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I am Professor and Head of the Persian program at Portland State University. 

I obtained my Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Ottawa in 2005 under the supervision of Prof. María-Luisa Rivero. My dissertation adopts the Minimalist Program of Chomsky to examine the agreement patterns of Persian language. I have published on Persian syntax, morphology, second language pedagogy, and Persian as a heritage language.

My Persian language textbook, Persian in Use: An Elementary Textbook of Language and Culture  (Leiden University Press, 2015) is taught in 25 universities nationwide as well as in Europe. Due to popular demand, my textbook has been translated into German under the title: Persisch aktiv Eine Einführung in Sprache und Kultur

I am the editor of Iranian and Minority Languages at Home and in Diaspora, (De Gruyter Mouton, 2023). I have also edited The Oxford Handbook of Persian Linguistics (Oxford University Press, 2018). 

I am a council memeber for the Association for Iranian Studies (2025-2028). I served as the inaugural Associate Editor of Linguistics for the International Journal of Iranian Studies (Cambridge University Press). I also served as the President of the American Association of Teachers of Persian (2014-2016) and sat in the Executive Board of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages.  

Note: Farsi is the native term for the Persian language (similar to Deutsch/German, Français/French, Español/Spanish). The Academy of the Persian Language & Literature (Farhangestaan) recommends the term “Persian” as the preferred term to be used in western languages.

Contact Information:

Telephone: (503) 725-8784

E-mail: sedighi@pdx.edu