Online Pashto Course

This course is offered at Indiana University through CEUS with online materials developed by CeLCAR.

Enroll in Pashto Course

1. CeLCAR has developed a standalone, asynchronous, self-paced Pashto 101 Online Course (certificate of completion) that is being offered through IU Expand. Enroll 
2. CEUS is offering a Pashto course during the academic year directly, while in the summer Pashto Level 1 Online Course (3-4 cr.hr.) is being offered through Summer Language Workshop, both taught by CeLCAR's Senior Lecturer Dr. Rahman Arman. Enroll

Course Description

This course provides beginning Pashto learners with a wide selection of materials and task-oriented, communicative activities that facilitate the development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Pashto. Because the course is designed for beginners, it does not presume any previous knowledge of written or spoken Pashto.

The aim of this course is to provide students with an introductory knowledge of the Pashto language, as it is spoken and written today in Afghanistan as well as the culture of the Pashtuns. The spoken language of educated native speakers, as well as the contemporary literary language as reflected in the media, will be emphasized throughout.

Class Objectives

This course will familiarize students with the alphabet and sound system of Pashto, and provide a systematic presentation of its basic structure and ordinary use by stressing extensive practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The use of English in the conversation hours will be kept to a minimum; instead, for the most part, Pashto will be used.  Throughout the course, students will be exposed to authentic audio/visual materials, including videos and photographs illustrating the contemporary cultural life of Pashtuns.

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

1. Engage in simple conversations on a number of everyday topics using Pashto.
2. Read simple texts and understand the main ideas of texts written in Pashto.
3. Write short texts using Pashto.
4. Write simple answers to questions on familiar topics using Pashto.
5. Participate in simple interactions following social conventions of Afghan Culture.
6. Ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics.
7. Use familiar words and basic phrases to talk about yourself, your family and immediate surroundings in conversations.
8. Understand familiar names, words and simple sentences; for example, on notices and posters or in catalogues.
9. Write a short, simple document; for example, a holiday card or postcards.
10. Fill in forms with personal details; for example, entering your name, nationality and address on a hotel registration form.

Required Textbook

1. Elementary Pashto – Online modules via Canvas developed by CeLCAR, Indiana University, 2015-2018.
2. Inokhojayev, Rakhman. Pashto. An Elementary Textbook (with multimedia CD), Georgetown University Press, 2011.

Reference and Suggested texts and materials

1. Pashtun. Pashto-English Dictionary. First Edition. Dunwoody Press, 2009.
2. Chand. English-Pashto, Pashto-English Dictionary. 2^nd edition. Simon Wallenberg, 2007.
3. com Online Pashto-English and English-Pashto dictionary.