Kurdish language courses
Studying Kurdish at SOAS Language Centre
Spoken by over 45 million people, Kurdish is one of the most vibrant and historically rich languages of the Middle East.
As part of the Western Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, Kurdish has deep historical roots and a unique cultural legacy. It is spoken across Kurdistan, the Kurdish homeland, a culturally rich region that today lies divided across the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, and the Caucasus, and it extends to a growing global diaspora.
With deep historical roots tracing back to the second millennium BCE, Kurdish is not only a linguistic bridge to the past but also a vital part of contemporary cultural and political expression. Its kinship with languages like English, German, and French underscores its place within the global linguistic landscape.
Central Kurdish (Sorani) holds a unique status as the official language of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is widely spoken in western Iran. It forms the backbone of Kurdish education, media, and literature, with a flourishing array of newspapers, television channels, and literary works that capture the history, struggles, and aspirations of the Kurdish people.
Today, Kurdish stands not just as a means of communication, but as a powerful symbol of resilience, unity, and identity across nations and generations.
Short courses in Kurdish:
Kurdish is one of the most interesting languages; lively, harmonious, simple, precise, rich and varied, and easy to learn. Beidar, P. (1926)
For course dates and information, please see our timetables.
