Bamazaga Autumn 2020 Online Burmese Course

Thank you for your interest in the first Bamazaga Autumn Online Burmese Language Course 2020. Having learnt some of the benefits of bringing Burmese classes to a worldwide global classroom in May/June this year, and because of changes in the Burmese provision at our home university in London, we are offering an Autumn Online Course in Burmese which will run for 10 weeks October to December 2020. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved teacher Saya John Okell, who passed away in August, and continue spreading the delights of the Burmese language in his memory.

The principal instructor of the Autumn Course will be Justin Watkins of SOAS, University of London, who will be assisted by colleagues as necessary/available.

Classes will be available at all levels, from beginner to advanced. We cannot confirm which levels will run, or at what times of the day, until closer to the course starting date, when we have some idea of how many takers there will be at each level and in which time zones.

Please make sure you read all the information below before completing the application form.

Course content:
We offer classes in Burmese at all levels, from complete beginner to advanced.
The beginners class offers 20 hours of basic reading/writing and speaking for students with no Burmese.
At other levels, you will have listening/speaking classes (working with recorded audio or video material at an appropriate level) and reading/speaking classes (working with written texts).
All classes will give opportunities to explore and discuss topics in Burmese grammar. Extra classes or activities devoted to grammar may be organised on demand.

Teachinɡ formatː
Classes will be held live online in real time using Zoom (or similar). Participants will need to confirm their ability to join classes online on the chosen platform using both video and audio (not just audio) with a webcam and headphones on a computer or laptop (not just a smartphone). The organisers will do their best to help with technical matters but cannot be responsible for classes or activities missed for technical reasons. We will exchange materials and homework using Dropbox (or similar). Homework tasks will be set where appropriate and interaction between students will be facilitated using a dedicated Slack site. We may explore using social media for language practice if there is demand.

Course Dates:
The course is taught over ten weeks. Classes will take place at various times on Thursdays and Fridays starting on Thursday 1 October and run until 11 December, allowing for a week off in the middle (likely 5-6 November). It may be necessary (or desirable) to move to other days of the week if convenient for all involved.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲:
All students will have at least 20 hours of classes in total, comprising 2 separate hour-long classes each week. We will work out a timetable to accommodate learners in timezones from California to Australia, and so students at either extreme may need to be available for class in the early morning or late evening.

We will produce a draft timetable before the start of the course, but reserve the right to make changes once the course has begun. Please accept that the timetable cannot be tailored to all individual needs. We cannot confirm which levels will run, or at what times of the day, until 17 September (two weeks before the start).

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
To ensure that all who take the course are in a position to get the most from it, we ask you in the application to be explicit about your ability to commit time to get the most out of the course. Our understanding of commitment is an hour or more of study for each hour of class contact. You should not take up a place on the course unless you are certain that you can fit it around work or life commitments.

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
The course fee is US$400 per person for all levels. The fee is reduced to US$250 for students or applicants without income such as volunteers (we may require proof of status). 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥.

After filling out this form you must pay the course fee before your place can be confirmed. We aim to offer all places at the latest the by 15 September 2020 so that you can make arrangements. If you have registered but not paid by 24 September 2020, your place may be offered to applicants on the waiting list.

We therefore require all participants to pay by online bank transfer. You can transfer to local bank details in GBP, EUR, USD or AUD, or by TransferWise. Participants are liable for transfer charges. We will contact you with payment options and instructions. Email bamazaga@gmail.com if you need help.

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
If you have read all the information above carefully, please fill in the application form below to apply for a place on the Bamazaga Autumn 2020 Online Burmese Course. We look forward to seeing you in October and helping you improve your Burmese.

Source: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc27awNMCcAVt4eL18TtS6d_VdB-37RvMa9tLNoRQtO1e5Vgg/viewform

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