A year of the language
A text in Persian at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. A year ago I signed up for a language course, still a beginner. The first month I learned words every evening, but the…
Text
- سال پیش برای دوره زبان ثبت‌نام کردم، هنوز تازه‌کار بودم. ماه اول هر شب لغت یاد می‌گرفتم، ولی دستور زبان برام خیلی سخت بود. معلم فقط یک تذکر داد: کم حرف می‌زنی، زیاد می‌نویسی. تابستون دو هفته تو کافه کار کردم و اونجا فهمیدم تمرین بیشتری لازم دارم. پاییز بار اول بود که یک صحبت کامل رو با گوش می‌فهمیدم و بالاخره تونستم. هنوز روان حرف نمی‌زنم، ولی پیشرفتم معلومه و دوره رو نیمه‌کاره نمی‌ذارم.sâle pish barâye dâvre zâbân sabt-nâm kerdam, khânuz tâze-kâr budam. makhe avval khar shab lâgat yâd mi-gereftam, vali dastâre zâbân barâm kheyli sakht bud. mâallem fagat yek tazakkâr dâd: kam kharf mi-zâni, ziyod mi-nevisi. tâbâstân dâ khâfte tâ kâfe kâr kerdam va ândzhâ fakhmidam tamrin bishtari lâzem dâram. pâiyez bâr avval bud ke yek sâkhbate kâmel râ bâ gâsh mi-fakhmidam, bâlâkhâre tunestam. khânuz râvân kharf nemi-zânam, vali pishreftam mâlume va dâvre râ nime-kâre nemi-zâram.A year ago I signed up for a language course, still a beginner. The first month I learned words every evening, but the grammar came very hard to me. The teacher made only one remark: you speak little, you write much. In the summer I worked two weeks at a café and there understood that I needed more practice. In autumn there was the first time I understood a whole conversation by ear, and at last it worked. I still do not speak fluently, but the progress is visible, and I will not abandon the course halfway.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How did the storyteller begin?
- What remark did the teacher make?
- What did she understand in the summer at the café?
- What happened in autumn?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Persian?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.