Learn Pashto in London

Pashto Language Courses at LSI Language School in Central London

Pashto (also known as Pashtoe, Pashtu, Pushto, Pushtu, Pushtoo, Pakhto, Pukhto‎, Pathan, or Afghan) is an Iranian language of the Indo-Iranian language family spoken by Pashtuns living in south-eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan.

Pashto is one of the national languages of Afghanistan as well as being one of the official languages in the western provinces of Pakistan.  Pashto is spoken by about 28 million people in Pakistan and over 13 million people in Afghanistan.  There are also approximately 776,000 Pashtuns speaking Pashto in small pockets of India.  Smaller communities of Pashtuns are also found in Sindh (Karachi, Hyderabad), Northern India and north-eastern Iran.  It is spoken by a large part of Afghanistan's population who are of the Pashtun tribe, as well as by ethnic Pashtuns who live in Pakistan.

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a country located in the heart of Asia.  It has religious, ethno-linguistic, and geographic links with most of its neighbours.  It is largely bordered by Pakistan to the south and east, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the far north-east.  The name Afghanistan means the "Land of Afghans".  Afghanistan is a mosaic of ethnic groups, and a crossroads between the East and the West.  It has been an ancient focal point of trade and migration.  The region has seen many invaders or conquerors.

Since 1979, Afghanistan has suffered almost continuous conflict, beginning with the Soviet invasion followed by a civil war and finally by the 2001 US led invasion in which the ruling Taliban government was toppled.  Half the population continues to suffer from insufficient food, clothing, housing, and other problems exacerbated by military operations and political uncertainties.

According to the US Geological Survey and the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Industry, Afghanistan may possess up to 36 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 3.6 billion barrels of petroleum and up to 1,325 million barrels of natural gas liquids.  This could mark the turning point in Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts.  Energy exports could generate the revenue that Afghan officials need to modernize the country's infrastructure and expand economic opportunities for the beleaguered and fractious population.  Other reports suggest that the country has huge amounts of gold, copper, coal, iron ore and other rich minerals.

Whether you are learning Pashto for business, leisure or academic purpose, at LSI we will ensure that your Pashto language course at our school in Central London is a successful and enjoyable experience.

• Your current level of Pashto and training requirements will be carefully assessed.
• Our Pashto tutors, who are all highly qualified, have many years of experience teaching Pashto at all levels.
• Your course will be tailor-made to meet your specific training needs, ensuring that it is relevant, practical, effective and fun.
• Our tutors use a wide range of up-to-date teaching materials including a variety of books, authentic documents, audio and video recordings.