Language Courses

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Language Courses

Cultural Tibet accommodates a great number of regional spoken Tibetan dialects, many of which are almost entirely incomprehensible to anyone but the people in a particular subregion. Eastern Tibetan dialects, whether in the Minyak, Dege, Gansu, Aba, or Qinghai regions of Kham and Amdo, are drastically different than the Lhasa dialect and the more standardized form of Central Tibetan dialect spoken by the Tibetan diaspora community in India, Europe, and America. Complicating matters further are the sometimes drastically different forms of dialect from people who live in a single community, as we see in townships that host groups of farmers and pastoralists (nomads), both of which speak their own dialect. The great variety of dialects can make communication difficult not only for foreigners, but also Tibetans themselves. As a result, many Tibetans will opt to speak Chinese to one another rather than attempt to understand an unfamiliar dialect and will often try to speak to foreigners in Chinese as well.

Having said that, for the most part the grammar and syntax for all Tibetan dialects is relatively invariant. A foundation in elementary spoken Tibetan of any dialect will be a good start for learning and adapting to spoken Tibetan "on the ground" anywhere in Tibet, Nepal, and India. Courses in the Tibetan language are taught throughout the world at universities, in Buddhist study centers, and in other formal and informal contexts in Dharamsala, at monasteries in India and Nepal, etc. Due to the historical political importance of Central Tibet and the Dalai Lama, the vast majority of Tibetans living outside of Tibet have learned to speak a form of Central Tibetan dialect. This means that the vast majority of Tibetan language courses outside China and Tibet teach (at least a semblance of) the Lhasa/Central Tibetan dialect. (This has been called "Standard Tibetan". Properly speaking, the Lhasa dialect is very refined. Very few people except the residents of Lhasa speak the Lhasa dialect in its more pristine form; most everyone else speaks a more standard form of Central Tibetan).

In America, there a few dozen universities that offer classes in spoken Tibetan, including Stanford, Berkeley, UC-Santa Barbara, Cornell, University of Washington, Emory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Harvard, Naropa, and numerous others. Among them today, the programs at the University of Virginia (UVA) and Columbia University are two of the most active and vibrant in terms of their continued yearly activities and programs abroad. Both offer intensive Tibetan language programs during the summer as well as undergraduate and graduate level courses during the academic school year. Jointly, UVA and Columbia offer a summer language program at Tibet University in Lhasa (June-August). Outside of major universities, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, India offers introductory and advanced courses in spoken and written Tibetan. The Ranjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal offers courses in literary and spoken Tibetan together with classes on Tibetan Buddhism and culture. Below are a listing of some of the major language courses in America, Europe, and Asia, as well as a list of books and media on Tibetan.

Note: For a more complete list of universities offering programs in Tibetan, visit the external link: Tibetan Language Learning Resource site on THDL.

China and Tibet

Tibet University

Tibet University in Lhasa regularly offers summer-intensive and academic year programs in spoken and written Tibetan.

Programs offered

Southwest Nationalities University in Chengdu

external link: http://222.210.17.170/swun/
Courses offered in written and spoken Tibetan, with option to study the Kham dialect.

Qinghai Nationalities University

external link: http://www.qhmu.edu.cn/en/index.htm
Located in the Chinese city of Xining, PRC, Qinghai Nationalities University offers courses of "standard" Amdo dialect and the Golok dialect. More information can be found at the external link: THDL Programs Abroad website.

India

Library of Tibetan Works & Archives

external link: http://www.ltwa.net/index.html
Based in Dharamsala, India, LTWA offers courses in beginning, intermediate, and advanced Tibetan every year on a trimester basis: spring (March-June), summer (July-September), and autumn (October-December). Classes are held 5-6 times a week. Information on fees, contact information, and registration can be found external link: here

Nepal

Ranjung Yeshe Institute

external link: http://www.shedra.org
Located at Kathmandu, the Ranjung Yeshe Institute is one of the largest centers for international Buddhist studies in the world. Courses and degree programs are offered in conjunction with Kathmandu University on Buddhist studies with a particular focus on Tibetan Buddhism.

Programs Offered

  • Summer Intensive (8 weeks, June-August). Courses range from beginning to advanced. Tuition is $2180 USD, including costs for accommodation, food, and tuition. Download an application external link: here
  • Translator program A rigorous training in spoken and literary Tibetan, including workshops and full immersion in Tibetan living environment. Date: June 20, 2008- June 20 2009. Tuition $19500 USD for the entire year or $6500 per trimester. Scholarship students pay $4000 for a trimester and $12000 for the entire year. Applications are available external link: here

United States

Columbia University (New York City)

In addition to co-sponsoring the summer Tibetan language at Tibet University in Lhasa, Columbia offers academic year courses on all levels of spoken Tibetan. Details can be found on their external link: program website.

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)

In addition courses offered in Tibet in partnership with Tibet University in Lhasa, the University of Virginia offers a full range of beginning through advanced literary and spoken Tibetan, including summer intensive and academic year programs.

Programs Offered

Contributors to this page

Zach Rowinski