Reading: On pages 337-339 of “A History of Modern Iran” by Yervand Abrahamian, students will read the author’s reflections on Iran’s the historical position of Iran at the beginning of the 21st century.
Listening: A discussion about the gains and losses of the Iranian Revolution, 45 years after it occured, and the path Iran has taken and has ahead.
Subject of Conversation: What the future holds for Iran? (آینده ایران چطور خواهد بود؟)
Students will be divided into two groups to debate the question “What does the future hold for Iran?” One group will take an optimistic view, envisioning a positive trajectory for the country, while the other will present a more pessimistic outlook based on current challenges and historical patterns. Each group will prepare key arguments and respond to opposing points. This structured debate will help students improve their ability to express contrasting opinions, use future tense structures, and apply historical-political vocabulary.
Homework: To be determined.
Vocabulary (Reading):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| مقام | maqām | position, rank |
| بالغ بر | bāleγ bar | more than |
| سازمان کشورهای صادرکننده نفت | sāzmān-e kešvarhā-ye sāderkonande-ye naft | Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) |
| تولیدکننده | toulidkonnade | producer |
| عمده | omde | major, main |
| ذخایر (مفرد: ذخیره) | zaxāyer (sing. zaxire) | reserves |
| اثبات شدن | esbāt šodan | to be confirmed, to be proven |
| متمرکز | motemarkez | centralized |
| اقتدار | eqtedār | authority, power |
| اقصی نقاط | aqsā-ye noqāt | outlying areas, most distant points |
| کم‌وبیش | kam o biš | more or less |
| عدم تجهیز | ‘adam-e tajhiz | lack of equipment |
| کارا | kārā | effective |
| شکست‌خورده | šekastxorde | failed |
| اطلاق کردن | etlāq kardan | to call, to label |
| به لطف | be lotf-e | thanks to |
| سطح زندگی | sath-e zendegi | standard of living |
| مرگ‌ومیر | marg o mir | mortality |
| نوزاد | nouzād | infant, newborn |
| طول عمر | tul-e ‘omr | lifespan |
| قابل ملاحظه | qābel-e molāheze | considerable |
| لوله‌کشی | lulekeši | laying pipes, plumbing |
| حمل‌و نقل | haml o naql | transportation |
| کالاهای مصرفی | kālāhā-ye masrafi | consumer goods |
| نظیر | nazir-e | like, such as, similar to |
| هم اکنون | ham aknun | at present, currently |
| طبقه | tabaqe | class, stratum |
| سنتی | sonnati | traditional |
| کارآفرین | kārāfarin | entrepreneur |
| زمره | zomre | category, class |
| هویت | hoviyyat | identity |
| مشترک شدن | moštarak šodan | to become common, to become shared |
| دردبار | dardbār | painful, agonizing |
| البته | albatte | of course |
| پرشور | poršur | passionate, enthusiastic |
| انسجام | ensejām | cohesion |
| استحکام یافتن | estehkām yāftan | to gain strength, to become stronger |
| غیر فارسی‌زبان | qeyr-e fārsizabān | non-Persian speaker |
| نقشه‌سازی | naqšesāzi | mapmaking |
Weekend Presentation: For next week’s presentation, students should prepare a 10-minute talk about a specific event in recent Iranian history. The presentation will be followed by a brief Q&A and discussion with classmates. This activity will help students strengthen their ability to narrate historical events, organize ideas clearly, and use precise political and historical vocabulary in Persian.