Enroll now in our 2026 Fall term - it starts the week of October 5!
- Multiple levels
- Small class size – max. 12 students
- Native-speaking & experienced instructors
- Affordable tuition – $400 per level
- 4 terms per year – each 10 weeks long
- Convenient downtown location or online
Learn Persian (Farsi) at ILI in Washington, DC, or online
Study the Persian (Farsi) language at ILI consisting of four 10-week terms throughout the year. We offer 6 different levels from beginner to advanced. Our Persian classes take place once a week in the evenings. Our teachers are all native-speaking and experienced. The Persian (Farsi) Language Program integrates speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We maintain small class sizes to enable adequate time for conversation in every class. To find your level, please refer to the level description or use our self-evaluation guide. If you have further questions, please contact our Foreign Language Department at flp@ilidc.com. Enroll now!
Live, Instructor-led In-Person or Online Persian (Farsi) Classes
Learn Persian (Farsi) in Washington, DC or join live online from anywhere. Classes are live and instructor-led, with real-time interaction among students and the instructor. Many ILI foreign language classes use a flexible hybrid format, allowing in-person and online students to participate in the same live, instructor-led class. This also gives local students added flexibility when travel, work, illness or another commitment makes it difficult to come to class. This hybrid class environment allows students to engage with each other and the instructor and to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking the Persian (Farsi) Language.
Schedule Register Now!
| 2026 Term: | Session Dates: | Registration Deadline: |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Oct. 5-Dec. 12, 2026 | Monday, Sep. 21, 2026 |
Persian Level Description
Offered on: Tuesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm. Enroll now! This course is for those learners with little or no command of the Persian language. Learners will be introduced to modern spoken and written Persian. Learners will learn how to respond to typical everyday needs, such as making acquaintances, introductions, exchanging personal information, asking for directions and visiting the bank or the cinema. Learners will be introduced to the Persian script and will learn how to form the letters of the alphabet. Basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Obejective: To introduce learners to basic Persian vocabulary, simple sentence structure, and to provide learners with the ability to engage in simple conversation. The emphasis of this class is placed on learning Persian sounds and the writing system, building vocabulary, acquiring essential grammar and developing basic conversation. Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to form basic sentences, engage in simple conversations involving greetings and introductions, descriptions, and common idiomatic expressions. Learners will further be able to read and write Persian script. Topics: In addition to learning the Persian alphabet, grammatical topics covered in this level will include simple sentence structure, uses of ezafe, negation, comparatives and superlatives, subjective, objective and possessive pronouns, word order, the interrogative, narrative and exclamatory sentences. Textbook: The Routledge Introductory Persian Course: Farsi Shirin Ast, 2nd edition, $71 Lessons: Lessons 1-5, plus supplemental material selected or generated by the instructor.
Offered on: Wednesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now! This course is for those learners who have already mastered the Persian script. Listening, speaking, reading and writing skills will be consolidated throughout the course. Learners will learn how to describe events and in the present, past and future by means of numerous tenses, and how to discuss various aspects of daily life, such as sports, pastimes, the seasons, sightseeing, haggling, religion and equality of the sexes. Learners will also acquire essential basic skills such as shopping, talking about geographic locations and describing the weather and climate. Objective: To enrich learners’ everyday vocabulary and to allow learners to become conversant with more complex grammatical structures. The emphasis of this class is enabling learners to engage in more developed conversations regarding their personal circumstances and interests and to gain further insight into local customs and traditions. Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to pursue conversations involving various aspects of daily life and to describe actions and events using a variety of tenses. Learners will further be able to discuss cultural and social aspects of life in Iran. Topics: In addition to consolidating knowledge of the Persian alphabet, grammatical topics covered in this level will include the Past, Present, Future, Past Progressive, Present Perfect and Past Perfect tenses. Learners will also be introduced to the Present and Past Subjunctive, the Imperative, Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, Reflexive and Emphatic pronouns and various kinds of preposition. Textbook: The Routledge Introductory Persian Course: Farsi Shirin Ast, 2nd edition, $71 Lessons: Lessons 6-10, plus supplemental material selected or generated by the instructor.
