Nepali Language 2 (PG)

Key information

Status
Module not running
Module code
15PSAC299
FHEQ Level
7
Credits
30
Department
South Asia Section

Module overview

Prerequisites

Nepali Language 1 (Postgraduate) or equivalent. Your language level will be checked before entry.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

At the end of the module, a student should be able to demonstrate…

  1. knowledge and understanding of intermediate Nepali grammar
  2. knowledge and understanding of a wide range of Nepali vocabulary
  3. knowledge and understanding of the appropriateness of a wide range of Nepali structures and expressions in a given context
  4. the ability to understand passages in written Nepali of medium length on everyday and some specialised topics
  5. the ability to produce passages in written Nepali of medium length on everyday and some specialised topics
  6. the ability to understand spoken Nepali and to engage in spoken discourse of medium complexity on everyday and some specialised topics

Workload

This module will be taught over 20 weeks with 4 hours classroom contact per week in language classes.

Scope and syllabus

The module provides teaching and learning of intermediate level Nepali language with emphasis on practical written and spoken Nepali. It covers complex points of word and sentence structure as well as textual relations in Nepali writing and discourse. Communicative practice and structural knowledge is established through reading and discussing a variety of Nepali texts dealing with different topics and of different length and complexity.

The module provides students with intermediate knowledge of Nepali and practice of using Nepali in a variety of everyday and more specialised situations, including the understanding and expression of opinions and different points of view. It allows students to interact with Nepali speakers in Nepali and to use original Nepali language sources within the level covered in the module. This provides students with a basis to approach research topics relating to Nepali language and the histories, societies and cultures associated with Nepali.

Method of assessment

  • 30% - Mid-term oral presentation 
  • 20% - Practical skill oral assessment
  • 20% - End-of-term assignment
  • 30% - End-of-term test
  • Exact assessment deadline dates are published on the relevant module Moodle/BLE page.

Suggested reading

The module will be based on:

  • Hutt, Michael and Abhi Subedi, Teach Yourself Nepali (London, 2000) [later chapters only]
    plus the Nepali on-line dictionary, flexipack and other materials posted on the Nepali language Blackboard site

Additional Nepali references

  • Ruth L Schmidt et al, A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali.  New Delhi: Ratna Sagar, 1993.
  • Michael Hutt, Himalayan Voices: an introduction to modern Nepali literature. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991.
  • Michael Hutt,  Nepali.  A national language and its literature. New Delhi and London: Sterling Publishers/SOAS, 1988.
  • Michael Hutt, Modern Literary Nepali, an introductory reader.  New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Additional resources relating to language-based scholarship

  • Austin, Peter, ed., 2008, 1000 Languages: The world-wide history of living and lost tongues, London: Thames and Hudson.
  • Baker, Mona, 1992, In Other Words: A coursebook on translation, London: Routledge.
  • Duranti, Alessandro, 1997, Linguistic Anthropology, Cambridge: CUP.
  • Geertz, Clifford, 1973/2000, The Interpretation of Cultures: selected essays, New York: Basic Books.
  • Pinker, Steven, 1994, The Language Instinct: the new science of language and mind, London: Allan Lane.

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules