Tibetan and Nepali 2025 Summer Language Courses
Tibetan Language in a Community Context (TIBT 390) and Nepali Language in a Community Context (NEPL 390) will be offered by the Department of Asian Studies in collaboration with the UBC Himalaya Program again this year! TIBT 390 will be offered Term 1 (May 12 – May 30), while NEPL 390 will be Term 2 (July 2 – July 15). They are currently scheduled to be in-person courses.
If you are a non-UBC student, resident in Canada, and are interested in taking one of the courses, please apply through UBC’s Access Studies portal by March 15. For more information on how to apply through Access Studies, please click here. All non-UBC students must first receive acceptance to UBC through Access Studies before they can register in the course, so please apply as soon as possible.
How to register for courses on Workday:
UBC has recently started student course registrations through Workday. Here is how to enroll in these courses:
- Log into your UBC account on myworkday.ubc.ca
- On the top-left, Click on Menu > Academics
- Go to Registrations and Courses > Course Sections, then select the 2025 Summer Semester
- Search up NEPL 390/TIBT 390
- Upon selection, click “Register” for immediate action, or “Add to Saved Schedule” to register altogether with your summer schedule
2025 course dates are May 12 to May 30, 2025.
"Beginner to conversational level Tibetan combined with experiential learning and cultural activities at local Tibetan community sites. Interactive practice with everyday phrases, grammar structure, and vocabulary with Tibetan community members."
Instructor: Sonam Chusang
Week 1: May 12 to May 16
10:00 am - 12:30 pm | Monday to Thursday
10:00 am- 1:00 pm | Friday
Week 2: May 20 to May 23
10:00 am - 12:30 pm | Tuesday to Thursday
10:00 am - 1:00 pm | Friday
Week 3: May 26 to May 30
10:00 am - 12:30 pm | Monday to Thursday
10:00 am - 3:30 pm | Friday
2025 course dates are July 02 to July 15, 2025.
"Beginner to conversational level Nepali combined with experiential learning and cultural activities at local Nepali community sites. Interactive practice with everyday phrases, grammar structure, and vocabulary with Nepali community members."
Instructor: Binod Shrestha
Week 1: July 2-4
9:00 am - 12:30 pm | Wednesday to Thursday
9:00 am - 2:30 pm | Friday
Week 2: July 7-11
9:00 am - 12:30 pm | Monday to Thursday
9:00 am - 2: 30 pm | Friday
Week 3: July 14-15
9:00 am - 12:30 pm | Monday to Tuesday
Please sign up to our mailing list (here) to receive further details.
To learn about student experiences in Nepali and Tibetan community-engaged language courses at UBC, please view the images and videos below!
Summer 2024: Please click here to learn about the Nepali /Tibetan online student experience.
Summer 2021: Please click the image below to learn about the Nepali /Tibetan online student experience.
In 2021, the language courses were offered online from May 10 - May 21, 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year marked the second year that the language courses were held online, although the blend of traditional ‘classroom’ learning and community engagement was maintained in an adapted form. This year’s courses ran daily from Monday to Friday between May 10th – May 21st, 2021.
To build upon instruction with professors Mr. Binod Shrestha (Nepali) and Mr. Sonam Chusang (Tibetan), students practiced language skills and gained intercultural experiences through community engagement activities online. Students learned from and interacted with members of the British Columbian Tibetan and Nepali communities, such as artists, singers, and community leaders.
Summer 2020: Please click the image below to learn about the Nepali /Tibetan online student experience.
In 2020, the language courses were offered online from May 11 - May 22, 2020.
Following UBC’s decision to move all Summer Term 1 courses online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Himalaya Program and Department of Asian Studies moved the jointly offered courses in Nepali (NEPL 390) and Tibetan (TIBT 390) language online. While the courses were necessarily be adapted for an online format, we remained committed to offering a community-engaged experience and immersive language learning in the relevant cultural context. There was plenty of both person-to-person, synchronous video instruction, as well as asynchronous individual and small group assignments. Both of these components involved community engagement with our local partners. With the hard work alongside our language instructors and community partners, the online language courses were delivered successfully.
Summer 2019: Nepali Language Course Video
Summer 2018: Tibetan Language Course Video
The UBC Himalaya Program offers intensive Nepali and Tibetan language & community-engaged learning opportunities each summer, now in collaboration with the Department of Asian Studies. The upper 300-level courses have no prerequisites.
Not a UBC Student?
Non-UBC students interested in enrolling must apply through UBC’s Access Studies portal by March 15. Non-UBC students must first receive acceptance to UBC through Access Studies, so please apply as soon as possible.
Questions? Please email us at himalaya.arts@ubc.ca.
Testimonials
To read more about the unique student experience in these immersive, community-engagement portion of our courses, please visit our Student Experience page.