Jonathan Samuels - Colloquial Tibetan: The Complete Course for Beginners

Colloquial
Tibetan

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.

Accompanying audio material is available to purchase separately on two CDs or in MP3 format, or comes included in the great value Colloquial Tibetan pack. Recorded by native speakers, the audio complements the book and will help enhance learners listening and speaking 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 level on the ACTFL proficiency scales.

THE COLLOQUIAL SERIES

Series Adviser: Gary King

The following languages are available in the Colloquial series:

COLLOQUIAL 2s series: The Next Step in Language Learning

All these Colloquials are available in book & CD packs, or separately. You can order them through your bookseller or via our website www.routledge.com.

Colloquial
Tibetan

The Complete Course for Beginners

Jonathan Samuels

First published 2014
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2014 Jonathan Samuels

The right of Jonathan Samuels to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Samuels, Jonathan, [date]

Colloquial Tibetan : the complete course for beginners / Jonathan Samuels.

pages cm. (The Colloquial Series)

audio disc ; digital,CD audio 4 3/4 in.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Tibetan languageTextbooks for foreign speakersEnglish. 2. Tibetan languageGrammar. 3. Tibetan languageSpoken Tibetan. 4. Tibetan languageSound recordings for English speakers. 5. Tibetan languageSelf-instruction. I. Title.

PL3613.S26 2014

495.486421dc23

2013012635

ISBN: 978-0-415-59560-5 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-0-415-59562-9 (audio CDs)

ISBN: 978-0-415-59561-2 (pack)

ISBN: 978-0-415-59563-6 (MP3s)

ISBN: 978-0-203-06740-6 (ebk)

Typeset in Avant Garde and Helvetica

by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong

This section introduces:

the sound system

aspiration and tone

the alphabet

vowels

examples of words

In this unit you will learn how to:

combine letters (single syllables)

recognise exceptions

say words of more than one syllable

shi-t e le. t e po y i n-p
Hello. Are you well?

In this unit you will learn how to:

exchange greetings

introduce yourself

make a simple enquiry about health

construct simple questions about identity

khyrang kh a n y i n
Where are you from?

In this unit you will learn how to:

seek personal details

talk about identity (name, place of birth, age)

express possession

count

use question tags

say the days of the week

shi kh a wa: t u
Where is Tashi?

In this unit you will learn how to:

ask about locations (of people and places)

use verbs of existence

describe where things are

give directions

express to have

use names for family members

nkhang-la y-pa
At the guesthouse

In this unit you will learn how to: