This course will introduce students to the Burmese language, and provide them with communicative commands at an Introductory level, with an emphasis on conversation in everyday situations. Students will also begin to familiarise themselves with reading and writing Burmese script.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Recognise and pronounce the 32 Burmese consonants, seven basic vowels, and three tones, as well as other distinctive features of Burmese pronunciation such as glottal stops.
- Reproduce Burmese pronunciation according to the Romanization system used by SOAS, London University, to support the basic use of English-Burmese and Burmese-English dictionaries; recognize the Burmese script and reproduce basic words in it.
- Use an active vocabulary of around 300 items.
- Recognise and produce sentence structures in colloquial Burmese to allow short conversations and the reading and writing of short, basic texts.
- Understand and compose basic forms of colloquial style of Burmese such as greetings and simple questions and answers about personal details, statements on the quantity and quality of things they encounter in everyday life.
- Demonstrate an understanding of basic cultural practices such as honorifics for Burmese names and the custom of birthdays of the week.
Required Resources
Required Teaching Resources are found on the Burmese 1 Wattle site.
Students are strongly recommended to obtain this dictionary.
Pocket Burmese Dictionary (Burmese-English / English-Burmese)
Publisher: Periplus
Edition: 2008
Recommended Resources
Burmese by Ear or Essential Myanmar
Author: John Okell
Price: Free
Notes:
Available for free download from here.
https://www.soas.ac.uk/bbe/
The website of School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Staff Feedback
Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:- Written comments
- Verbal comments
- Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups
Student Feedback
ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.Class Schedule
Week/Session | Summary of Activities | Assessment |
---|---|---|
1 | Week 1: 22- 26 Feb | Lesson 1 Welcome and introduction Burmese pronunciation Our romanization system for Burmese |
2 | Week 2: 1 - 5 March | Lesson 2 From greetings to small talk Some essential rules of Burmese grammar Burmese names Numbers: 0 - 10 Quiz 1 |
3 | Week 3: 8 - 12 March | Lesson 3 Naming things in Burmese How to say the possessive in Burmese Numbers: 11 – 100 Quiz 2 Public holiday (Canberra Day 8 March) |
4 | Week 4: 15 - 19 March | Lesson 4 Having snacks and drinks at a tea house Request forms (How to ask others to do something) Numbers: 100 – 10,000 Quiz 3 |
5 | Week 5: 22 - 26 March | Lesson 5 Shopping, sightseeing and visiting pagodas Adjectives and adverbs Daily schedules Numbers: 10,000 - 100,000 Mid-term Exams Listening comprehension Exam Oral Exam Written Exam (all written in romanization) |
6 | Week 6: 29 March - 2 April | Lesson 6 Introduction of Burmese characters 1.Vowels, 2.Consonants and 3.Exercises Burmese New Year song Quiz 4 Public holiday (Good Friday 2 April) |
7 | Teaching Break: 5 - 16 April | Assignment: Exercises of Burmese characters Public holiday (Easter Monday 5 April) |
8 | Week 7: 19 - 23 April | Lesson 7 Review of Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 in Burmese characters. Burmese characters are phonetic symbols, but because of the gap between writing and pronunciation we need to learn the spelling of each word. Quiz 5 |
9 | Week 8: 26 - 30 April | Lesson 8 Review of Lesson 3 in Burmese characters Quiz 6 Public holiday (ANZAC Day - Observed Public Holiday 26 April) |
10 | Week 9: 3 - 7 May | Lesson 9 Review of Lesson 4 in Burmese characters. Quiz 7 |
11 | Week 10: 10 - 14 May | Lesson 10 Review of Lesson 5 in Burmese characters. Quiz 8 |
12 | Week 11: 17 - 21 May | Lesson 11 Family terms Calendars Birthdays (Burmese celebrate birthdays both annually and every week as well) To make a suggestion to do something together with others. Quiz 9 |
13 | Week 12: 24 - 28 May | Lesson 12 Transportation (How to travel to your destination) Why? (How to show the reason) Quiz 10 Final Exams *will be arranged during the Examination period (3 -19 June) Listening comprehension Exam Oral Exam Written Exam Composition Exam |
Assessment Summary
Assessment task | Value | Due Date | Return of assessment | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Quiz x 10 | 15 % | 30/05/2021 | 02/06/2021 | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
Mid-term Oral Exam | 10 % | 24/03/2021 | 31/03/2021 | 1, 4, 5, 6 |
Mid-term Listening Comprehension Exam | 5 % | 28/03/2021 | 31/03/2021 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, |
Mid-term Written Exam | 10 % | 28/03/2021 | 31/03/2021 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 |
Final Oral Exam | 20 % | 09/06/2021 | 01/07/2021 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Final Listening Comprehension Exam | 10 % | 09/06/2021 | 01/07/2021 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Final Written and Composition Exam | 25 % | 09/06/2021 | 01/07/2021 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Class Participation | 5 % | 30/05/2021 | 01/07/2021 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details
Policies
ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:- Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
- Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
- Student Surveys and Evaluations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
Assessment Requirements
The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.Moderation of Assessment
Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.Assessment Task 1
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 4, 5
Quiz x 10
Weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Vocabulary and grammar
Assessment Task 2
Learning Outcomes: 1, 4, 5, 6
Mid-term Oral Exam
Week 5
1. Individual presentation and 2. Individual interview by the examiner.
More details will be given in Wattle.
Assessment Task 3
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
Mid-term Listening Comprehension Exam
Week 5
Listening comprehension skills.
More details will be given in Wattle.
Assessment Task 4
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Mid-term Written Exam
Week 5
1. vocabulary and grammar, 2. reading ability and 3. basic cultural knowledge about Myanmar
More details will be given in Wattle.
Assessment Task 5
Learning Outcomes: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Final Oral Exam
This exam will be arranged during the Final Exam period.
1. Presentation: pair work , 2. individual interview by the examiner.
More details will be given in Wattle.
Assessment Task 6
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Final Listening Comprehension Exam
This exam will be arranged during the Final Exam period.
Listening comprehension skills.
More details will be given in Wattle.
Assessment Task 7
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Final Written and Composition Exam
This Exam will be arranged during the Exam period.
Part 1. Written exam: 1. vocabulary and grammar, 2. reading ability and 3.basic cultural knowledge about Myanmar.
Part 2. Composition: Writing skills in Burmese.
More details will be given in Wattle.
Assessment Task 8
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Class Participation
Listening and speaking skills together with basic skills of reading and writing Burmese script through class tasks and assignments.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.Online Submission
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.Hardcopy Submission
For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.Late Submission
No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
Referencing Requirements
Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.Extensions and Penalties
Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.Privacy Notice
The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.Distribution of grades policy
Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.Support for students
The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).- ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
- ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
- ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
- ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
- ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
- ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
- PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students
Convener
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Research InterestsBurmese language education, Modern Burmese intellectual history, Burmese literature and Burmese traditional music |
Dr Yuri Takahashi
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Instructor
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Research Interests |
Dr Yuri Takahashi
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