Beginners’ Burmese II
Course Fee
S$575
Per Person
Course Duration
10 Lessons of 1.5hrs Each
2 to 7 Persons Per Class
Course Start
Commence According to Demand
*For reference only. Individual lesson plans may be subject to change for optimizing the pace of teaching to suit students’ learning
Overview
Beginners’ Burmese II is designed specifically to build upon the basics learnt in Beginners’ Burmese I and reinforce familiarity in vocalization and structuring sentences.
The course will be delivered largely through the use of thematic conversations designed to cover a range of common situations likely to be encountered by not only casual visitors to the country but also individuals living and working in Myanmar for the longer term.
Students will reinforce their learning through the use of image description exercises, quizzes, individual presentations and group discussions. Theme-specific vocabulary and extended conversations beyond simple niceties will be featured.
The range of themes to be covered are certainly not exhaustive given the relatively short duration of ten sessions in the course, but aim to empower students with the confidence when dealing with most situations. Students are expected to be able to improvise when faced with unfamiliar questions and responses.
Lesson 1 – Making appointments
Aspects:
- Setting times to meet
- Reminders
- Reporting on meetings
Sample sentences:
- What time is the appointment?
- It’s still early.
- Please come in the early morning.
- Please do not be late.
- I went to the office this afternoon after having lunch with ______ .
Lesson 2 – Eating out (I)
Aspects:
- Going to restaurants
- Making transport arrangements
- Ordering food and beverages
- Giving specific instructions
Sample sentences:
- Where shall we go to eat tonight?
- Is there a good restaurant around here?
- Is the juice freshly squeezed or from a can/bottle?
- Is this spicy/sour/sweet/bitter/soft/hard/?
- Is the curry freshly cooked?
- I would like my catfish fried, with chillies, pepper and lots of garlic.
- The price on the bill is wrong.
- I would like to speak to your manager.
Lesson 3 – Eating out (II)
Aspects:
- More food vocabulary
- Buying items off the street
- Weights and prices
- Bargaining
Sample sentences:
- A list of 50 common food and food-related items will be shared
- What is the weight of this/that?
- Is the food clean?
- How much are these fruits per kilogram?
- It’s too expensive – how much of a discount can you give?
Lesson 4 – Getting Around (I)
Aspects:
- Seeking and giving directions
Sample sentences:
- Do you have a map of Yangon?
- Please direct me to the hospital.
- Go straight and turn left at the traffic light.
- We are going in the wrong direction, please keep to the right and make a U-turn.
Lesson 5 – Revision and quiz
Lesson 5 will offer time to students to clarify doubts on any content from the previous four lessons.
A quiz with short answer questions will also be given to allow students to track their progress, with the quiz answers discussed at the end of the lesson.
Lesson 6 – Getting Around (II)
Aspects:
- Names of common places
- Use of cardinal points
Sample sentences:
- How can we get to the museum / pharmacy / railway station etc.? (A list of 50 common places will be shared)
- North, south, east, west and their variants (e.g. northeast, southwest etc.)
- Is Kayah State east of Yangon?
Lesson 7 – On the phone and on a visit
Aspects:
- Making calls
- Asking to speak with a certain person
- Receiving calls
- Formalities when receiving guests
Sample sentences:
- Whom do you want to talk to?
- Please allow me to speak with ______ .
- Please allow me to leave.
Lesson 8 – Common opposites & personal and professional terms
Aspects:
- Building vocabulary with the use of common opposites and addressing others by relationship/profession
Sample words:
- “Build” as opposed to “destroy”
- “Give” as opposed to “hate”
- Terms for daughter/son-in-law, grandparents, uncle, aunt etc.
- Occupational terms such as air hostess, lawyer, doctor, broker, minister, office staff etc.
Lesson 9 – In sickness
Aspects:
- Being ill
- Explaining signs and symptoms
Sample sentences:
- I have a headache/toothache/stomach-ache
- I am allergic to ______ .
- I have diarrhoea.
- Please call the doctor.
- Please send me to the hospital.
- Is there a hospital around here?
Lesson 10 – Putting it all together!
Students will be expected to put together a short presentation and/or conduct role play conversation (with a fellow student) for a given situation, using what they have learnt from all the lessons in the course. Students will also be encouraged to demonstrate how they will use their reinforced Burmese language skills to creating dialogue concerning work, family, recreation, negotiation and so on.