As I have mentioned earlier it is my dream if Arman not only speaks Farsi but loves Farsi!
My cousins who were raised in US are speaking Farsi quite fluently. They prefer to speak English of course. Yet they can even read in Farsi. But how, you might ask. I need to delve into my aunt and uncle's parenting strategies myself. One thing I know is when my cousins were young they were encouraged to memorize Persian poems, Parvin Etesami and Hafez, and then recite them and receive a prize. Just imagine memorizing Parvin in Princeton, NJ! A job well done and the outcome is really fascinating! Now try to read this, or even better memorize it:
بلبلی شیفته میگفت به گل
که: جمال تو چراغ چمن است
گفت: امروز که زیبا و خوشم
رخ من شاهد هر انجمن است
چون که فردا شد و پژمرده شدم
کیست آنکس که هوا خواه من است؟
به تن، این پیرهن دلکش من
چو گه شام بیایی، کفن است
حرف امروز چه گویی؟ فرداست
که تو را بر گل دیگر وطن است
همه جا بوی خوش و روی نکوست
همه جا سرو و گل و یاسمن است
عشق آن است که در دل گنجد
سخن است آنکه همی بر دهن است
بهر معشوقه بمیرد عاشق
کارباید، سخن است این، سخن است
می شناسیم حقیقت ز مجاز
چون تو بسیار در این نارون است
پروین اعتصامی
که: جمال تو چراغ چمن است
گفت: امروز که زیبا و خوشم
رخ من شاهد هر انجمن است
چون که فردا شد و پژمرده شدم
کیست آنکس که هوا خواه من است؟
به تن، این پیرهن دلکش من
چو گه شام بیایی، کفن است
حرف امروز چه گویی؟ فرداست
که تو را بر گل دیگر وطن است
همه جا بوی خوش و روی نکوست
همه جا سرو و گل و یاسمن است
عشق آن است که در دل گنجد
سخن است آنکه همی بر دهن است
بهر معشوقه بمیرد عاشق
کارباید، سخن است این، سخن است
می شناسیم حقیقت ز مجاز
چون تو بسیار در این نارون است
پروین اعتصامی
Yes, Nimeh Shab Jan, initially Arman might want to speak English all the time. My kids understood Farsi but always replied to me in English. However, as soon as we arrived Tehran and they realized that people around them couldn't understand them, they would switch to Farsi. There is a very wonderful couple in our part of the world who have been running a Farsi school for decades now. All my nieces and nephews attended their school and learned how to read, write, and speak Farsi. When he is a little older, you can take him to Saturday Farsi school. It will also be very helpful if you have family friends who have Iranians with young children, and together you can make it easier as Arman wouldn't feel terribly "different" if he speaks Farsi at home. Language skills are pretty formed by the time the child is about four and from then on, all it takes is practice. With your and M's dedicaion and interest in Farsi language and literature, I won't be surprised if you put this issue behind you without much headache. Farsi-speaking caretakers are another viable option for the problem.
ReplyDeleteI am excited for you my young friend. I am delighted to know that you are thinking about all the challenges you will be facing and preparing for them. Way to go Nimeh Shab Jan, way to go!
salaam Nazy joon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your approval Nazy joon :) Sure a Persian-speaker care giver could be a very nice option but despite all my effort I was unable to find one yet. We are building up our Farsi speaking friends though. And we are hoping for the best.
Perhaps you should first learn that the name of our language in English is "Persian", not "Farsi". "Farsi" is the language's name *in Persian*. (If you find this sentence too complex, read it again!) It is as if, while speaking French, an American calls his language "English"! The French name for that language is "anglais".
ReplyDelete"Farsi", as a fabricated English word, is, as one text quoted in OED says, just barbaric--it is so vulgar.
There are a lot to learn, there is no first or last. It is an on going task, for me at least.
ReplyDeleteAs per your hint, there are much debates going on about this issue among the scholars. Apparently Persian is the mother group for Farsi; this is the conclusion I found fit well after attending a couple of talks and reviewing literature.