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.

Survey of Ethiopian Languages and Cultures
Cultural Considerations
Ethiopic Script
Writing Amharic Alphabets (Vowels, Consonants, Syllables)
Reading simple words
Reading and responding of paragraphs
Reading and responding stories
Identifying contextual meaning of words and phrases
Reading about numbers, dates, weeks, months, etc
Writing words (Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Prepositions, Adverbs)
Constructing phrases, sentences (Declaratives, Interrogatives, Imperatives)
Using punctuations in writing

The Basics of Amharic
Greetings and leave taking
Pronouns
Introducing oneself and others
Basic Verbs (form, tense, conjugation)
Expressing like and dislike
Adjectives
Parts of the Body
Ethiopian Holydays
kinship terms
Food and restaurants
Transportation
Numbers
Week days
Months
Ethiopian Calendar
Questioning
Time
Direction
Invitation
Shopping: Haggling and buying

-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.
-Bender M. L. (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.
-Defense Language Institute. (2016): Amharic Cultural Orientation.
-Lesau, Wolf: Amharic Context Dictionary.
-Peace Corps Ethiopia. (2015): Amharic Language training Manual.
-Tesfaye Baye Assefa. (2009): Amharic for Visitors. Mega Publishing and Distribution. Addis Ababa.
-Wimsatt, A. and Wynn, R. (2011): Amharic Language and Culture Manual: National Language of Ethiopia. Texas State University class of 2011.

Observation
Presentation
Continous quiz and test
Written work
Individual interview
Oral exam
Teachers' oral feedback
mid and Final exams

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

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development