Abstract

This study examines the motivations of non-native adult learners of Farsi in an Iranian school in Montreal, Quebec. The research is also aimed at exploring the possibility that Persian language cannot be revitalized and maintained by Iranian immigrants and their children alone, but that enthusiastic non-native Persian adult learners can play a role in achieving such a goal. Experiences and insights of six participants spanning a wide range of ages (25 – 48) have been used in this inquiry, in addition to my own observations resulting from five years of experience of teaching Farsi to foreign learners. The main emphasis of my study has been examining the narratives of the six participants, listening to their ideas, motivations and hopes for learning, reading and sometimes writing Persian, as well as socializing with the Iranian peoples in Montreal, to better understand Persian culture and traditions.
The study reveals that more research is needed in order to understand to what extent non-native adult learners can be agents in preserving the Persian language. Researchers should listen to learners’ voices and use their insights and experiences to better understand their potential as promoters of disappearing languages, as they cannot be kept alive in the immigrants’ host country by only the native speakers.