Colloquial Tibetan provides a step-by-step course in Central Tibetan as it is spoken by native speakers. Combining a thorough treatment of the language as it is used in everyday situations with an accurate written representation of this spoken form, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Tibetan in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

Key features include:

• progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
• phonetic transliteration of the Tibetan script throughout the course to aid pronunciation and understanding of the writing system
• structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar
• an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises
• realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios
• useful vocabulary lists throughout the text
• additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key, a grammar section, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues.

Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Tibetan will be an indispensable resource both for independent learners and for students taking courses in Tibetan.

Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.

By the end of this course, you will be at Level B2 of the Common European Framework for Languages and at the Intermediate-High on the ACTFL proficiency scales.

About the Author
Jonathan Samuels (also known by the name Sherab Gyatso) spent 20 years as a monk, living in Tibetan communities in Asia. He is one of a handful of foreigners to have been awarded the title Geshe, having completed a full course of traditional academic studies in Tibetan monastic institutions. He has many years experience teaching Tibetan, and has both designed and taught training courses for translators and interpreters. Jonathan Samuels holds a Masters degree from the Oriental Institute of the University of Oxford, and is currently completing his PhD with the same institution. He currently holds the position of Research Fellow (Buddhist Studies) at the Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context" at Heidelberg University.

Reviews

"This is an excellent book which accurately shows the way the actual Tibetan colloquial language is spoken today. Another useful thing about this book is its approach to learning language. You learn to speak the language right away without having to learn the alphabet first, instead gradually learning the alphabet as you go. Above all, it has covered some of the rhetoric, emphatic verbs and adverbs never explained in any other book before... I would definitely recommend it. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn to speak Tibetan quickly. The book contains many dialogues, language points, cultural points and exercises, helpful for any beginning student of the language." Karma T. Ngodup, The University of Chicago, USA

"A vital publication for those wishing to study a language witnessing renewed interest, Colloquial Tibetan addresses the practical aspects of conversation, using the standard Central Tibetan dialect of U-Tsang. The publication provides a clear phonetic breakdown for each lesson, as well as its English translation and Tibetan written form. Importantly, audio accompaniments are available to guide the reader, and will appeal to both dharma students and Tibetologists alike." - The Tibet Foundation

Book Information
ISBN 9781138380738
Author Jonathan Samuels
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 494g