Dr. Leila

I have taken 57 classes with Leila in the last year and a half, and it has been an incredible experience and total joy. When I first met her, I had studied Persian on and off for many years, but my speaking was pretty rusty. I was also very interested in studying Persian poetry. Leila offered to combine two of her classes in one for me, so that the first part would be conversation and the second part would focus on reading works of poetry. Since then it has also expanded to working on translation of prose and poetry from English to Persian and Persian to English. Suffice it to say, I have grown a LOT in my Persian speaking, writing, and reading abilities since I first started the lessons. Leila is kind, patient, generous, flexible, and very professional. She also has a vast and thorough understanding of Persian literature and language pedagogy. I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone wanting to learn Persian or study Persian literature in any capacity. Thank you Leila!!!

Leila is a wonderful teacher! Our conversations cover a wide variety of topics and we always have interesting discussions. More importantly, is she able to give very useful and detailed feedback and corrections without ever interrupting the flow of the conversation. Both my speaking and writing have improved leaps and bounds since studying with Leila. Unsurprisingly, as a lecturer in Persian Literature, Leila's knowledge of Persian literature is second to none. Her lessons are ideal for the intermediate-advanced student who wants to delve into Persian culture and be exposed to a wide variety of challenging yet rewarding texts, from the Shahnameh to contemporary Iranian short stories.

Leila is truly an amazing teacher for so many reasons. She is a skilled teacher and always kind, patient, and attentive. She is genuinely interested in her students and works on their specific needs. For example, I am currently at a low advanced level and have been doing academic research in Persian. Leila has been unmatched in her helpfulness in working with me on expanding my vocabulary and talking about the issues I am considering. The fact that she actually has a PhD in the humanities makes her unmatched and a perfect find for me. It means that beyond teaching the language, she is able to differentiate between different sources and offer the context for the articles we are reading. I am able to talk to her as a colleague, as someone who understands difficult academic concepts, such as poststructuralism, and is confident in helping me converse at that level. I am so grateful to have found her!

Working with Dr. Leila to learn Farsi has been amazing -- I already feel like I know so much in just a few months of learning. I wanted to start learning spoken Farsi without needing to learn the alphabet or reading first, and she has been so awesome finding ways to adapt and help me learn through spoken, recorded, and phonetically written work. She's a fantastic teacher and strikes the perfect balance of meeting me at my level of speaking while also pushing me to practice and get more comfortable with the language. Super excited to keep learning with Dr. Leila!

Leila is a great teacher. She is calm, agreeable and friendly. She offers several resources for the student, from lessons, colloquial conversations and stories to the great classics of Persian literature. Either if you are learning Persian to connect to your family or ancestry or, like me, to experience a new culture and its literature, she will lead you in the path of learning.

Wonderful lesson again with Dr. Leila, who is patient and supportive in my learning of Persian.