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Monday, March 22, 2010

VOA begins Internet-based English lessons in Farsi

Farsi speakers have a new online destination to use to learn English. Voice of America (VOA) launched its Farsi-language version of goEnglish.me on Saturday, March 20th, as part of its celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Users of the site will find 24 modules, presenting a variety of cultural situations in the United States. Each module has three lessons—beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Practical topics include: “Greeting Friends,” “Retail Shopping,” and “Apartment Hunting.”

Students use a headset and microphone to converse with avatars in the goEnglish.me lessons. Each lesson has phrases and sentences along with short exams. As they progress from beginner to advanced, they hear more English and less of their own language.

“What makes goEnglish.me unique is that users get a glimpse into everyday American life, while learning things they might need if they were traveling or studying in the United States,” said Rebecca McMenamin, Director of New Media. “Our site is very interactive and users can download lessons and information for use later or to share with friends.”

goEnglish.me has been available to Mandarin speakers since November 2009 and plans are underway to add more languages.
(Source: Voice of America)