Learning a new language takes a lot of time and a lot of work, but it can be done, especially if you really put your thought into it, so we decided to take a look at these 6 Armenian language classes in NYC.
Armenian is the official language of the Republic of Armenia and, historically, it has been spoken throughout the Armenian Highlands. Nowadays, the language is still spoken in the country, but also by people who are living outside of the country.
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It is estimated that there are over 1.4 million Armenians living in the United States, out of the 10 million that have moved in all the corners of the world. Many of these people have moved to the States over a century ago, but continue to speak the language within their families. Many others moved after one of the ugliest moments in history, one that is still ignored by many nations of the world – you can learn more about it in our article on 7 US states that didn’t recognize the Armenian Genocide until recently. Others, of course, have moved in modern times, seeking to achieve the American dream.
Ever since the 19th century, Armenians chose New York as their go-to state, alongside Massachusetts. There was even an area in New York which was titled “Little Armenia” back until the 60s, mostly due to the high number of Armenian shops and immigrants living there.
Given how many of these people have managed to build successful businesses in New York City, others are interested in learning the language, whether to have a better understanding with these business owners or, perhaps, while planning a trip to Armenia.
The Armenian language is part of the Indo-European family of languages and it is most closely related to Greek. There are three known dialects, one of them, classical Armenian, dating back to the fifth century. It is mostly used by the Armenian Church.
The other two modern dialects are Eastern and Western. The Eastern dialect is most often spoken in Armenia and Iran, as well as throughout the communities that emigrated to North America. The Western dialects have somewhat died out when speakers migrated to all corners of the world following the Armenian genocide. Speakers of this dialect, however, can still be found in Europe, North and South America, as well as Australia and other parts of the world. With some 10 million people living abroad, there’s plenty of people spread across the globe to cover all dialects.
The alphabet used in Armenia is quite unique and it is based loosely on the Greek alphabet and contains 38 letters.
In order to create our list we Googled left and right for language classes in New York that would offer Armenian as a choice. A lot of help came form a vast Class Curious’ database. We also decided to add a few online courses since we recognize that learning new languages is done increasingly more often online. That being said, these are 6 Armenian language classes in NYC that you might enjoy.
6. ilanguages
The ilanguages is a site that’s been known to offer a lot of resources to its visitors who are hoping to learn the basics of a wide range of languages, including Armenian.
The site’s page dedicated to Armenian claims to provide users with 70% of the most commonly used in Armenian, which are basically words that will get you through the day with some understanding of what’s happening around you.
Ilanguages teaches you how to write and speak in Armenian, even if we’re referring to basic notions such as numbers, the days of the week, a few fruits and vegetables, colors, food and weather terms, family and relatives, animals, clothes, body parts and more.
Additionally, the site also teaches you some phrases to help you through the day, grammar rules and structures, flashcards and more. There is also an interactive quiz so you can test your knowledge.
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5. Columbia University
The famous Columbia University is one of the New York places where you can learn Armenian. There’s a catch, however, as the class is open to undergraduates and graduate students of Columbia University and Barnard College.
The course seeks to help students acquire skills to communicate about topics relating themselves and their immediate surroundings. They will handle authentic materials, including road signs, ads, timetables and so on and listen to songs in Armenian to better pick up the language. Those who have gone through Elementary Armenian or already have this knowledge can move to Intermediate Armenian where they will learn to communicate about a wide range or topics regarding biography, geography, education, health and so on.
Then, in Advanced Armenian, students will learn how to communicate on more complex topics, including social, historical, political or cultural. Literature will be discussed during the Readings in Armenia Texts course, where there will be extra emphasis on analyzing context, syntax, and grammar structures.
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4. Transparent
Over at Transparent you can learn how to speak over 100 languages, including Armenian. Unlike the other online resource we presented above, this one can be used for free for a limited time period, following which you’ll have to pay. The subscription costs $30 per month if you’re going to choose to get billed monthly or under $17 per month if you’re going to get billed once for the whole year.
The lessons use game dynamics to help people learn a new language more quickly. There’s a first lesson that welcomes you to the program where you can learn how the whole thing works, while also learning a few key words.
The system provides charts to tell you what you’ve learned in a session and helps you practice listening, reading, speaking, and writing. There is even a typing helper to teach you how to type in a foreign language, which is one of the reasons why this site landed among the 6 Armenian language classes in NYC.
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3. Listen And Learn
Folks over at Listen and Learn offer a wide range of courses for those looking to learn a new language, including Armenian. The courses can take place either face to face at your home or office, or over Skype if you’d rather this method.
There are, of course, some price differences with the best price being for the largest number of hours booked. For instance, 10 hours will cost you $725 for face to face teaching, but only $2,550 for 60 hours. The same number of hours cost a lot less if the class is done over Skype, namely $390 and $1,560. The prices, however, can change, depending on how many learners are in a group, where you are located, and the type of language lesson you want to learn. More specifically, Listen and Learn teaches business, exam preparation, legal, medical, and other technical language details.
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2. 101 languages
Sure, there are many online language learning centers, but not many offer such as wide range of tips to their students, especially not for free. 101Languages does just that for a wide range of languages. When you start learning Armenian, you may want to also learn the basics of the language, as you would with an actual tutor to guide you.
The site helps you learn about pronunciation rules, semi-vowels and consonants, and gives you tips about basic phrases and vocabulary problems. You can also learn new words to help you count in Armenian, tell the time, the color of your shirt, or what you’d like to eat.
Furthermore, the site provides an overview of the Armenian language and a short history of how it all came to be, as well as more details on the local dialects.
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1. Communicaid
At the top of our list is Communicaid which offers Armenian language lessons focused on business terms. While the company’s HQ is in London, there are training centers across the world, including in New York. They brag that their courses are personalized and designed to improve students’ Armenian communication skills, regardless if the focus is on social, business, financial, diplomatic or legal.
The courses they offer are perfect for those who are planning to relocate to Armenia or hope to attend an Armenian course to prepare for a specific assignment, as well as for business professionals who regularly conduct business with Armenian speakers.
The course will focus on several key areas, such as spoken fluency, listening skills, pronunciation and accent, reading skills, telephone skills in Armenian, email skills in Armenian, sector-specific terminology, as well as presentation and negotiation skills.
The center needs to be contacted for course hours, training alternatives and prices.
That being said, we hope you have found at least a few of these 6 Armenian language classes in NYC to be to your pleasing and that you will go forward and start learning a new and surprising language, even if it may be quite unfamiliar to you, an English speaker.
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