Meet Liana Matevosian: The College Student Teaching a Generation to Learn Armenian

Ever since I was a baby, my parents and family have spoken Armenian with me, and in first grade, I began taking an afterschool Armenian class where I learned to read and write in Armenian. However, I eventually became discouraged by the classroom dynamic and stopped attending after only a year. Feeling unsupported made it difficult to stay motivated as a young student. As I grew up, I felt my fluency in my home language slowly fade away.

Flash forward twelve years—during my first year of college in 2025—I found myself sitting alone in my dorm room, feeling distant from my family, my culture, and myself. That's where Let's Learn Armenian was born. Though I had retained only a limited foundation in Armenian reading and writing, I made the decision to teach myself again and to create something that could help others do the same in a way that feels approachable and exciting. I wanted to build something that could be used by people of all ages, no matter their level of fluency.

Since then, although I'm still working on my fluency and confidence in the language, creating this brand has helped me improve my reading, writing, and speaking tremendously. I've been learning alongside my audience, often turning to Armenian textbooks and getting feedback from my family and community throughout the process.

As a former student of Language Science and a current student in Speech-Language Pathology, I've learned about the many fascinating and critical ways that language connects people. It's how we share experiences, build relationships, and feel understood. Not only is language an intergenerational tie for descendants of immigrants, but it's also a core aspect of cultural identity and one of the strongest ways to stay connected to our roots.

As generations in the diaspora grow further removed from native Armenian speakers, we become surrounded by dominant languages, and our home language is spoken less and less frequently. Because of this natural shift, it's important for us to be intentional about passing down the Armenian language to the next generation. Teaching Armenian to younger generations is at the heart of preserving our culture within our growing families and communities in the diaspora.

The best part of creating these books has, by far, been seeing the impact they've had. Families have reached out to me with stories about how my books have improved their child's understanding of Armenian, and it feels surreal to hear.

Some of my non-Armenian friends have purchased the books just to pick up a few Armenian words, while parents have shared that their child was finally able to grasp the colors in Armenian by associating them with the illustrations. I've also heard from Armenian adults who are eager for more, as they've found these books to be the most approachable way to relearn their home language.

What started as a passion project to help me reconnect with Armenian culture has become so much bigger than I could have imagined, and I'm so excited about all that's yet to come!

Yes, absolutely! I'm excited to continue growing the series with more topics and resources that make learning Armenian feel approachable, engaging, and enjoyable for all ages.