 |
 |
 |
|
Weekly Topics in the SEASSI Khmer Program
This week is mostly devoted to the mechanics of written Khmer: the alphabet, sight words. Advanced students will review the basics and work on polishing rusty skills with simple authentic texts. In general, we'll also work this week on "loosening up" your ability to use Khmer to talk about all aspects of life, not just family and the home. To this end, we'll acquaint you with important educated Khmer vocabulary that you'll need to use in the Khmer language classroom, and words you'll need to use when discussing language learning itself.
This week we'll learn about Khmer religion, mostly focusing on Buddhism and spirit beliefs but touching on Islam as well. We'll learn how to talk to monks, chant, and read basic texts about and discuss Buddhism in Khmer, including the life of the Buddha. You don't need to be a Buddhist to learn this material, but it's essential to understanding much of traditional and modern Khmer culture.
Here we'll study Khmer culture from the perspective of your parents and grandparents, and using Khmer proverbs in particular, learn about traditional Khmer worldview. We'll read lots of Khmer folk tales, learn about the monuments of Angkor, and start focusing on more formal styles of Khmer expression, including understanding and recognizing (written) royal language. Also this week, in the Accelerated Literacy Module we'll finish up our intensive study of the basics of the Khmer writing system and move exclusively to authentic texts.
This week we'll study more about formal ways of expressing ideas and information in Khmer, including a study of written and spoken news reporting style, as well as various types of announcement and advertisting. At the end of the week, you'll plan and record--in groups--your own Khmer-style "TV commercials." You can see an example of this from SEASSI 2004 on the "Students" page of this website.
In Week Five we'll learn about the unique phenomenon that is the city of Phnom Penh: its history, its culture and ethnic makeup, especially its sizable Chinese population. We'll also become acquainted with Khmer popular culture, of which Phnom Penh is the center. We'll listen to (and read the lyrics of) lots of Khmer pop songs, watch movies, and--if you're an Advanced student--read short stories set in the city. During this week, you'll begin to work in earnest on your independent study project, which you will have planned from weeks 1-4, and Intermediate students will begin to read a modern Khmer novel in its entirety.
During this week we'll learn about the history of Cambodia through a wide range of periods, including the little- focused-on 1980s. To learn about politics, you'll form your own political parties (and create campaign literature and write and present speeches) and run candidates to take over the "rule" of the Khmer Program from the Coordinator. Be careful, though, people tend to go to great lengths to hold on to their power...!
This week we'll learn about a wide variety of traditional (verse) forms of Khmer literature, including poetic meters. Our big project will be the incorporation of a number of traditional literature and performance styles into a production of a musical play version of the novel we're reading, with help from a local traditional theater expert.
Most of our study this week will concern finishing up our novel; Advanced students may read some modern Khmer short stories and other literature as well. The last three days of class will be filled with students' presentations of their independent study projects. |