Basic Conversational Armenian by Half Breed!

Kazza yev Pilafhead, ko Hayereni das areleyk te che? Vagh ko knnutyuner g'tam! Urem biti sovorenk! Your exam will consist of a written dialog using the vocabulary I have taught you, which you will have to summarize what is going on. Not translate word by word, but tell me, more or less what is going on. The exam will also have some questions in Armenian, which you must answer in Armenian. Lav? Haskasank?

Actually now that I think of it, tomorrow is a bad day, we have parent/teacher conferences until 6:30 and I will be exhausted after. So here is your exam. No cheating!

What is this dialog about?

Garo jan, inch norutsyun ga?

Akhber jan me kich hoknastsem vortev shatem gortse esor. Yev me kich hevandem, gartsumem.

Ari mer tun, im gnik's dolmaya sarkum

Arten utelem , bayts mersi, urish or g'gam


Answer these questions in Armenian

Anuna inch a?

Vordeghes aprum?

Kani dareganes?

Inch gortses anum?

Amusnatses?

Zhama kanisna?

List at least five verbs you have learned in Armenian.

Actually, I've brought work home to do tonight. Yes, I do have a job--I know from the timing of my posts, it seems I don't!

I will study and take the test either tomorrow night or Wednesday night. Scouts honor. I need to review prior to it anyway.

Half-Breed do you teach in So Cal? Let me know. My wife and I are in the process of applying to private schools and any tips you have would be appreciated.

Dear Farsi,

Good luck with the parents evening (Parent-teacher conferrence!) Hope it goes okay. I hope you dont have the task of breaking the awful news to some of the doting parents that their little darling is not quite the angel they think he/she is! I'm sure in your class you tame them though.

Yes Kazz Kouioumjian em

North London, mechem aprum, unfortunatley! I'm coming to CA so watch out!!!

Aha, I dont know numbers in Hye!

Cheh, Cheh! (Dunno if anyone'll put up with me!

I dont understand Zhama Kanisa jan. Tell me what it is next time!

Ghortses aprum musician and artist em, But my paid work is a part-time clerk at a government office, till i finish studying. I'm in the middle of starting a band.

Akhber is hasking Garo how he is, And Garo is telling him he is tired from working and that he is sick. Akhber is possibly saying he wants Dolmas and Garo is asking him which kind he wants.

Well conferences went very well. I am not as exhausted as I thought so I figured I would check in on my other students! My students are almost all very nice kids, from immigrant Mexican and Vietnamese background, with parents that are very supportive with discipline. There is none of this "How dare you tell my son that.." attitude that you get from Amrigatsis. The biggest challenge I have with my students is not there behavior, rather getting them to develop their academic English.

Pilafhead, as for Private Schools, I teach in a Public School, so you can imagine my bias. I think there are a lot of great Private schools ,and a lot of crappy ones, that just are out for your money. So investigate carefully. But don't discount Public Schools, there are a lot of great ones. One thing to investigate is a school that has a balanced program of basics and skills along with inductive learning and experiential activities. Both are important for learning. But many schools focus on one at the expense of the other. I try to mix it up. We have nose to the grindstone worksheets, math drill sheets etc. but also games,contests and assignments where students construct their own understanding. So in math I will go from giving them a timed multiplication test, to move on to a basic skill problem set on the board. Then we move on to a math exploration activity, where they often work in groups and have an open ended question in math. For instance this week they are doing a restaurant simulation, creating a menu with prices, a budget that includes wages, rent, etc., plus a floor plan for the restaurant that entails measuring and geometry. The point is make sure the school has a balanced program.

Kazza, shat lav es are! Now we need to work on our numbers in Armenian. So here goes:

1-mek
2-ergo
3-yerek
4-chors
5-hing
6-vets
7-yot
8-oot
9-een
10-tas
11-tasna mek
12-tasna ergo
13-tasna yerek
14-tasna chors

20-ksan
21-ksan mek
22-ksan ergoo

30-yeresoon
40-karasoon
50-hitsoon
60-vatsoon
70-yotanasoon
80-ootsoon
90-inasoon
100-haroor
200-ergoo haroor
1000-hazar (almost the same in Farsi,"hezar")

Study!

Half-Breed,

Estoy estudiando mi Armenian este noche. Es Verdad. Quiero ser un buen estudiante. Ahora, mi Armenian de este "thread" no es fuerte. Es muy malo. Necessito ayudar de dios para el exam. Quiero estudiar mas adelante el exam. Manana por la noche, talvez? Tengo trabajo este noche tambien, pero no me gusta. Me gusta Hye Forum mucho mas. Y estoy enfermo. Me duele mi garganta. Y mi nariz con mucho agua y recuerdes...mi nariz es muy grande...Para hacer dinero, compras "stock" en Kleenex compania este semana.

Hadz k'sa?

BTW, I have not cheated by reading the above posts.

Regarding public schools, the missus and I are 100% products of LA Unified in the San Fernando Valley (which explains a lot... ). We both very much believe in public schools, but we understand our local one is not very good beyond 3rd or 4th grade. Primarily due to parents not involved, not having the time and/or not caring about their children's education. Hence, the private school route. Drives us nuts, but it's a fact of life in LA.

Miguel
El Enfermo

I think we could move the public vs. private debate to a different thread. There's much to be said on the issue, it seems, especially given the "voucher" proposition (was it 38?) that's on the ballot this year.

Possibly, but it has limited relevance to Armenian issues and next to no relevance for those outside the US, so would that be kosher?

