KHMER - Introductory

This course is for students with no previous knowledge of spoken or written Khmer language. Students will learn how to converse in polite standard Khmer in a variety of topical areas: greetings and pleasantries, talking about family, friends and personal background, food and eating. The goal of the course is for students to be able to "survive" in spoken Khmer in modern Cambodia, and to begin to be able to express their needs and feelings in Khmer and to discuss their lives and personal interests. A large amount of the material learned will be memorized questions and responses. These will be practiced in the classroom in performative, task-based activities. From day one, students will also be introduced to the Khmer writing system, and how it interacts with the spoken language. By the end of the course, students will know the alphabet, be able to spell simple words, recognize a wide range of common sight words, and be able to compose simple texts in Khmer and read a few simple stories.