C.J. HagueStaff Writer
The Goshen College Record (Indiana, USA)
As with any S.S.T. program, the students traveling to Cambodia during spring semester must learn the language of the country. However, their experience so far has been a little different.
These students are currently learning Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, which is not one of the languages traditionally taught at Goshen. Since there are no current faculty members who know Khmer, the students are being taught via videoconferencing by Susie Kauffman from Northwestern University.
When asked about his experience learning Khmer, Luke Nofsinger, a junior, said, “Ask me if it’s hard.” Apparently it is. Nofsinger said the language is especially tough because the class meets only once a week. Therefore, there are not always a lot of chances to practice unless class members push each other along outside of class.
At this point the group is studying spoken phrases. Since Khmer has its own written script, students are not yet learning much of the written language. Instead, they are learning some basic vocabulary and phrases so they will be comfortable once they get to Cambodia. Nofsinger said that he would like to get to the point where he “can get out basically what I need to say.” He hopes to start picking up more words and phrases once he is immersed in the culture.
Khmer is a unique compared to some of the other languages spoken near Cambodia. Some of these regional languages are tonal, which means variations in the tone of a syllable can change the meaning. By contrast, Khmer is not tonal.
The language is comprised of different combinations of consonant and vowel sounds, creating mostly one- or two-syllable words. With all these short words, the language ends up sounding “pretty choppy,” according to Abby Groff, a sophomore. The language is made a little easier by its use of one verb to cover all the tenses. However, it is challenging in that there can be many words with the same meaning. For instance, Groff said, there are five or more verbs that mean “to carry.”
To help learn pronunciation, the students have been given recordings of Khmer spoken with an accurate accent. However, just listening to these recordings is not enough. Students also are expected to study and practice which each other for five or six hours a week.
Despite the challenge of learning Khmer, the students seem very eager to travel to Cambodia. In addition to language study, they have been learning about Cambodian culture and Buddhist religion that they will encounter. The class has learned about certain customs, such as sitting correctly and removing shoes when entering a building.
The effort put forth in learning the language should prove worthwhile when it finally comes time to travel. “I really can’t wait,” said Nofsinger. “I don’t know what to expect.”
These students are currently learning Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, which is not one of the languages traditionally taught at Goshen. Since there are no current faculty members who know Khmer, the students are being taught via videoconferencing by Susie Kauffman from Northwestern University.
When asked about his experience learning Khmer, Luke Nofsinger, a junior, said, “Ask me if it’s hard.” Apparently it is. Nofsinger said the language is especially tough because the class meets only once a week. Therefore, there are not always a lot of chances to practice unless class members push each other along outside of class.
At this point the group is studying spoken phrases. Since Khmer has its own written script, students are not yet learning much of the written language. Instead, they are learning some basic vocabulary and phrases so they will be comfortable once they get to Cambodia. Nofsinger said that he would like to get to the point where he “can get out basically what I need to say.” He hopes to start picking up more words and phrases once he is immersed in the culture.
Khmer is a unique compared to some of the other languages spoken near Cambodia. Some of these regional languages are tonal, which means variations in the tone of a syllable can change the meaning. By contrast, Khmer is not tonal.
The language is comprised of different combinations of consonant and vowel sounds, creating mostly one- or two-syllable words. With all these short words, the language ends up sounding “pretty choppy,” according to Abby Groff, a sophomore. The language is made a little easier by its use of one verb to cover all the tenses. However, it is challenging in that there can be many words with the same meaning. For instance, Groff said, there are five or more verbs that mean “to carry.”
To help learn pronunciation, the students have been given recordings of Khmer spoken with an accurate accent. However, just listening to these recordings is not enough. Students also are expected to study and practice which each other for five or six hours a week.
Despite the challenge of learning Khmer, the students seem very eager to travel to Cambodia. In addition to language study, they have been learning about Cambodian culture and Buddhist religion that they will encounter. The class has learned about certain customs, such as sitting correctly and removing shoes when entering a building.
The effort put forth in learning the language should prove worthwhile when it finally comes time to travel. “I really can’t wait,” said Nofsinger. “I don’t know what to expect.”
2 comments:
oh wow, a khmer class at Northwestern University. Of all the colleges, Northwestern, interesting. call me up if you need to practic speaking. i only charge a fraction of Northwestern tuition. - pukeko
You can also learn Cambodian language by listening to the music, old and new or How above those video tapes of music or Karaokes with Cambodian words writting along or as the singer sings the song? You will be surpised how quickly you will pick up! You interest and your heart are the key to your success.
The old music are the wealth of Cambodian words and their meanings worth in gold and our famous old time singer? You guess! He is our
Cambodian Elvis Presley! Enjoy!
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