155,200 CALIFORNIANS SPEAK ARMENIAN: YOU CAN, TOO!
CBS 2, CA
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July 26 2007
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(CBS) LOS ANGELES Cal State L.A. will begin offering an Armenian
language course in the fall quarter to meet demands of the large
Armenian population in the Greater Los Angeles area, particularly
in Glendale.
Taught by CSULA teacher Arevik Mikaelian, the four-unit introductory
class will present the fundamental structure of the language through
hearing, speaking, reading and writing, according to the university.
The course will also include the customs and culture of the Armenian
people.
About 203,000 people speak Armenian in the United States, according
to Cal State L.A. Roughly 155,200 Californians speak Armenian; about
138,000 live in Los Angeles County, including about 54,200 in Glendale.
"Armenian is an Indo-European language spoken in Armenia, Iran,
Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and many other countries by about 6 million
people," said Sachiko Matsunaga, chair of Cal State L.A.’s Department
of Modern Languages and Literature. "A significant number of Armenian
root words owe their origin to or are similar to roots in old Persian,
revealing common Indo-European ancestry."
Matsunaga said there are differences in the pronunciation of letters
between the two main dialects of Armenian: Western and Eastern.
Cal State L.A. students interested in enrolling in the Armenian
100A class can sign up now. The course is also open to the general
public and may be taken through Cal State L.A.’s Division of Extended
Education.