Tibetan Language Curriculum

SRI offers seven levels of Tibetan language courses in small group format to our students and sangha. Class sections meet once weekly in 12-week trimesters and are limited to five students per class section to permit extensive teacher-student interaction.
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On completion of each level students shall be able to:


Tibetan 1.1

Recognize and write the Tibetan alphabet
Use Tibetan dictionaries to widen their vocabulary
Give an outline of the history of the alphabet
Read and understand simple sentences in Tibetan 


Tibetan 1.2
Use the Wylie Romanization system to read and write Tibetan
Express themselves clearly at the basic level
Engage in conversations about various topics covered in the lessons
Use simple grammatical structures
Read and understand utterances and short passages 

Tibetan 1.3
Express themselves clearly at the basic level
Engage in conversations about various topics covered in the lessons
Use and understand core grammatical concepts
Read and understand utterances, short passages and some classical texts 

Tibetan 2.1
Understand familiar topics in Tibetan spoken at a normal pace
Converse with native speakers of Tibetan on familiar topics
Read and write short texts on familiar topics. 

Tibetan 2.2
Translate a wide range of texts at the intermediate level, such as classical texts and fictitious stories
Apply appropriate English vocabularies and structures when performing translations
Solve translation problems using dictionaries, grammar books and online resources. 

Tibetan 2.3
Analyze, interpret and debate a selection of classical works
Demonstrate the ability to independently complete a short essay that meets basic requirements, and reflect on the writing process. 

Tibetan 3.1
Student-directed continued study building on 2 years of solid foundation


About your teacher

Swiss-born multilingual Adelaide Foster lived, studied, worked and became ordained living with Tibetans in India for 13 years, studying Buddhist philosophy in Tibetan in a traditional setting; she has subsequently returned to Europe and studied linguistics and cognitive science at university. In addition to teaching, she has also translated extensively, including teachings given by the Dalai Lama. 

Current Tibetan Language Programming