What Our Students Say

“Learning about Old Persian made me understand the intricacies of modern Indo-European languages and their interconnectedness as well. It was a tough few weeks but I'd recommend anyone who either has an interest in the history of Persia or the Persian language to take this crash course.”

“My instructor Nshan Kesecker was very informative and helpful. He was not only knowledgeable in the language and ancient Iran, but he also encouraged us to take insights into certain historical events. I recommend this course to anyone who’s interested in ancient cultures and languages!”

“This class was so much fun and endlessly interesting! I am amazed we were able to go over the whole language and text that Old Persian has to offer.”

“We not only improved our knowledge of the Persian language but gained a better appreciation of the history (both mythical and real) of greater Iran and the ways in which that history still lives on today through the Shahname. I would thoroughly recommend this course to all students of Persian.”

“The “Learn Persian through the Shahname” course was an invaluable experience. The instructor used his deep knowledge of the Persian language, the Shahname itself, and a little linguistics to help us navigate important passages of the text.”

“All the classes were simultaneously very laidback and very rigorous; I couldn’t recommend ASPIRANTUM more to anyone who wants to improve their Persian.”

“I loved that the intermediate course was well-structured with a coherent daily structure and an overarching weekly topic. I also liked that the intermediate course did not focus on grammar but rather using the language through conversations, newspaper readings, and listening exercises.”

“My teacher’s patience and rich background knowledge made each class an exciting experience that I looked forward to each day and she always provided ample opportunities to practice and improve even without us asking, which I am enormously grateful for.”

“Choosing to take the ASPIRANTUM Armenian language course was one of the best decisions that I have made. Though my ASPIRANTUM program was just three weeks, everything that I learned will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

“It would be impossible to learn about the Iranian Languages in such a way through just books or academic material, as Professor Voskanian brought the content to life and included the necessary context to help non-linguists and non-academics understand and start to think for themselves about different aspects of the course of study.”

“The daily reading, speaking, and listening exercises played a huge role in making me feel more comfortable with Persian overall, and it was a great balance between Persian that is useful for academic contexts and Persian that is useful for more everyday contexts.”

“Not only does the ASPIRANTUM Russian language summer course provide high-class teaching, but Yerevan is one of the best places to practice Russian. Due to my ASPIRANTUM experience, I can now confidently speak and read in Russian and carry out my Ph.D. project in the history of soviet science diplomacy.”

“At my university, I have been participating in taking Russian for a year. A year is a long time, 365 days, and hours and hours of Russian a day. Within three weeks at the ASPIRANTUM school, I have learned more information about the Russian language than I have in an entire year.”

“ASPIRANTUM exceeded my expectations as a language learner, providing me with an amazing opportunity to improve on my Persian language skills. I would highly encourage others to take up this course, whether you just want to brush up on your language skills for a few weeks or whether you want a longer exploration of the treasures that the Persian language has to offer.”

“I have been a part of many study abroad programs, and this has been by far the best I had the pleasure of participating in. I feel I learned the most in ASPIRANTUM’s course because it was so uniquely tailored to the needs of the students, and connected diverse cultures and history into the language instruction, as well as being located in a multicultural, multilingual, and welcoming environment.”

“At the end of the course, I was able to sight-read the inscriptions and parse and analyze the text confidently. This is totally a testament to the high quality of this course and the quality and efficacy of instruction provide by Nshan, who guided us through it.”

“I left the course not only with a working grasp of Old Persian but also with a heightened awareness of aspects such as the royal ideology, religious, and geopolitical context around the time of the writing of these inscriptions in the Achaemenid Empire.”

“Old Persian online training by ASPIRANTUM was one of its kind programs. After attending it, I am now easily able to read Royal Achaemenid Inscriptions & several Old Persian texts.”

“I would recommend anyone interested in the world of Achaemenid Persia to take an Old Persian class with Nshan. He was knowledgeable as an instructor and friendly as a colleague/friend. He also has many good stories to share, so the redundant "thatiy Darayavahush xshayathiya xshayathiyanam" would not be too unbearable:).”

“ASPIRANTUM’s Old Persian online course exceeded all my expectations. I am incredibly thankful for ASPIRANTUM for creating this course and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in ancient history, linguistics, or languages in general!”

“I'm really glad I took part in the Persian (Pahlavi) Online School. It was probably my best decision of the pandemic period. Not only did it allow me to broaden my knowledge of the beautiful Pahlavi, but also helped me to make contact with other researchers in this field of study.”

“This course has definitely exceeded all of my expectations. It is very well structured, taught, and supervised; the materials we've been given were perfectly tailored for students to learn as much as possible during the given period of time. I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone interested in the history of Iran or the ancient Near East!”

