The coursework in Khmer (Cambodian)
at the University of Hawai'i (UH) is offered by
the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures.
It includes four levels of study (see below). Courses
on other aspects of Cambodia (such as history, anthropology,
archeology, art, art history, historic preservation,
economics, environmental studies, peace studies,
business, and Asian Studies) are offered by experts
on the staff of other UH departments.
Khmer
is the official language of Cambodia and one of
the major languages of Southeast Asia. It is spoken
by eleven million people in Cambodia and nearly
three million more outside Cambodia. It belongs
to a family of languages widely distributed in southern
Asia and is the idiom of one of the earliest of
the great nation-states in the region. As such it
is the vehicle of sophisticated forms of architecture,
the plastic arts, music, dance, literature and statecraft
which are transmitted to Cambodia's neighbors and
which are still admired today. The writing system
it employs is a member of the Indic script family,
which spread from India into Inner Asia and all
of Southeast Asia except Vietnam. Khmer is a non-tonal
but has vowel distinctions not found in English;
its grammar is uncomplicated, with neither verb
conjugations nor noun declensions, and is not unlike
that of English.
Fulfilling
the Language requirement and the Certificate in
Khmer
Introductory and intermediate coursework
in Khmer may be used to fulfill the foreign language
requirement for all bachelor's degrees on the Manoa
campus. Upon completing 15 credit-hours beyond the
intermediate level with a 3.0 GPA in his/her coursework,
the student may apply for a Certificate in Khmer.
The Summer Abroad Program: Khmer Language and Culture, is an intensive eight-week training in Khmer language-culture held in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The program is administered by Khmer Language Program at the University of Hawai‘i, and in collaboration with the Center for Khmer Studies and the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
This program will increase the number of linguistically competent Khmer speaking professionals across the United States and internationally. Also, the program will promote scholarly cooperation and cultural and socio-economic understanding between Cambodia and the USA.
The Summer Abroad Program will increase the number of linguistically competent
Khmer speaking professionals across the United States and internationally.
The program will also promote scholarly cooperation and cultural
and socio-economic understanding between Cambodia and the U.S.A.
The program is funded by the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program, U.S. Department of Education.
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