Introduction. Pronunciation and the Alphabet: basic sounds and symbols. 1. Syllables, letters, combinations and words 2. Hello. Are you well? 3. Where are you from? 4. Where is Tashi? 5. At the Guesthouse 6. Likes and Dislikes 7. Banter at the Teahouse 8. At what time? (Making Arrangements) 9. Food and Restaurants 10. Shopping 11. Aren’t you well? 12. Travel 13. What did he say? 14. Respectfully 15. From Another Perspective Grammar Section Key to Exercises Dialogue Translations Tibetan-English Glossary English-Tibetan Glossary
Biography
Jonathan Samuels (also known by the name Sherab Gyatso) spent 20 years as a monk, living in Tibetan communities in Asia. He is one of a handful of foreigners to have been awarded the title Geshe, having completed a full course of traditional academic studies in Tibetan monastic institutions. He has many years experience teaching Tibetan, and has both designed and taught training courses for translators and interpreters. Jonathan Samuels holds a Masters degree from the Oriental Institute of the University of Oxford, and is currently completing his PhD with the same institution. He currently holds the position of Research Fellow (Buddhist Studies) at the Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context" at Heidelberg University.
"This is an excellent book which accurately shows the way the actual Tibetan colloquial language is spoken today. Another useful thing about this book is its approach to learning language. You learn to speak the language right away without having to learn the alphabet first, instead gradually learning the alphabet as you go. Above all, it has covered some of the rhetoric, emphatic verbs and adverbs never explained in any other book before… I would definitely recommend it. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn to speak Tibetan quickly. The book contains many dialogues, language points, cultural points and exercises, helpful for any beginning student of the language." Karma T. Ngodup, The University of Chicago, USA
"A vital publication for those wishing to study a language witnessing renewed interest, Colloquial Tibetan addresses the practical aspects of conversation, using the standard Central Tibetan dialect of U-Tsang. The publication provides a clear phonetic breakdown for each lesson, as well as its English translation and Tibetan written form. Importantly, audio accompaniments are available to guide the reader, and will appeal to both dharma students and Tibetologists alike." - The Tibet Foundation
