Testimonial by Rhett Perry

ASPIRANTUM’s Fall Semester Persian Language Program has been an important step in my language learning process as well a developmental opportunity through experiential exposure to Armenian culture. 

Not only did Aspirantum provide its students with a well-rounded Persian language and culture curriculum, but the program also brought in subject matter experts to broaden our learning experiences over the course of several evening lectures on various political/cultural topics. 

As an international school, Aspirantum also put me into contact with fellow students from around the world. Over the course of our course of study, we have built lasting relationships that we will carry forward after leaving Armenia. Together, we challenged each other’s learning abilities and used our unique backgrounds to engender meaningful in-class debate within our target language. Through these discussion-based exercises, weekly presentations, and exposure to a variety of Persian media, my classmates and I greatly improved our reading, listening, and speaking abilities. 

I attribute a great deal of our growth to the highly qualified teachers employed by Aspirantum, who leverages their vast knowledge of etymology and culture to ensure we each got the most from every class. It is also important to note that while Armenia is not an immersive experience for Persian learners, the nation’s proximity and cordial relationship with Iran creates an environment wherein I could almost always hear Persian being spoken on the streets of Yerevan, in marketplaces, and even during our bi-weekly class excursions.