Sarnath International Nyingma Institute

This Alphabet Course is for the students to learn how to read and pronounce the Tibetan script fluently, which is prerequisite for བོད་སྐད་སྙིང་པོ། The Heart of Tibetan Online Colloquial Tibetan Language Course that will start in October.

For བོད་སྐད་སྙིང་པོ། The Heart of Tibetan Online Colloquial Tibetan Language Course no speaking skills are required as we will begin from the very simple phrases and sentences. (For example, if you have studied Classical Tibetan before, you are fine.) If you do not know how to read in Tibetan yet, you need to sign up for this course to acquire those skills before the official start of the main course. During the main course, module 1, which is about how to read, will be very brief, just a review. Students with some prior knowledge of the Tibetan language are welcome here, as there are many layers and subtleties to be discovered.

We encourage and expect our participants to be open, curious, and flexible about online learning, and all that entails. To be successful, the student should enjoy working effectively in groups, being self-responsible, and willing to learn on a digital platform.

The Alphabet Course will take 5 weeks, with 2 live classes and 1 practice session with a native Tibetan tutor every week.

During the live classes students will learn the Tibetan alphabet and reading rules according to the Central/Exile dialect.

Additionally, to facilitate quick acquisition of reading fluency, all students will be divided into small learning groups. Students in the small groups will be working on reading tasks together. The tasks will include short reading exercises that are to be completed and checked by one’s learning buddy regularly (daily or every two days).

By the end of the pre-course, students are expected to be able to read any kind of Tibetan text, including Sanskrit mantras transliterated with Tibetan script.

TUITION POLICY

SINI is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve Tibetan culture and Dharma, to build “Bridges of Goodness” through education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cultural exchange. It is important to us to make our courses accessible to everyone who wishes to study the Tibetan language. We try our best to keep costs as reasonable as possible.

MONASTIC RATE

We offer scholarships to support the continuation of the monastic tradition. Please see the course listing especially for monastics to access that sponsored tuition rate.

DATES

September 23 - October 27, 2023

The timings for the live classes are 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CEST every Saturday and Wednesday.