Iran Twelve - Text
Subject is a 45 year old Armenian/Persian female. Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, she was raised Christian. Received high school diploma and completed Cosmetology College to become a hairstylist. Over twenty years ago, Subject traveled to Greece for a year and lived in Geneva, Switzerland for five years. The six years in Europe have no impact on her dialect. Subject’s first language is Armenian and second language is Persian. In 1992 she learned English as a third language through the ‘Year of English’ Program at Glendale Community College in Glendale, Ca.
[Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.]
My age is 45 year old, I am. I am Armenia from Iran. I born in Tehran, Iran. My job is occupation, I’m hairdresser/hairstylist. And, um, I’m high school educated. I…I’ve been in college for Cosmetology college. And…I born in Iran. I raised in Iran.
[Interviewer: When did you move to the United States?]
Oh, I moved to United States in 1986, ’86. So…I’m almost 20..five…20 years I’m here. Before I was 5 year in Europe and um…now I’m here.
[Interviewer: How is life in Iran different than life in the United States?]
It was different, our culture. They didn’t let us to going out. You know. Teenagers here I see they are very free. They want to do whatever they want. They driving. They don’t listen to their parents. They don’t respect. So…the only word that I listen a lot is, “I don’t care…I don’t care…I don’t…” That’s very bad. Um…our kids…still if you…I seen kids that are coming over there that are really different. More respect. They know family, value, everything. Patience. Here, kids they are always, you know want to run. They don’t want to stay in their spot. They are bored. Always they are bored. They have lots of thing but they are bored. I don’t understand why, because they don’t have that creative mind we used to had. Not having too much toys. We make our toys by our hands. We make our barbies…we…I, I used to have only one Barbie, you know. Two dolls maybe but I used to make dress for my dolls. But here everything we buy. That’s why kids they always bored. So all girls they know how to sewing over there. They know how to cook very early age. They know how to clean up, clean house. They learn everything, no matter what grade are you, you know. You are rich, or poor. Girls they need to know all these things, when they get married they need to know cooking, cleaning, sewing…
[Interviewer: Can you speak a bit of Armenian for me?]
Subject speaks in Armenian and then translates to:
I decided to, this Thanksgiving to invite my parents and sister husband, everyone to my house to having dinner together.
[Interviewer: Can you speak the same sentence in Persian?]
Subject then translates same sentence into Persian.
Accent/Dialect Features demonstrated in recording:
-/ing/ ending (everything, cooking, cleaning, sewing, having) have a sounded g
-retroflex /r/ (hair, run, bored, born)
-dentalized /th/ to sound like [t] or [d] (there, they, those)
-[ I ] to [ i ] kit, six, Iran, rich
-[ U ] to [ u ] foot, put, cook, poor
-cloth and lot sets are sounded with a schwa with a slight lip rounding. (off, cloth, lot)
-thought is sounded with [au], yet the word ‘want’ in that set is sounded with a front [a].
-nurse set uses a schwa with a retroflex /r/ (work, girls, word)
-all dipthongs are used with retroflex /r/ instead of r-coloring on schwa
(here, year, care, their, hairdresser, parents, Barbie, bored, born)
-‘thought’ is sounded with [au] in place of general American sound.
-cure set has liquid u or [ j ] as well as retroflex /r/ in place of r-coloring (Europe, insurance)
Interviewed on 11/10/2007 by Keelia Flinn
Running time: 06:34