Language Learning

Nepali and Tibetan 2024 Summer Language Courses

Nepali Language in a Community Context (NEPL 390) and Tibetan Language in a Community Context (TIBT 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 13 – May 24), while NEPL 390 will be Term 2 (July 2 – July 12). 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.

Information on how to register will be on this page as soon as it is available. Click on NEPL 390 (Nepali) and TIBT 390 (Tibetan) below to learn more about the courses.

NEPL 390 (Nepali)


2024 course dates are July 02 to July 12, 2024.

Mon-Thu 9:00am-12:30pm
Fri 9:00am-2:30pm

"A two week summer introductory Nepali language course offered by the UBC Himalaya Program and Department of Asian Studies. This community-engaged course blends classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities with Nepali community partners in the Lower Mainland. Students receive 3 credits from the Department of Asian Studies within the UBC Faculty of Arts. The instructor of this unique program is Mr. Binod Shrestha."

TIBT 390 (Tibetan)

2024 course dates are May 13 to May 24, 2024.

Mon-Thu 9:00am-12:30pm
Fri 9:00am-2:30pm

"A two week summer introductory Tibetan language course offered by the UBC Himalaya Program and Department of Asian Studies. This community-engaged course blends classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities with Tibetan community partners in the Lower Mainland. Students receive 3 credits from the Department of Asian Studies within the UBC Faculty of Arts. The instructor of this unique program is Mr. Sonam Chusang."

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.

These courses are supported by the Faculty of Arts Dean's Office, a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund grant, a grant from the Centre for Community Engaged Learning, UBC Go Global, and the Department of Asian Studies. TIBT 390 is additionally supported by the Khyentse Foundation.