“This course was perfect in every way, and I must say, beyond my expectations. The studious yet friendly atmosphere of the class with the other great students was motivating and enjoyable. Taking part in this intensive session was a real pleasure and honor, and I would recommend this course a hundred times without any doubt!”

“Aspirantum’s Middle Persian course greatly increased my ability to comprehend this language. It has made me more aware of the context and culture that surrounded it. Finally, it has put me in touch with other researchers in this field. I would recommend it, without reservations, to anyone who is interested in Middle Iranian studies, Zoroastrian studies, or Sasanian history.”

“The multilingual and multicultural environment of the class, combined with the kindness of the teacher, made the course an enjoyable opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the world and to share knowledge with them about Grabar and Armenian culture and literature.”

“I highly recommend Middle Persian courses to anyone interested in late antique Persian history and culture and Persia in general.”

“The lessons were each a well-measured package. I had to put a real effort into it but I was not overloaded, even with a full-time job. Now I feel well equipped to dive into Classical Armenian literature.”

“Our professor patiently guided us for six hours every week, building our advancement step by step and providing us all the tools to go through ancient Armenian texts. I really recommend this course.”

“I'm so grateful for the opportunity to spend my Spring Break this way. I have a renewed confidence to keep studying and attempt language gains that I had previously deemed too daunting before this class.”

“I would consider taking this course again to practice reading more of the manuscript. I highly recommend the “Learn Persian Through the Shahnameh” course to anyone interested in medieval Persian literature or learning about the evolution of the language.”

“The pedagogy was excellent, and the classes were organized to reinforce the previous day’s learning while going over the next assignment, a very effective strategy for retaining large amounts of new information in a short, intensive period (and on Zoom, no less!).”

“Our wonderful teacher Ani arranged the lessons in such a way that we would learn effectively, practice the grammar rules and vocabulary often, and work on translations that were appropriate for each lesson.”

“This class was a blast and so beneficial! Our Instructor, Dr. Ani Shahnazaryan, not only is extremely knowledgeable of Classical and Middle Armenian, but her teaching methodology is superb.”

“I have learned a lot in a short amount of time and I absolutely recommend this course to anyone, who is like me, eager to read sources from classical Armenian in Grabar!”

“The fact that Armenian has retained a staggering number of Middle Iranian loan words, and Ruben’s ability to masterfully cast light on such historical linguistics contacts, makes ASPIRANTUM the ideal place for studying Middle Persian.”

“Of all the language teachers that I have encountered over the years, Ani Beyt-Mouvsses is unquestionably the best. Not only is she extremely courteous, thoughtful, patient, and attentive. She clearly knows Persian grammar inside and out.”

“The Aspirantum Shahname course was an excellent course with only 1 drawback- I wish it could have been longer!”

“One of the greatest feats of the Shahname course is that it maintains a subtle balance between thoroughgoing scrutiny and active engagement with Modern Persian.”

“I was able to improve my Persian significantly while studying one of the most significant texts of medieval Iran and had fun being a part of the positive online learning community.”

“The Shāhnāma course was a great way to learn Persian by sparing with a classical Persian text. Students left with a better understanding of Firdawsī’s magnum opus (shāhkār) and will never envision the Shāhnāma the same way again.”

“I shall look forward, time and circumstances permitting, to participating in some of the other Persian courses that Aspiratum plans in the future.”

“The course ”Learn Persian Through the Shahname” in which I took part in September 2020 was a wonderful experience.”

“All in all, the summer school was a great use of my summer and I would recommend this course to all students of Persian. I look forward to joining future Aspirantum Persian courses.”

“I gained a deeper appreciation of the politics, arts, culture and history of Iran and my vocabulary is undoubtedly enriched. I warmly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to deepen his/her knowledge of the language.”

“As a long time and advanced learner of Persian, I was highly impressed by the quality of the instruction and gained myself much from it.”

“I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to develop their knowledge of Persian language and culture. Thank you very much for the amazing experience!”

“I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to boost their Persian level. I'm looking forward to joining the next summer course in Yerevan in person!”

“This course left a lasting impression on all participants. We are grateful to the ASPIRANTUM team for quickly adopting to the online format this summer. We are also grateful to Professor Voskanian for his encouragement, support, and friendship.”

“After taking this course, I feel much more confident in my ability to read both prose and poetry, and I have the skills to work through a challenging text that I would not previously have even attempted.”

“The 3 week upper elementary Persian course was the best online learning experience I've ever had. The programme was very well structured.”

“The intensity and quality of the classes meant that my level and confidence in Persian rapidly improved. I would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone who wants to take their knowledge of this wonderful language further.”

“I improved my Persian level quickly and significantly and learned a lot about Iran and about Persian language. I'm already looking forward to attend next year’s Persian Summer School in Yerevan.”

“Hands down this has been the best online language learning experience I’ve had so far. Strongly recommend to anyone hoping to boost their Persian.”

