Learn Persian Through Iranian Media: Introduction to the Media Landscape of Iran
September 27 - November 15, 2026
Instructor: Fatemeh Zamyar
Instruction Language: Persian
Duration: 8 weeks (16 hours of instruction)
Frequency: 1 class per week (Sunday)
Duration of a Session: 2 hours (9pm Yerevan Time)
Deadline for Applications: September 20
Course Duration: September 27 – November 15
Location: Online (Google Meets)
Required level of Persian: Intermediate
Participation Fee: 270 USD
Payment Method: Bank Transfer, Paypal (+5%)
Registration: To apply, please click the “Apply” button above. Fill in all required fields and submit. Accepted applicants will receive further instructions on participation.
Note: All materials will be provided by the instructor
August 25 (2026) Issue of Hamshahri
The Learn Persian Through Iranian Media is an intermediate-level Persian course aimed at students who are interested in improving and advancing their Persian reading and speaking skills while also becoming familiar with the Iranian media landscape through various news outlets currently active in Iran.
The course is led by Fatemeh Zamyar, who, through her career as a journalist in Iran, has developed a deep familiarity with the field. She will introduce participants to the intricacies and nuances of various Iranian media outlets, their political orientations, main agendas, and approaches, as well as the particularities of the language used in Iranian media.
Course Descrption
The course is divided into 8 weeks, with one two-hour session taking place each Sunday.
The main instructional language of the course is Persian. However, the language used during the course will be adjusted to the level of the participants, so that everyone feels comfortable listening, understanding, and expressing their ideas.
The first hour of each session will focus primarily on reading the text of a selected article from a particular newspaper or news outlet. The second hour will mostly be devoted to discussing the article and the topics addressed in it, as well as other related topics selected by the instructor.
Overall, 8 Iranian news outlets have been selected for the course, which you can find below. Each week will focus on one of these outlets through a selection of articles, as well as readings of the headlines from the relevant daily issue of the newspaper or website.
The overall aim of the course is to strengthen the participants’ reading and comprehension skills, enrich their vocabulary — particularly vocabulary related to the media — enhance their analytical understanding of Iranian media texts, and develop a broader understanding of the Iranian media landscape through exposure to a variety of materials. The course will also develop participants’ speaking skills through various guided and moderated discussions.
Selected Media Outlets
The following are the 8 Iranian newspapers and media outlets that will be covered and studied during this course:
- IRNA (the official news agency of the Islamic Republic),
- Donya-e Eqtesad (a private economic newspaper),
- Tejarat News (a private economic media outlet),
- Hamshahri (a newspaper affiliated with the Municipality of Tehran),
- Shargh (reformist newspaper),
- Etemad (reformist newspaper),
- Hammihan (reformist newspaper),
- Farhikhtegan (a conservative newspaper affiliated with the Islamic Azad University).
Teaching Approach
The course combines Persian language instruction with an introduction to the Iranian media landscape. Participants will work with authentic articles, headlines, and other media materials, developing their ability to read and understand contemporary Persian while becoming familiar with the vocabulary and language of Iranian journalism.
Classes will be conducted primarily in Persian, with the level of language adjusted to the participants’ abilities. Particular attention will be given to vocabulary, expressions, and structures commonly used in the media, as well as to developing speaking skills through guided discussion of the texts and topics covered in class.
Participants will also be expected to work independently between sessions, primarily through reading selected articles and engaging with additional media materials. By the end of the course, they should be better equipped to follow Iranian media, understand its language and different approaches, and discuss current topics in Persian.