Languages of South Asia at SOAS: Sinhala
Sinhalese is the national language of Sri Lanka, where it was long ago introduced from northern India. Sinhalese is therefore related, albeit distantly, to the Indo-Aryan languages of the north, rather than to the neighbouring Dravidian languages of southern India.
A knowledge of Sinhalese is naturally a prerequisite for the study of modern Sri Lanka, and its older literature is an important resource for Buddhist studies courses: our arrangements for Sinhala teaching are currently under review. Courses at Beginners’ or Intermediate level may be available.
Contact:
Dr Amal Gunasena (ag42@soas.ac.uk) or the Language Centre (languages@soas.ac.uk).
Degree Programmes
- BA South Asian Studies
- BA South Asian Studies and ...
- Certificate in South Asian Studies
- MA Comparative Literature (Africa/Asia)
- MA Languages and Cultures of South Asia
- Degree Programmes with Language Options
Degree Course Options
- Sinhala Language 1
- Sinhala Language 2
- Sinhala Language 1 (Postgraduate)
- Sinhala Language 2 (Postgraduate)
Language Centre
Suggested reading:
- Fairbanks, Gair, De Silva, Colloquial Sinhalese, Parts I and II, New York 1993.
- C.E. Godakumbure, Sinhalese literature, Colombo 1955.
- W.S. Karunatillake, Spoken Sinhala, Colombo 1992.
- C.H.B. Reynolds, Sinhalese: an introductory course, London 1995.
- C.H.B. Reynolds, An anthology of Sinhalese literature up to 1915, London 1970.
Please Note: Not all courses and programmes are available every year
