CLASSICAL TIBETAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 1

The Classical Tibetan Course is included in the Bachelor's Degree Programme in "Languages, cultures and societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa". In line with the aims of the degree programme, the Classical Tibetan Course contributes to the development of linguistic skills in Asian languages ​​and of solid knowledge of the related cultures and societies. Therefore, this course helps to develop cultural mediation skills concerning the Asian area, which is one among the aims of the aforementioned degree programme. In particular, by providing philological and linguistic knowledge of classical Tibetan, this course lays a solid foundation for the study of Tibetan tradition, as well as the translation of its texts. Moreover, by providing a general introduction to Tibetan philosophical concepts and terminology, this course offers the opportunity to deepen the knowledge of Asian cultural heritage. Specifically, the study of classical Tibetan is a fundamental tool for accessing the philosophical and literary sources of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Module 1 provides the students with basic knowledge of the history and structure of classical Tibetan language. In particular, students will acquire basic knowledge of writing (alphabet and syllabic combinations), phonetics, lexical morphology, and fundamentals of Tibetan grammar. Students will also develop the following basic skills: reading, transliterating, and consulting dictionaries and online resources. Moreover, students will acquire basic knowledge of the philosophical and religious terminology of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

There are no pre-requirements for this course. However, good English language skills are recommended for consulting dictionaries and other materials.

The main contents of Module 1 are:
- History and features of classical Tibetan language
- Alphabet, writing, phonetics, and transliteration
- The syllable as the basic unit of Tibetan language
- Elements of lexical morphology
- Connectors and grammar cases
- Tibetan sentence structure
- Introduction to the basic concepts and terminology of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Required readings:
- F. Sanders, LA LINGUA TIBETANA CLASSICA, Hoepli 2016.

Additional readings:
- S. Beyer, THE CLASSICAL TIBETAN LANGUAGE, SUNY 1992.
- M. Hahn, TEXTBOOK OF CLASSICAL LITERARY TIBETAN, 2008.

Online resources (dictionaries, etc.):
- Online Tibetan language and text resources, available here: http://www.thlib.org/reference/ (free)
- TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY - CHRISTIAN STEINERT, available here: https://dictionary.christian-steinert.de/#home (free)
- TIBETAN-ENGLISH ILLUMINATOR DICTIONARY, available here for purchase: http://www.pktc.org/pktc/tibddiction.htm#ILL

Additional materials (handouts, exercises, textual materials, and links for online resources) will be provided by the teacher during the course.

During the classes, the students will be encouraged to participate actively and will be asked to read and analyse simple words and sentences. Thus, their level of understanding will be continuously checked. During the final oral examination, the students will be evaluated in the following activities: reading, transliterating, dictionary search, and analysis of simple sentences. Students are also expected to know basic historical and linguistic notions of the classical Tibetan language, as well as some basic elements of vocabulary and conceptual framework related to the philosophical-religious literature of Tibetan Buddhism.

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Grading scale
A. Scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and applied comprehension skills;
- limited ability to analyse and interpret textual materials;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in the use of specific terminology.

B. Scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- fair knowledge and applied comprehension skills;
- moderate ability to analyse and interpret textual materials;
- fair communication skills, especially in the use of specific terminology.

C. Scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or very good knowledge and applied comprehension skills;
- good or very good ability to analyse and interpret textual materials;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially in the use of specific terminology.

D. A mark of 30 with honours (cum laude) will be awarded in the presence of:
- excellent knowledge and applied understanding;
- excellent ability to analyse and interpret textual materials;
- excellent communication skills.

Lectures supported by PowerPoint (and further audio-visual materials); guided reading, writing, transliteration and grammar analysis.

Lecture attendance is highly recommended.