I read through the actual written language of Prop 38. There are some interesting aspects I did not know about (e.g., guaranteed per-capita national-average funding for public schools and a built in phase-in period).

Ay caray! Pero que buen hablas en espanol! Entonces te sera mas facil aprender armenio, porque ya sabes dos idiomas. Yo entiendo muy bien que ocupado debes estar, siendo padre y todo, entonces no te preocupes!

That's too bad about your son's school not having a strong program after 3rd grade. What about another school in the neighborhood? If not, then try private schools, but investigate! Suerte en todo!

School related vocabulary:

dprots-school
das-lesson
dasaran-classroom
ususich-teacher
shagert-student
matit-pencil
tookht-paper
sovorel-to learn
geerk-book
matem-math (suspect word)
Hayeren-Armenian language
Angleren-English language
Spanieren-Spanish language
Franseren- French languagee
grel-writing
gartal-reading
aybuben-alphabet
ngarel-to draw

Pilafhead, Spanieren laves khosum!

Gooyner'-colors

Sev-black
spitak-white
garmir-red
gananch-green
srjagooyn-brown
mokhragooyn-grey
manooshak-purple
deghin-yellow

Ko sirats gooyn inch a Pilafhead?

Ko sirats gooyn inch a Kazza?

After Akhber, asking what's new. Garo says he's a little tired and sick, but otherwise I can't figure it out



Mike D., Glendale, 36, Actuary in Pasadena, Yes to a wonderful person, (don't know the last question).


Uzumel (want), hivantel (sick), epel (work?), sovatsel (eat), hokatsel (sleep).


Time to push the "Submit Reply" button and see how I did....

Dammit! I didn't follow the directions for the second part! Sh*t!

F

[This message has been edited by Pilafhead (edited October 18, 2000).]

No choice as to local public schools. Actually we know enough people at or beyond our dilemma, so we know what's what out there. Right now we're looking at what we believe are the two top private schools in Pasadena.

When? Where? Maybe that's the time to schedule the BBQ! Maybe who's ever interested could all meet for a beer, soda, whatever.


What do you play? What kind of music does your band play? Do tell, do tell! Do you need an oudist ?



[This message has been edited by Pilafhead (edited October 18, 2000).]

Farsisteve,

"Ko Hayreni dase ardeyek te che?"
"Shaat lav es"
What do they mean?
I think that's really nice that you don't need to worry aboutstudent/parent behaviour. Shaat garevora! Some teachers have problems with that(are there drug problems in private schools? Please tell me, I dont know!! For sure.)
You know what? I've made frineds with the Farsi boys (By that I mean I am one of the only ones they talk to! I am helping them with their English and their assignments at the moment. There is an Iraqui brother and sister also, she is dead quiet and retiring and always with her brother. When we asked a friend why they said it's because the boys are very strict and dont want the girls to talk to anybody. True or false?
OK, bossy boots, I will "study" but I think you should write a dialouge on the other words and I and Pilafjan will interpret them!

PIlaf,

I think that is a really nice idea. If your'e serious, I should be coming to America around Christmastime, but I'm not sure how I'm going to organise getting from Philly to CA. And on my own.. I should manage it one day though!

We and the people who play play what ever inspires us and that can be quite a mixed bag. I play the piano, keyboard, guitar, mandolin (and also a bit of harmonica too!) my friend plays very good classical music but I cant read a note of music: never could. I used to go to my friends house every afternoon after school when we were little and we played with her piano. I begged and begged for music lessons, but mum said we couldnt afford it: we couldnt afford a lot of things at the time. and at school they thought I was unteachable: (their words, not mine!) I played by ear , and that's the way i've always been happy with.

A lots the things have Plenty of Armenian sounds (but no instruments:yet!) and also some reggae, ska, jazz, and soul influenences.

If I learn enough, I will be able to sing in hye!

Barev erekherk! (Hi kids!)

Pilafhead, you did well on your exam, but next time answer in Hayeren, lav? LOL! Zhama kanisna means "What time is it?" So you could have given me the time you had when writing a post. Right now here in So. Cal. it is almost 8 pm so I would say "eena na."

I checked my last lesson post and found a creeping "Farsism!" For "student" I give you "shagert" it should be "ashagert!" Big difference. "Shagerd" is "student" in Farsi. Neroghutsun! (Sorry!) Please don't look to me as an expert of the Armenian language. This Half Breed Irish-Native American-Armenian born in Iran does the best he can, but you are taking your chances!

That is so cool. I wish I would have had the diligence to learn an instrument sooner. Trying to learn one now while juggling work and family is just too much. I'm just now hooking up musically with some friends who are kind of in the same boat, so maybe that'll be a kick in the ass.

Let's see "reggae, jazz, ska and soul"...Who do you sound like? The old Two-Tone bands come to mind (Selecter, Specials, The (English) Beat). Like that? Or more modern like Groove Armada and Basement Jaxx? Or maybe, Style Council meets Musical Youth ?


It would seem silly for you to come all the way to CA and for us out here to not try to organize some sort of meet and greet. I'm still really a Johnny-come-lately around here, so I don't have a good feel for how interested people are in actually seeing each other.

Anyway, as usual, I digress...Carry on Steve-O. I feel the pluralization of nouns and verb conjugation coming on...

Hey, it's your thread. Call 'em as you see 'em I'm not even going to ask what happened to the ending vowels on numbers 7, 9 and 10.

Besides, my local watering hole for Armenian food is actually Iranian, so a little Farsi wont hurt.

Just call me Dariush.