Overview of the Khmer Program Modules

There are two types of literacy modules, “Accelerated” and “Upper”. Accelerated Literacy will be offered 10 hours a week, and Upper Level Literacy will also offered 10 hours per week.

Accelerated Literacy Module assumes a basic speaking and listening knowledge of Khmer, and nothing else. You will move rapidly through the mechanics of the alphabet and sight words. And you’ll move faster than the Beginning students do through basically the same material.

Upper Level Literacy Module assumes you’ve already mastered the basics of reading and writing. In this module we’ll only use authentic Khmer texts, but we won’t sit in class and read them: you’ll read them outside of class, and in class we’ll dissect them, do various “applied” activities based on them. This for me is one of the most exciting and interesting modules to teach.

Some students will start the summer with only one type of literacy module, others will have a mix. Some will need to spend most of the summer in Accelerated Literacy, others will move quickly out of it, especially if it amounts to a review for them. This system is set up to be easily tailored to your individual strengths, needs and interests.

In Grammar Module, offered twice a week, mostly by analyzing spoken Khmer taken from interviews, movies, songs, etc. (but some written material as well), we’ll get inside that strange and beautiful beast that is Khmer grammar, and learn some things about it you probably never even thought about before. Also in this module, we’ll work on improving your formal speaking abilities in Khmer.

In Speaking Module, which is mostly intended for non-native speaking upper level students, Heritage students are sometimes assigned a few hours per week as well, according to their needs. If you take this module, you’ll learn how to express yourself in colloquial, everyday Khmer, and especially how to tell stories in Khmer about everyday sorts of events. This we’ll do with almost no text whatsoever, because you don’t get to walk through the market or through the streets of Phnom Penh with a script, now do you? This module is offered four hours per week.

All Heritage students will also take two hours a week of Culture Module, in which the entire Khmer Program, Beginners included, will meet together. During these hours we'll watch movies, learn how to make Khmer food, and learn dances and songs. The "culture" we'll study will cover popular, modern Khmer culture as well as traditional.