Comments on: More on English in Iran

By: Mehran Memari

Mehran Memari — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 07:43:28 +0000

Dear All
Nice discussion; In addition to cultural and sociolinguistic points of views, it seems that inter and intralinguistic elements should also be under the consideration. Cause we have the 2 words “well” and “come”, and these words are so familiar and also more common among the society, and also the Persian structure, these things may happen, I think.
Mehran,
Assistant Professor
Farhangian University
Ahvaz

By: Ingrid Piller

Ingrid Piller — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:14:22 +0000

In reply to Roy Matlapeng. Good luck! I'm intrigued by your choice. Why would you want to learn Arabic in Iran rather than in an Arab country?

By: Roy Matlapeng

Roy Matlapeng — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:45:46 +0000

Iam really impressed to see how many People are Interested in English, while i really want to learn Arabic, preferably in Iran, someone please help.
Thanks, Roy Matlapeng,Gaborone,Botswana.

By: امیر

امیر — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:04:07 +0000

سلام
خیلی خوبه که نسبت به” پدیده های درجریان” اطرافمان حساس هستید و آنها را به چالش میکشید.
فکر می کنم در اینجا مبحث ارتباط بین فرهنگی مطرح می شود واینکه تعدادی از افراد جامعه گمان میکنند استفاد از زبان انگلیسی وجهه اجتماعی بالاتری دارد(در نظر سنجی که از دانشجویان کارشناسی ارشد زبان انگلیسی دانشگاه اصفهان در اردیبهشت90 انجام شد نود درصد آنها به کار بردن عبارات انگلیسی را دارای وجهه نمیدانستند). شاید هدف این افراد که برای مخاطبین فارسی زبان از عبارات انگلیسی استفاده میکنند برقراری ارتباط زبانی نیست بلکه ممکن است اظهار فخر کنند که مثلا انگلیسی بلدند! یا انتقال این پیام باشد که اتوبوس من یا مغازه من یا… باکلاس می باشد!!! پس صرفا یک نشانه زبانی نیست.
و دلیل عصبانیت راننده هم علاوه بر اینکه به نحوه بیان انتقادی که به وی شده بستگی دارد.شاید بخاطر این نیز بوده که قصد وی از نوشتن انگلیسی کلاس گذاشتن بوده در حالیکه اشتباه جابجایی حروف ممکن است وی را به مقصود نرساند…!
اما به هر حال جای این سوال باقی است که اگر هدف برقراری ارتباط و انتقال پیام زبانی باشد ومخاطب و نویسنده هر دو فارسی زبان باشند و طبیعتا فارسی را نسبت به انگلیسی بهتر و سریعتر پردازش می کنند.چرا آخه چرا از انگلیسی استفاده می کنند؟؟؟!!! بعضی ها هم بدتر از آن فارسی عزیزمان را به خط انگلیسی می نویسند..!!
گویا جمله “فارسی را پاس بداریم” و انگلیسی را زاپاس بداریم هرگز نشنیده اند…!!!
و با اتهام شما تجویز گرید ! کارشان توجیه شاید شود ..!!
اگر شما توجیه منطقی و عقلانی و یا زبانی ویا… برای این پدیده که ظاهرا مد شده یافتید ممنون میشم مطرحش کنید.
سپاس از اینکه این نظر رو خوندید.

By: neda

neda — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:39:00 +0000

In reply to Vahid Parvaresh.

dear MR parvaresh
thank you so much . that was so nice email and at the same time it made me so worried about the future of English learning in Iran, but as you said , it may be a new kind of language learning .any way every has his own special way of picking English!by the way as you see in linguistic world nothing is odd! you have to expect new patterns, even unbearable ones!
. it may become normal in near future. who can predict the future!!!!!
I just hope that our people try to learn in more stylistic and standard manner!
may God help us in the pathway of English learning ,may God take pity on those who are going on wrong way

By: Pedram

Pedram — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:52:00 +0000

A very interesting post.thank you, mr writer.

By: ELI

ELI — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:26:45 +0000

Languageonthemove has really given me food for thought! thanks…

By: omid

omid — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:53:24 +0000

Interesting and insightful! Many thanks for such posts…

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:46:16 +0000

thank you,
the farsi statements we use is not sometimes grammatically correct let alone the eng ones!:)

By: Golnaz

Golnaz — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:42:01 +0000

Dear Dr Parvaresh ,

I truely enjoyed reading this blog post .This is true not only in Iran which its eng is Foreign lg ,but also in all other countries that they are in the same situation for this Lg .Yes ,Eng is this ubiquitous lg every where but not always used as a Second Lg to be able to adopt its real features to be used in our normal life . Here is also another point to mention ; Which is : the level of education ,their social class , or ocupation are all the parts which truely affect the type of eng which a driver is using or a normal person is society .

Many thanks .

Golnaz

By: Jean Cho

Jean Cho — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:10:15 +0000

Thanks for sharing such a good story. I really admire the bus driver for standing up for his beliefs in Englishness. Coming from a country (Korea) where only two standard Englishes (American and British) are upheld across society, I just find his self-confidence remarkable – what a sharp contrast to self-deprecation that deeply affects many English-learners in Korea!

By: Vahid Parvaresh

Vahid Parvaresh — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:18:12 +0000

Thank you Farid!

Such Persian expressions are usually transliterated forms of English expressions. Prof. Piller has an insightful post on the issue, which can be found here:

http://languageonthemove.com/recent-posts/transliterated-brand-names

The post has also been translated into Farsi:

http://languageonthemove.com/%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C/%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%90-%D9%86%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B3%D9%87-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86

best,
Vahid

By: farid

farid — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:45:26 +0000

ِDear Vahid
thanks for this intresting post. I have some similar experiences like facing words such as hamberger or hoddog in fast food’s advertisments . In fact it is not limited to english, sometimes you may see some expressions in persian. And I should say I agree with my friends writings above.
It is really impressive. thanks

By: fair

fair — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:03:27 +0000

In reply to Vahid Parvaresh. The reasons behind why English could be explored if we are going to discuss them but I still think it is not completely semiotical.If we see language as a kind of semiotic system in general,can we again ask why English?I think it is linguistical while semiotical due to being language.Be happy to have the replies.

By: Sheyla Gallegos

Sheyla Gallegos — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:46:52 +0000

This is a very interesting discussion. Currently I am preparing a presentation about non-standards varieties of English such as: Black American English, Jamaican Patois and Maori English. Unlike your anecdote my recent experience has been to make people aware that these non-standards varieties are logic, work for the purpose that they are used and express the world view of different ethnic groups.
Thank you for your humbleness to recognize your previous point of view and for spreading the message to respect diversity.
Saludos.

By: Vahid Parvaresh

Vahid Parvaresh — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:24:07 +0000

In reply to fair. Thank you fair! Of course they are passing on a message! What is argued here is that sometimes communication is achieved semiotically not symbolically/linguistically.