Testimonial by Simon Conrad

Studying Persian with ASPIRANTUM in Yerevan was a rich experience – Leili Vatani, the Persian teacher, found an excellent balance of grammar, comprehension, speaking, and writing, while introducing us to a great variety of texts.

The atmosphere in the classroom was serious, but fun, and I have the feeling that I learnt a lot in these three weeks.

All of this was facilitated by the great organizational effort and flexibility by ASPIRANTUM: everything was clear and thought through, and the programme provided enough space to discover Armenia both through trips organized by the Academy, as well as the free time that remained after class.

In contrast to several other summer schools, ASPIRANTUM is very good in providing all kind of support to compliment the experience in Armenia, without being overbearing and trying to monopolise your time.

Studying Persian in Yerevan is easy and uncomplicated: the city is friendly and has a great deal to offer, including an Iranian community that allows for some conversational practice.

The fountains on Republic Square, the wine cafés, the lakes and mountains outside Yerevan, the long and complicated history of the country – all of these things make for a great summer setting to learn a language. If the group of students in class is as pleasant as it was in my case, even better.

I can highly recommend the programme, and would even consider coming again next summer, if advanced level courses in Persian are offered.