Amirreza Vakilifard

Dr. Amirreza Vakilifard is a distinguished scholar and educator in Persian language education. He earned his Ph.D. in Education Sciences with a specialization in Second Language Didactics from the University of Montréal in 2007. 
 
In 1996, Dr. Vakilifard was appointed as the first professor to formally teach Persian as a second language within a Persian Language Education department, establishing a cornerstone for the academic development of this field. A leading figure in Persian language instruction, he was instrumental in designing the country’s first Bachelor of Arts program in Persian Language Teaching. In collaboration with colleagues, he developed the Persian Language Framework of Reference for teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages: Grammar, Vocabulary and Functions for Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Levels —similar to the CEFR, helping to formalize standards for Persian language education. 
 
In 2011, he founded the Journal of Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages—the first academic journal in Iran dedicated to Persian language didactics—and served as its editor-in-chief until 2020. In 2017, he developed SAMFA (Standard Assessment of Persian Language Proficiency), the most widely administered Persian proficiency test, recognized both nationally and internationally. 
 
Dr. Vakilifard is the author of more than 80 scholarly publications in Persian, French, and English. His research spans a wide range of topics, including computer-assisted language learning (CALL), language assessment, curriculum development, learning strategies, intercultural communicative competence, teaching language for academic purposes, and teacher education. His contributions have earned him numerous honors, including multiple Book of the Year awards, Distinguished Professor titles, and Outstanding Researcher recognitions. 
 
After more than 15 years of dedicated work, he also founded the Iranian Scientific Association of Persian Language Didactics, further advancing the professionalization and academic growth of the field. 
 
Dr. Vakilifard currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice in Persian Language at the University of Arizona’s School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies (MENAS) and is affiliated with the Roshan Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Persian and Iranian Studies.