About Pashto
Pashto is an Iranian language of the Indo-European family spoken by over 17 million people, primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan.This course teaches the Northern dialect as spoken in Kabul (Afghanistan), which will be understood through all Pashto-speaking regions.Pashto is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan (Dari is the other) and the native tongue of approximately 50 percent of the population there.Although, not an official language in Pakistan, it is spoken by approximately 13% of the population.Pashto uses a modified version of the Arabic alphabet, and is read right to left.
Can learning another language be as easy as speaking your own? Yes - with Pimsleur it's that easy. Learn on your own time, at your own pace, and wherever you choose. Pashto II includes 15 hours of spoken language practice and one additional hour of reading instruction, and is designed to be used after completing Level I.
In the first 10 lessons, you begin to use the past tense. Structures become more complex and informal speech is introduced. Conversations become fuller, and learners are able to discuss business and social activities, manage shopping situations, and express their interests. As you progress, vocabulary is expanded and fluency increases.
The next 10 lessons allow you to further combine and build upon known elements, and produce longer and more complex sentences. You learn to bargain with shopkeepers, deal with business situation, get and give medical information, and discuss the weather.
In the final 10 lessons, you've doubled your vocabulary and have several hundred structures to draw upon. You'll gain experience asking for assistance, finding a location that is some distance away, and using relative structures - faster, slower, etc. Leisure activities are explored, as well as shopping, changing money, and future travel plans. By the end of Level II, you're speaking at a mid-intermediate level with near-native pronunciation, and you are comfortable meeting most social demands.
Reading Lessons are included at the end of Unit 30. These lessons, which total about one hour, are designed to give you practice reading Pashto, and to provide you with some insight into Pashto culture with proverbs, common expressions, and a broad look at things you'll see when visiting Afghanistan. A Reading Booklet to be used with the audio lessons is also included in PDF format.