Offered on: Thursdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now! This course is for those learners who have already acquired a solid foundation in the written system coupled with a good grounding in basic grammar. Listening, speaking, reading and writing skills will be further developed throughout this level. Vocabulary will be continue to be enriched and this level will introduce more complex grammar and themes, such as formulating more complex sentences, expressing conditional sentences, using impersonal and passive constructions and further exploration of aspects of Iranian culture and society, such as traditional marriage practices, the university system, tourist sites and music. Objective: To allow learners to express a wider range of preferences and concerns through a command of more complex structures and vocabulary. The emphasis of this class is to enable learners to apply knowledge gained thus far to fulfill a number of daily functions, including visiting the post office, the doctor's office and the bookstore, and to discuss aspects of Iranian culture, such as sites of interest and marriage customs. Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to express preferences and perform daily transactions, and use more complex grammatical constructions and vocabulary to discuss aspects of culture and society. Topics: Grammatical topics covered in this level will include relative clauses, adverbial clauses, conditional sentences, impersonal constructions, passive constructions, compounding, derivatives, conjunctions, and causative verbs. This level will conclude with a review of the Present, Past and Future tenses and of the Subjunctive Mood. Textbook: The Routledge Introductory Persian Course: Farsi Shirin Ast, 2nd edition, $71 Lessons: Lessons 11-5, plus supplemental material selected or generated by the instructor.
Offered on: Mondays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now! This course is designed for learners who have already gained a sound grounding in Persian grammar and who have acquired a foundation in vocabulary. The intermediate level consolidates this foundation and develops further skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Learners will develop both oral and written skills and enrich their vocabulary. Learners will continue to develop their knowledge of Persian culture through further explorations of Iranian society, covering such topics as sports, divorce, and Iran's ancient sites. Objective: To allow learners to express themselves with greater fluidity and more syntactic variety and use more complex structures, and to further develop their vocabulary. In parallel with an acquisition of syntax and lexis, learners will also continue to expand their knowledge of daily life in urban and rural Iran, through readings on aspects as varied wind towers, mud bricks, food, Persian script and sports. Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to master more complex grammatical structures, such as compound verbs, to begin to distinguish between written and colloquial Persian, and to be acquainted with further aspects of Iranian society and culture. Topics: Grammatical topics covered in this level will include compound verbs, simple and compound sentences, exclamatory sentences, chon/cho (because), and morpheme types. Learners will also be introduced to differences between written and colloquial Persian. Textbook:The Routledge Intermediate Persian Course: Farsi Shirin Ast, Book Two, $80 Lessons: Lessons 1-5, plus supplemental material selected or generated by the instructor.
Offered on: Mondays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now! This course is designed for learners who have already gained a sound grounding in Persian grammar and who have acquired a foundation in vocabulary. The intermediate level consolidates this foundation and develops further skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Learners will develop both oral and written skills and enrich their vocabulary. Learners will continue to develop their knowledge of Persian culture through further explorations of Iranian society, covering such topics as bazaars, fire temples and pigeon towers, tribal carpet-weaving, and Iran's natural geography. Objective: To allow learners to express themselves with greater fluidity and more syntactic variety and use more complex structures, to further develop their vocabulary and to be introduced to the differences between written and colloquial Persian. In parallel with an acquisition of syntax and lexis, learners will also continue to expand their knowledge of daily life in urban and rural Iran, through readings on aspects as varied as geography, architecture and religion. Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to master more complex grammatical structures, such as various kinds of affixation and reported speech, and to be aware of differences between written and colloquial Persian. Learners will be more familiar with Persian folklore and Iranian customs, such as tribal carpet-weaving, the bazaar and traditional life in the city. Topics: Grammatical topics covered in this level will include Arabic broken plurals, compound nouns and adjectives, inflectional and derivational affixes, past participles, and reported speech. Textbook:The Routledge Intermediate Persian Course: Farsi Shirin Ast, Book Two, $80 Lessons: Lessons 6-10, plus supplemental material selected or generated by the instructor.
Offered on: Intermediate 3: Tuesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm. Enroll now! This course is designed for learners who have already gained a sound grounding in Persian grammar and who have acquired a foundation in vocabulary. The intermediate level consolidates this foundation and develops further skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Learners will develop both oral and written skills and enrich their vocabulary. Learners will continue to develop their knowledge of Persian culture through further explorations of Iranian society, covering such topics as bazaars, fire temples and pigeon towers, tribal carpet-weaving, and Iran's natural geography. Objective: To allow learners to express themselves with greater fluidity and more syntactic variety and use more complex structures, to further develop their vocabulary and to be introduced to the differences between written and colloquial Persian. In parallel with an acquisition of syntax and lexis, learners will also continue to expand their knowledge of daily life in urban and rural Iran, through readings on aspects as varied as geography, architecture and religion. Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to master more complex grammatical structures, such as tense agreement in conditional sentences, the passive voice and the subjunctive mood, and to read extracts from classical literary works by Hafiz, Omar Khayyam, and Sa'di. Topics: Grammatical topics covered in this level will include the passive voice, inflectional affixes, subjunctives, conditionals, impersonal constructions, and compounding. Literary and cultural topics will include selections from classical prose and poetry, and exploration of aspects of Iranian society, such as clothing, the celebration of Noruz, natural disasters and how Islam is practiced in Iran. Textbook: The Routledge Intermediate Persian Course: Farsi Shirin Ast, Book Two, $80 Lessons: Lessons 11-15, plus supplemental material selected or generated by the instructor.
