INTRODUCTION TO AMHARIC AND ETHIOPIAN CULTURE

This is one of the courses within the common route (free student choice) of the Corso di Laurea "Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa".
Its formative objectives are within the area of linguistic as well as cultural and humanistic skills learning.
The course will contribute to the whole understanding of culture and language in general and the cultural and linguistic diversity of Ethiopia in particular through acquisition of the basics of speaking, reading, writing and listening skills of the Amharic and exposing to culture of Ethiopia.

Knowledge and understanding
- to know and understand basic elements of Amharic writing, reading and speaking
- to know and understand basic issues of culture, history and religion of Ethiopia

Applying knowledge and understanding
- to be able to write Amharic using Ethiopic writing system
- to be able to identify and understand broader cultural issues in Ethiopia

Communication
- to know how to communicate using Amharic in different contexts

Making judgments
- to be able to autonomously lay ground for further Ethiopian studies

Lifelong learning skills
- to strengthen people to people relations

Knowledge of the basic categories of sentence analysis.

I. Survey of Ethiopian Languages and Cultures
II. Cultural Considerations
III. Ethiopic Script
IV. The Basics of Amharic

Alem Eshetu. (2001). Amharic for Foreign Beginners. Addis Ababa: Commercial Printing Enterprise.
Bender M. L. (1976a). The Non-Semetic Languages of Ethiopia. African Studies Centre, Michigan State University: USA.
. (1997). The Nilo-Saharan languages: A comparative essay (2ed). Munchen: Lincom Europ.
Dawkins, C.H. (1960). The Fundamentals of Amharic. Sudan Interior Mission. Addis Ababa.
Debebow Zeleke, Mulugeta Andualem. (1964). Amharic Basic Course. Foreign Service Institute.
Tesfaye Baye Assefa. (2009). Amharic for Visitors. Mega Publishing and Distribution. Addis Ababa.

Mid and Final exams.
The evaluation will be based on: observation, presentation, quiz and test, written work, oral exam, teachers' oral feedback

Lessons will focus on interactive and participatory activities:
- dialogue; presentation; demonstration; reflection; question and answer; visit and observation; discussion (pair, group); debate; game; drama; conversation; individual, pair and group work

English

written and oral