Bengali Language Course

Institution University of London - School of Oriental and African Studies
Method At the institution
Location London
Type Courses
Course fee By request

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Bengali Language Course

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

1. knowledge and understanding of basic Bengali grammar

2. knowledge and understanding of essential Bengali vocabulary

3. knowledge and understanding of the appropriateness of basic Bengali structures and expressions in a given context

4. the ability to understand short passages in written Bengali on everyday topics

5. the ability to produce short passages in written Bengali on everyday topics

6. the ability to understand spoken Bengali and to engage in short spoken discourse on everyday topics
Course description This is a basic course for beginners in the written and spoken language; students are not assumed to have any previous knowledge of the language or its script. The course covers all the major tenses and constructions of the language, enabling successful students to acquire basic skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Literacy in the script is taught early on, and much emphasis is placed on good pronunciation and on the social and linguistic conventions of everyday conversation.

Classes are highly ‘interactive’, with much participation from students through drilling, question-and-answer exercises, and other such class activities. As in all language courses, full attendance and regular submission of coursework is essential, and the four hours of class time have to be matched with at least as much again in private study.

Qualification for entry

None

This course is available to students in any year, but final-year undergraduate students will need the permission of the Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching.

Workload
Total of 22 weeks teaching with 4 hours classroom contact per week.

Method of assessment
One three-hour written exam (60%) and an oral exam (20%) taken in May/June. Two one-hour written tests in week 2 of Term 2 and the week after Reading Week in Term 2, counting for 10% each. These tests will be on vocabulary acquisition, comprehension or specific language structures and will be agreed in class beforehand. 20% of total mark (10 + 10).