manteq | logic |
| درایت | derāyat | wisdom, insight |
| هندسه | hendese | geometry |
| گرمایش زمین | garmāyeš-e zamin | global warming |
| اضلاع (مفرد: ضلع) | azlā’ (sing. zel’) | sides (of a shape) |
| قبیل | qabil | type, kind |
| الهام گرفتن | elhām gereftan | to get inspired |
| در عین حال | dar ‘eyn-e hāl | at the same time |
Weekend Presentation: At the start of the following week, each student will give a 10-minute presentation on their favorite work of art - whether a film, painting, literary piece, or another form of artistic expression. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where students will answer questions from their peers. This exercise aims to enhance structured speech, expand vocabulary, and build confidence in Persian communication.