MY PLEDGE
Tibet has a saying: “Although it is good to know other languages, it is shameful to forget your own”.
I pledge to my father, to myself and to the people of Tibet that I will improve and learn my father tongue to the best of my ability. I want to be able to hold a full conversation in Tibetan without using English words in between and perhaps be able to even give a mini talk in Tibetan. WOW that’s ambitious for me maybe, but that’s what I will work hard towards for 6-10 months at Sarah College in Dharamsala, India.
The plan is to leave early next year, leaving me enough time to save and plan my schedule. I look forward to the day I leave UK and the day I can speak full Tibetan. I Choose Sarah, because I hear its one of the best, its strict and isolated, all the 3 great reasons for me not to come back home not speaking Tibetan.
Wish me luck people!
Pema la,
Awesome Lhakar pledge! I spent 6 months or so at Sarah and it absolutely helped a lot. but if you don’t put in substantial effort outside the classes progress will be much slower and discouraging, because the classroom instruction style can be very much rote-memorization focused, ie not very engaging. But if you put in 2-3 hrs on your own everyday it’ll help a lot.
Sarah is still a great place to study for the reasons you mentioned. strict and isolated. just be sure not to let those very factors distract/discourage you from your original purpose. I’d also suggest teaching or tutoring the students in English or having some project where you collaborate with them. It’s a great way to get to know the students better. Good luck!
Thanks for the advise, will keep this in mind. Yeah i really need to push myself. Will get stuck in there and do a bit of language exchange and find out more about Tibet.
🙂
Pema la…..although I will miss you on the ‘front line’, I applaud the sentiment behind your pledge. Hopefully I will be able to come to your leaving bash to say adios amigo in person.
GreAt to know that Pema! I’ll be eagerly waiting for you to speak in Tibetan. I am sure you will put your best effort and all the very best for the course.
Good luck n m very proud of u
Good luck Pema-la. Also bring with you this book for your “retreat”:
“Manual of Standard Tibetan” by Nicolas Tournadre and Sangda Dorje. It uses very modern approach to learning languages, and has both oral and literary focus. A bit expensive, but worth it!
Just got back from Sarah. It’s a great place, especially for someone like me, who has not grown up around many Tibetans. I believe they’re changing one of the courses to more of a conversational class, which will help a lot. I also recommend tutoring outside of class and getting a tutor (could be a student or a teacher). There’s also a great music school down the road where you can learn drangyen. I recommend Gen Choekyi la! Hope I can go back soon and work on my Tibetan more. Good luck!
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