Users of the site (http://farsi.goenglish.me) will find 24 modules, presenting a variety of cultural situations in the United States. Each module has three lessons—beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Practical topics include: "Greeting Friends," "Retail Shopping," and "Apartment Hunting."
Students use a headset and microphone to converse with avatars in the goEnglish.me lessons. Each lesson has phrases and sentences along with short exams. As they progress from beginner to advanced, they hear more English and less of their own language.
"What makes goEnglish.me unique is that users get a glimpse into everyday American life, while learning things they might need if they were traveling or studying in the United States," said Rebecca McMenamin, Director of New Media. "Our site is very interactive and users can download lessons and information for use later or to share with friends."
goEnglish.me has been available to Mandarin speakers since November 2009 and plans are underway to add more languages.
The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts more than 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 125 million people. Programs are produced in 45 languages and are intended exclusively for audiences outside of the United States.
For more information, please call VOA Public Relations at (202) 203-4959, or e-mail askvoa@voanews.com.