Learn Western Armenian Online

A collection of resources for learning Western Armenian online and on your own time. This page is regularly updated, so keep checking back, and please comment if I’ve missed anything. (Updated 1/23/2024)

If you want to learn the Western Armenian alphabet, start here: https://hye.home.blog/resources-for-learning-the-western-armenian-alphabet/

Time-specific classes / they have semesters and specific times

  • AGBU Armenian Virtual College
    • Quarterly online classes, run from Yerevan, with both Western and Eastern options at a variety of different knowledge-levels (beginners, intermediate, late intermediate, etc.). Fast-paced, like an actual college-course. Weekly office hour and social hour sessions can really help with the listening/speaking part. I did a few semesters of this and found it pretty challenging. I recommend you start with these after you know the alphabet and other basics.
  • Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA, Inc.
    • “Let’s Chat”, conversational Western Armenian courses. Currently running a winter session 2024.
  • *Check your local Armenian churches*
    • During Covid-19, many churches that had Armenian classes moved online. Some may still be doing hybrid or virtual classes. It’s worth looking in to. St. James Armenian church runs three semesters a year via their Mesrob Mashdotz Institute, and was still doing virtual courses, last I checked.

On your schedule / customized online classes / coaching

  • Go Natural Armenian
    • Eastern and Western Armenian lessons online. Customized to what you already know and want to learn. Vartan and I took lessons from Lusine back in 2021 I think? Right after Nareg was born? (Or 2020 after Zabel, and I’m mixing my children up. It happens.) I really liked the way Lusine organized her lessons. She created a lot of Google Docs on various themes, with her own teaching style, rather than just walking through one of the usual textbooks. I took an hour a week lesson, and Vartan did 10-15 minutes daily over WhatsApp, which worked really well.
  • Western Armenian Online Courses
    • Eastern and Western Armenian lessons online. Customized to what you already know and want to learn. Haven’t tried these yet. Lots
  • italki.com
    • This is a website that connects you with native Armenian speakers, where you can get customized lessons and pay by the hour rather than for a specific class or semester. You cannot search by or sort by Western Armenian.
  • Armenian Crash Course – tutoring is available from author and educator Meghri Dervartanian. Might only be available in person? But also has a YouTube channel with lessons and games.
  • Tun Online Armenian School
    • Teaches both the Eastern and Western Armenian dialects. Lessons are interactive, and include a mix of video lessons that you can log in and watch from any device, quizzes and games, audio exercises, as well as downloadable workbooks and flashcards to supplement your learning. I like that this is a go-at-your-own-pace kind of thing rather than a scheduled lesson, because my availability is SO unpredictable with young kids. I haven’t actually tried this yet, but intend to.
  • Hayasa
    • Presumably also teaches Western Armenian, since they have a Youtube channel with lots of Western Armenian lessons!

Self-paced classes

  • Arak29.am
    • Self-paced online courses – “A Course in Modern Western Armenian” based on Thomas Samuelian’s textbook, with online flashcards and drills. LOTS of worksheets here, highly recommend. Better for intermediate or advanced learners. Also courses in “Traditional Orthography” and “Historical Comparative Linguistics.”
  • Pimsleur, Western Armenian
    • 10 audio lessons. These are a good starter starter, just because of the ease of listening & learning. The grammar for some of the phrases in these lessons is more formal than people actually speak in everyday conversation. I’ve definitely had people look at me funny because I used plural pronouns when the single (informal) would do. (So, listen & learn at your own risk.)
  • Hayeren Khosink, Audiovisual Course for Western Armenian
    • A playlist taken from the audiovisual course put together by the Padus-Araxes Cultural Association. (I haven’t watched these, but it looks thorough, so I figured I’d list it here!)
  • Memrise – Western Armenian
    • There are several courses for learning Western Armenian on the Memrise site (and app). They have varying levels of detail, and I intend to do a fuller review of each of those courses at a later date.)

Online tools

  • Armenian Conjugation
    • Online version of the great Armenian conjugation app. English, French, Eastern, and Western Armenian. Type a word you want to conjugate, and it’ll show you all of the forms for that word.
  • Nayiri Dictionary
    • Compilation of 120 different Armenian dictionaries, into one great online resource.
  • Anki Flashcards
    • Spaced repetition flashcard app, based on neuroscience. It’s algorithm shows you flashcards for words right before you’re about to forget them.
  • Forvo.com
    • A pronunciation dictionary online! It shows the place in the world where the speaker comes from, so you can be careful to listen to someone speaking Western Armenian.

Facebook Groups

  • Go Natural Armenian
    • Online classes available, AND they regularly post to Facebook with bright, helpful, vocabulary information. Great to get the nuance between different nouns and verbs. (The “Western Armenian Online Courses” page also sometimes has posts like this, but less frequently.)
  • Western Armenian Conversation Group
    • An intermediate/advanced group, where nearly all of the posts are in Western Armenian. Good place to go practice your reading and writing skills.
  • Armenian Genealogy Հայկական Ծագումնաբանութիւն Haygagan Dzakumnapanutyun
    • Pro tip: This is a great place to practice reading Armenian handwriting. Lots of people will post old family photos with Armenian handwriting on the back, and other people will help by transliterating and translating what’s written.

Apps

  • General language-learning, with Western Armenian lessons
    • Memrise
    • Anki Overdrive / Anki Flashcards
  • Armenian-specific apps
    • Armenian Conjugation – English/French, Western/Eastern dictionary and conjugation tool. Very helpful.
    • Nayiri & Nayiri board – Mobile app version of the great online dictionary
    • Mashdots – Western Armenian language learning app, with flashcards and vocabulary games (Might not be supported anymore on more recent operating systems?)
    • Gus on the Go
    • Several apps from Lalanouaran.com – learn colors, numbers, shapes, and the alphabets. Mini games. These are great.

LISTEN and LEARN

Western Armenian radio stations, YouTube channels, podcasts, and movies that you can access online.

  • VLUME
    • The largest and leading Armenian digital library, which enables users to read & listen to their favorite books on their daily-life devices. Vartan confirmed some of these are in Western. Costs $ to access.
  • Alik Arzoumanian’s YouTube channel
    • Started during Covid-19. Classic children’s books read aloud in Western Armenian.
  • Radio Garden
    • This website shows different live internet radio stations from around the world, on a map. If you look at Lebanon and Armenia, you can find some Armenian stations.
  • Voice of Van
    • An online talk radio station, based in Beiruit, Lebanon. They also have a mobile app.
  • Radio Sevan
    • An online radio station with music and news, based in Beiruit, Lebanon. They also have a mobile app.

Other, miscellaneous short lessons: