Similar to the reading, “How to investigate language structure”, the Persian language also has a structure to follow. The general structures include phonetics, the study of speech sounds, semantics, how meaning is expressed withing a language, grammar or how to coin together meaningful expression and meaning. Additionally, those who speak Persian also heavily rely on various means to converse including speech, signs, and writing. However, as Crystal mentions, there are deeper levels that break down these language structures. For example, letters come together to form a word. However, most languages, including Persian, the word has a different sound than the single letters make up the word. Furthermore, the Persian language makes extensive use of dots in their alphabets. I think this is one of the major structural attributes of this language that differentiates it from most other languages. For example, the location of a dot can make the difference between the sound “beh) and “neh”.
In regards to the Persian grammar, I noticed that the action verbs in a sentence appear towards the end of the sentence. For example, instead of saying “I ate cake”, one would say, “Ma cake khordom”, which would translate to “I cake ate”. Additionally, compared to the English language, the Persian language does not have vowels. However, it has a syllabus that can also be influenced by the way one pronounces certain words.
In regards to my self-guided language, I have combined a mix of different resources that cover sound, meaning and sentence structure in Persian. For example, to learn how a word is pronounced, I listen to the way news anchors and other native speakers pronounce it. Furthermore, I also listen to documentaries in Persian to add to my vocabulary and learn the correct way to pronounce certain words. Additionally, to learn grammar and sentence structure, I write short reflections in Persian.
I personally like to read and write in Persian. I am not a big fan of grammar and sentence structure, however, this is an area that I would like to improve in. I think learning about the function of phonetics, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics will help me appreciate the language I am learning even more. It adds a level of sophistication that makes it even more meaningful to learn a language. Specifically, I will keep in mind the rule of grammar and sentence structure and how essential they are in learning a language.
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