Sinhala Language Recourses
|
Studying
Sinhala |
Book
Review 2 | Sinhala
Language Material from Cornell University (Courtesy
of Professor J.W.Gair.)
During the more than thirty years (1962--) during which Sinhala has been regularly offered at Cornell, materials have been constantly produced, and have changed in nature to keep up with advances in pedagogy. The result is a set of integrated and graded materials for the language, which is still undergoing addition and revision. The available ones are listed here. They may be obtained from the Cornell University South Asia Program, Uris Hall, Ithaca, N.Y 14853. A few nearing completion are also listed below. "Colloquial Sinhala" (Sinhalese) Books I and II, (Gordon Fairbanks, James W. Gair, and M.W.S. De Silva) 36 graded lessons, each with a dialogue, glossary, detailed grammatical notes and excercises (substitution, transformation, reading and structured conversation). A grammatical sketch and cumulative glossary for both volumes appears in Volume 2. The first twelve lessons are in Roman (phonemic) transcription, but Sinhala script is introduced there, and all lessons are in that script beginning with lesson 13. Originally written for the most part in 1962-63, and published in 1968, it is still the fullest text for the language. It was reprinted, with corrections, in 1981 and 1983, and the first volume was exhausted once more and was reprinted, with further corrections and minor revisions, in 1994. A full set of tapes, made at the Foreign Service Institute, is available from the National Audiovisual Center, Capitol Heights Maryland. They are somewhat artificial in pronunciation, but have full exercises. More natural tapes of the conversations, are available from the Cornell Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics. "A Reader in Colloquial Sinhala". (J.W. Gair, W.S. Karunatillake and John Paolillo). Readings to accompany Colloquial Sinhala lessons 10-36 and beyond, Thirty-two selections, in Sinhala script. The text is designed to introduce new situations, vocabulary, and points of grammar and usage, expanding and updating the basic text. It alternates conversations with discursive selections, intended to provide the student with conversational patterns well as a beginning acquaintance with the rhetorical patterns of discursive style. Texts are numbered line by line, with notes indexed to them, and with cross-references to Colloquial Sinhala . This is intended to be used with that text, and brings it up to date in some respects. Sinha Books and South Asia Program, Cornell, 1987. Tapes are available from the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, Cornell. "Literary Sinhala" (J.W. Gair and W.S. Karunatilaka (Karunatillake)). An introduction to the written language, which is very different from the spoken. It includes 15 lessons with readings, grammars, supplementary readings and glossary. The text assumes a basic command of colloquial Sinhala. Literary features are often described in terms of their colloquial equivalents, as described in Colloquial Sinhala (Sinhalese) Sinha Books and South Asia Program Cornell. 1974. (The binding tends to separate, thanks to the printer's error, but the text is OK.) "Literary Sinhala Inflected Forms; A Synopsis, with a Guide to Sinhala Script". (J. W. Gair and W.S. Karunatilaka (Karunatillake) ) Cornell University South Asia Program, Ithaca, N.Y.1976. To accompany Literary Sinhala and serve as a reference source. Samples of Contemporary Sinhala Prose, with Glossary and Brief Grammatical Notes. (J.W. Gair and W.S. Karunatillake). Twenty-seven brief readings from authentic material to introduce students to the range of styles in use. Accompanies Literary Sinhala. South Asia Program, Cornell, 1976. Following are some of the works in progress: Supplementary Materials for Introductory Sinhala. (J.W. Gair, W.S. Karunatillake, John Paolillo, Milan Rodrigo and Lelwala Sumangala, ) (1988 and continuing). like the Readings, these accompany Colloquial Sinhala and supply additional vocabulary and idioms, making the text more useful for competency-based instruction. They were originally designed for the intensive summer program, to meet needs that emerged in stressing proficiency, and are constantly being produced and "tuned up" in use. Proficiency Situation Cards and Model Dialogues for Sinhala. The situation "cards" (actually in list form at present) (J.W. Gair, W.S. Karunatillake,, and John Paolillo) include 60 descriptions of situations covering a wide variety of situations at different levels of proficiency. The model dialogues, written by W.S Karunatillake, match the situation cards, and introduce appropriate vocabulary and idioms. They were originally in Roman transcription, but are being converted to Sinhala script for distribution. For
more information contact: Email: Professor J.W.Gair |
Updated July 02, 2001.
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