“I appreciate this experience, and highly recommend it to anyone who would like to utilize his Persian skills by learning from the best while having a great time. Looking forward to attending next year’s Summer school in Yerevan in person.”

“My language skills improved quickly over 3 weeks and I cannot wait to go to Armenia in person for future courses.”

“I greatly benefited from this course and my level of Persian improved rapidly. I would definitely recommend this course and I hope to attend next year’s Persian Summer School in Yerevan in person!”

“The teaching program and teacher were professional on one hand but also very flexible on the other.”

“My summer with ASPIRANTUM’s Persian program has been a fun and productive experience.”

“My experience with ASPIRANTUM’s Persian language program was memorable because the support offered, the quality of instruction, and the connections I formed with classmates.”

“ASPIRANTUM was a fantastic experience, both because its approach to language learning covered so many angles and because Armenia creates opportunities that are impossible to find elsewhere.”

“I left the program inspired, eager for more, and would most happily return for another summer. Studying at ASPIRANTUM was one of the best learning experiences of my student life.”

“I was able to improve my Persian in a country that borders Iran and shares many cultural similarities and a lot of history. I recommend the program to any student looking to experience both Persian language learning and adventure.”

“I participated in the summer school with quite limited knowledge of Persian, however, at the end of the program, I managed to obtain a decent level of reading, speaking, writing and listening skills of Persian.”

“The quality of language instruction makes this program an excellent choice for students interested in quickly improving their Persian, and the hospitality and warmth of the ASPIRANTUM team, and the country of Armenia, will make it an unforgettable experience.”

“The ASPIRANTUM Persian Summer School offers two great benefits: a world-class Persian program and an opportunity to experience the cultural and geographical richness of Armenia.”

“ASPIRANTUM’s summer program is one of, if not the, best way to learn Armenian over the summer. The length of the program, the environment, and, most importantly, the quality of teaching made it a productive and educational experience.”

“The course met and exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I’m so happy to able to have gone from a very basic Persian knowledge to be able to communicate fluidly in many situations and to have a much better reading and writing competence.”

“Daily Persian classes expanded my vocabulary, improved my speaking abilities and introduced me to some lovely classical poetry.”

“My expectations were high, and yet I was pleasantly surprised. I left the course with a thorough understanding of the grammar, a fundamental vocabulary, and all the resources to build upon it myself.”

“After the three weeks, I came away from the program ahead of where I hoped to be and with the confidence of a student who knows that no matter what, he can learn the language.”

“I knew barely no Armenian when I arrived, the alphabet, a vague inkling of the grammar, some words, and by the time I left I was able to understand the logic of most texts I came across, and to become independent in my studies.”

“The Persian language summer school was not only very intense, informative and productive, but it was also an excellent event to expand the network of colleagues from different universities of the world, find new friends and travel to many wonderful sights of Armenia!”

“I am very satisfied both at a personal and a professional level. I have been to many language schools all over the world, and these two weeks in Yerevan have been outstanding.”

“I had the opportunity to improve and deepen my knowledge of Russian language, culture and literature with the help of highly qualified teachers in a friendly environment.”

“The winter session exceeded all my expectations. I was able to learn Persian at a rapid pace, while also exploring Yerevan with new friends.”

“The ASPIRANTUM intensive summer program was a wonderful experience because it provided both intensive instruction in Persian and numerous opportunities to travel within Armenia. I highly recommend this summer course.”

“Learning Persian language was not limited to in-class exercises because daily homework kept me busy in the afternoon, and even at nights. I even had a dream in Persian language at the end of my sixth week.”

“I arrived with no knowledge of modern Armenian and at the end of only three weeks I felt able to have some basic conversations and to read fluently a text. I highly suggest to participate in one of these Summer Schools to have a totally new view of what learning a language can be.”

“I participated in the three weeks program of the Persian summer school, and I can say truly that I had a great experience - educational and social. In the weekends we had trips outside of Yerevan to different places in Armenia, and this was really great, also after classes we had sometime different activities like going to museum or a tour in a Brandi factory.”

“The ASPIRANTUM Armenian Language Summer School greatly enhanced my Eastern Armenian speaking, reading, and writing skills. We had an excellent group of students in our class from different countries, all of whom balanced their serious academic interest with good wit and humor.”

“I cannot recommend the Persian program enough. This program was very challenging, yet flexible enough for postgraduate students who are also doing summer research in Armenia. I would certainly come back for another summer.”

“Due to the pace of the course and it’s intensive nature, I think I can say that my vocabulary, reading, and speaking skills expanded astronomically. I had a great time and learned a lot.”

“My expectations were not just met but vastly exceeded. I would highly recommend ASPIRANTUM’s Persian Language summer school as well as the other language schools organized by them.”

