Classical Tibetan (Self-Study)
Tibetan Alphabet
Learn to read, write and spell Tibetan with this short self-study course which guides students through learning the Tibetan alphabet. In this short course, students will learn how to:
- Recognize and pronounce the Tibetan alphabet
- Spell simple Tibetan words
- Read short sentences in Tibetan
This course is a prerequisite for RYI’s online Classical Tibetan I course.
Students can study at their own pace, completing the course in as little as one week, but will have access to this course in Moodle for four months from the date of registration.
Classical Tibetan I
Classical Tibetan I covers the core principles of grammar using textbook materials and textual passages from classical Tibetan Buddhist literature. Grammar comprehension is central to this course but students will also be introduced to the basic vocabulary of classical Tibetan philosophy and practice. This course can serve as a springboard for students to begin delving into Tibetan texts on their own, and as a foundation for continuing with more advanced language instruction.
This course is designed to be taken in 14 weeks but you will have access to this course on Moodle for one year from the date of registration. This course is self-study without the guidance of a moderator. If you would like to enroll in our interactive online courses click here.
Classical Tibetan II
In Classical Tibetan II, students will continue with an introduction to the classical Tibetan language and its grammar, gaining more experience and confidence in reading and understanding classical Tibetan texts. After completing this course, successful students will be able to approach Tibetan texts by themselves with confidence.
Students will use their knowledge of basic Tibetan grammar and vocabulary to move into the world of Tibetan literature in a guided way. The focus of the course is on learning by doing, so the primary means of instruction is through guided readings of Tibetan classics such as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation (དྭགས་པོ་ཐར་རྒྱན་) and Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (རྒྱལ་སྲས་ལག་ལེན་). Students will also read the highly regarded Mahāyāna Heart Sutra as part of the course. Students are guided through these texts sentence-by-sentence in recorded visual lectures. The readings in the lectures are interspersed with explanations of the grammar found there, which sometimes includes aspects of grammar as explained in the traditional Tibetan style. The course also focuses on the expansion of students’ vocabulary.
This course is designed to be taken in 14 weeks but you will have access to this course on Moodle for one year from the date of registration. This course is self-study without the guidance of a moderator. If you would like to enroll in our interactive online courses click here.