Program Details
$400 for a 10-week one level class per student. Au-Pairs can receive a 10% discount on tuition with proof of their status. Enroll now!
May be purchased at the time of registration or at the Institute before or on the first day of class. Textbooks for remote students can only be shipped to U.S. addresses (not internationally). All prices quoted include a 6% DC sales tax and all prices are subject to change at any time. Tax-exempt organizations or individuals need to provide proof of sales tax exemption before being charged. No retroactive refunds of sales tax. Once received by the student, books and other materials are the property of the student and are non-refundable.
Regarding placement, we recommend that you go to our self-evaluation guide on our website. Kindly read through each description of each level. If you feel that you are able to fulfill all the tasks described in one level, then move on to the next level and so on, until you reach a description of tasks that you are unable to fulfill. That would correspond to the level of classes in which you should enroll. If, once enrolled, you should not feel comfortable at that level, you can transfer to another level, availability permitting. We do not offer placement tests.
Regular group classes meet once weekly in the evening (6:15-8:45 pm ET) or on Saturday mornings (10 am-12:30 pm ET) for 10 weeks. Each session is 2.5 hours. All class times are U.S. Eastern Time (Standard or Daylight Saving). Classes cancelled due to holidays, instructors’ sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances are made up at the end of the regular term unless the entire class can arrange for a make-up on another day of the week.
In-person at ILI and online via Zoom. Our classes are usually held in person at Rhode Island Ave NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036. Classes are also offered online via Zoom. We are within walking distance from the Metro's Dupont Circle (South exit) and Farragut North stations. Parking garages are close by and parking on the street is available after 6:30 pm.
Minimum 3, maximum 12 students. We recommend signing up as early as possible so we can adequately plan for all classes. If the minimum enrollment of at least 3 students per class is not met, we will have to cancel that class after the registration deadline has passed. In case of a cancellation, students will be given the opportunity to change classes, postpone their enrollment or request a full refund.
Our program requires each student to participate in weekly quizzes, which will be graded, based on a “Pass” or “Fail” system. There will be a final quiz that will measure the sum of the instructional objectives for the course. Grades are verbally communicated to students at the end of each class/course, and are marked on the attendance/performance sheet. Students must have completed and passed at least 70% of the quizzes to move to the next level.
It is important for students to attend every class meeting. It is also important that they arrive on time for class. We cover a lot of material in each class. The instructor cannot repeat material for students who are absent or come late. Students will be marked absent when they do not come to class. Missed group classes may only be made up if the same level is being offered on another day and the class is not at full capacity. Students who arrive 15 minutes after the advertised starting time will be marked late. For every 3 times that the student is marked as late, it will count as a missed hour. If we notice that a student’s attendance is in danger of falling below 70%, we will issue an attendance report to the student.
Per request, we can issue certificates of completion after the term has ended. The certificate can be ordered at the front desk or vial email to ili@ilidc.com. In order to be eligible to receive a certificate or pass to the next level, you are required to attend a minimum of 70% of the classes and have a “Passing” grade. We will need a couple of days in order to verify your attendance and passing grade before issuing the certificate.
ILI’s foreign language group programs are accredited by ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training), and we also offer 2.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) per every successfully completed course, 5.0 for the accelerated courses. Upon request, our Certificates of Completion can include the CEU’s earned per semester.
No refunds are issued for any reason after the registration deadline for the term (see Schedule above). Classes cancelled due to holidays, instructors’ sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances are made up at the end of the regular term unless the entire class can arrange for a make-up on another day of the week. Individually missed group classes may only be made up if the same level is being offered on another day and the class is not at full capacity. Otherwise there is no make-up for individually missed classes.
The International Language Institute reserves the right to cancel any class if deemed necessary. Prior to commencement of class, students will be given a full refund. In the event of cancellation after the commencement of class, the pro-rata portion of the unexpended tuition will be refunded. The prorated amount of refundable monies will be determined by the ratio of classes completed to the total number of classes in the scheduled program. The International Language Institute reserves the right to assign substitute instructors whenever necessary.
Classes are cancelled in accordance with federal government closures for the entire day due to inclement weather. Please check public announcements on radio, TV and the internet; or call ILI at (202) 362-2505. Closures are also posted on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ILIinDC. We rarely follow early dismissals. ILI is closed for the following holidays: Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day. Group classes will not meet on these holidays and the missed class(es) will be made up at the end of the term.
Please contact our Foreign Language Department at flp@ilidc.com.