“Now six weeks have passed, they were full of daily exciting Persian classes and weekend adventures in the dreamy Armenian nature. Thank you ASPIRANTUM for making my experience unforgettable!”

“The classes are intense but the quality of instruction is excellent and the curriculum is structured such that its beneficial to students with a wide range of academic focuses whether that be cultural, political, historical, etc.”

“The summer school staff made Armenia an experience I'll never forget. I am very pleased with this experience and, if I have the opportunity, I'll return again to Yerevan to attend another language summer school with ASPIRANTUM.”

“Armenian studies summer school was the experience which made my dream about visiting Armenia and speaking Armenian come true. I already know I will return for sure as I´ve found new inspirations and ideas for my research and now I have even bigger motivation to develop my language skills – maybe in the Winter School this time.”

“After three weeks of learning with a great professor, Leili, and getting to know Khachik and the rest of the staff of ASPIRANTUM, I can say that I had one of the most enriching experiences of my life.”

“Studying Persian with ASPIRANTUM in Yerevan was a rich experience. I can highly recommend the programme, and would even consider coming again next summer, if advanced level courses in Persian are offered.”

“The language course and trip to Armenia far exceeded my expectations in every way. By the end of the course I had achieved more than I had expected and feel well-prepared to continue with self-study, until such time as I am able to attend another course, which I very much hope I will be able to do at some point.”

“This winter school was one of the best, most challenging, and most rewarding language-learning experiences I have had. At the heart of Eastern Armenian program was Sona, the teacher of the course. Besides being a highly skilled instructor, she comes up with creative ways to make the language sink in, and avoids English to make it an immersive environment.”

“I can honestly say that the ASPIRANTUM language classes were among the best I have ever attended. The three weeks of the language classes provided the perfect opportunity to acquire a profound insight into Modern Eastern Armenian. I would like to encourage everyone (beginners as well as advanced learners) who is interested in Modern Eastern Armenian to attend the ASPIRANTUM language classes.”

“This summer school provides a solid language course with very good instruction and offers some insights into Armenian culture and history. Our teacher, gave us a very thorough tour through the rules of the Armenian language, with lots of diversions to supply interesting vocabulary, use of songs and encouragement to get us speaking. She is an excellent teacher and presented the material very well.”

“The intensive winter course I participated in was a great experience not only of learning but also social and cultural. I highly recommend it. During the course we completed an entire overview of Armenian grammar in a very well structured and clear manner.”

“This is a unique and well run course, perfect for anyone hoping to make good progress in a short amount of time. I recommend the Armenian Language School to anyone learning Modern Eastern Armenian.”

“As a multi-language learner, the Armenian language classes were the best of the classes I have taken so far. In class we learned vocabulary and grammar, and practiced each of speaking, listening, writing and reading. The class consisted of both learner at intermediate level of Armenian and learner at elementary level, and everyone realized progress in their Armenian.”

“I was very pleased with my experience in Armenian language winter school 2016. The teacher and organizers were both personal and professional, responding very quickly to any and all inquiries and making everything about the application process and other logistical arrangements as smooth and painless as possible.”

“My experience on the Armenian Studies Summer School 2016 was absolutely unforgettable. With a flexible lesson structure, lecture series and timetable I was able to tailor the course around my needs and interests, and came away with a thorough knowledge of the Armenian language as well as a much deeper understanding of the region’s ancient, medieval, and modern history and culture.”

“I warmly recommend all future students, whether they are beginners or advanced students (in small or bigger groups), to participate in the unique ASPIRANTUM summer school concept. The secret is the set-up of the course being fully immersed in the language and culture of Armenia. Thanks to this approach I overcame my barrier and started to communicate at simple level and picking up conversations.”

“The participation in the Summer School for Armenian Studies will be remembered as one of my most fruitful and pleasant study experiences. Intense and well organized program, high educational standards, good accommodation, kind and generous attitude, in short – ASPIRANTUM Summer School is highly recommended!”

“The Armenian Studies Summer school 2014 has been a very exciting and productive experience for me. In the span of three weeks, with the guidance of wonderful professors and lecturers, I was able to soak up a great amount of precious knowledge in the areas of history, language, literature, archeology, art and many more.”

“I have gained a valuable experience throughout Armenian Studies Summer School program with its academically-oriented schedule. The school has offered a wide range of topics and lectures delivered by distinguished professors. The cultural events and field trips, on the other hand, were unforgettable and full of great memories.”

“I found the Armenian Studies Summer School a very rewarding experience. The program was full with classes, trips and activities that enabled me to learn a lot about Armenia’s past and present.”

“The Armenian Studies Summer School was an experience I won't ever forget. I arrived in Armenia not really knowing anyone and not sure what to expect, but the Summer school staff, professors, and students made Armenia an experience I'll never forget.”