University of Georgia

Department of Religion

Fall -2009

Course code: BENG 1002

Course title:  Intermediate Bengali

Prerequisite: BENG 1001 or a proven demonstration of pr0ficiency in the use of four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) of Bengali language. 

 

Class hour & class room: MW   3:35-4:25     135 Leconte Hall

                                         TTh   3:30-4:45     135 Leconte Hall    

 

Instructor: Md Mahmudul Haque, Department of Religion, UGA.         

E-mail:  mahmud.edru@yahoo.com

 

Office hour: M 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Phone(Office)# 706 583 8029

                   

                     Also on appointment by email.

Office room: Room no: 22, Peabody Hall.

 

Course Objectives:

 

This course is designed for students who want an effective, comprehensive approach to learning Bengali that will enable them to make fast, solid progress in all four language skills specially reading and writing. The learners will learn the language through repetitive drills, frequent use of vocabulary, role playing of real life conversations, reading different types of Bengali texts and writing various kinds of composition and correspondences in the target language. Medium of instruction in the classroom is Bengali and learners are encouraged to speak in the target language. At the completion of this course, students are expected to be able to read Bengali texts like short passages, short stories, newspaper articles and stories, etc comfortably. They are also expected to write personal letters and various kinds of paragraph in Bengali. Moreover, it is desired that at the completion of the course, the learners will be able to carry out real life conversations in Bengali. Finally, they are supposed to be introduced to Bengali culture.

 

 

Evaluation:

 

There will be six vocabulary quizzes (ten words each), six lesson quizzes, one midterm, and one final exam. Class attendance is absolutely necessary. No make-up quizzes or tests will be given without a physicianÕs or deanÕs excuse. The final exam is scheduled on the last class day. 

 

 

The breaks of maks are given below: 

Class Participation and attendance                                                                  10%             

Vocabulary quizzes (six, 3% each)                                                                    18%  

Homework and writing assignments                                                                  15%  

Lesson Quizzes (six, 5% each )                                                                           30%

Midterm                                                                                                     12%  

Final Exam                                                                                                            15%  

 

(The final is cumulative and is based on the lessons (including vocabulary) and class materials; we will review the exam during the last week.)

 

Grading: 

90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, and less than 60= F

 

Studying, Self-testing, and Flashcards:   

Researchers in higher education agree that for students to learn, they need to study at least two hours outside of class for every one hour of class per week. This is particularly true if you want to learn a language.  Since you have four hours of class per week, you should therefore plan to study outside of class at least 8 hours each week for this class.

 

For language learning, self-testing is a must.  For this, flashcards for vocabulary and points of grammar are a useful method.  In addition, ideally you should get a study partner with whom you can practice speaking.                

Textbook: 

Radice, William. Teach Yourself-Bengali. USA: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

                        (ISBN-13: 978-0-07-154693-5, ISBN-10: 0-07-154693-6)

 

 

Reference books: 

Biswas, Sailendra. Samsad English-Bengali Dictionary. Calcutta:Sahitya Samsad, 1980.   (ISBN: 81-85626-00-6)

Biswas, Sailendra. Samsad Bengali-English Dictionary. Calcutta: Sahitya Samsad, 1982.  (ISBN: 81-86806-86-5)

Hilalli, MR. Learning Bengali. London: Ruposhi Bangla Ltd., 2006.

                                                        (ISBN: 1 871109  01  9)

Thompson, Hanne-Ruth. Essential Everyday Bengali. Dhaka: Bangla Academy,1999. (ISBN: 984-07-4533-6)

 

Honesty Policy: The UGA Academic Honesty Policy will be followed. In other words, all academic works must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. The link to more detailed information about academic honesty can be found at http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm

 

Changes to this Syllabus: The instructor reserves the right to make any changes to this syllabus. The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. Changes will be posted on WebCT.

 

Note: If any difficulty arises, please do not hesitate to talk to the instructor. If that does not solve the difficulty, please consult the Critical Language FLTA Supervisor, Dr. Alan Godlas, godlas@uga.edu (Associate Professor, Religion Dept. and Director Virtual Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the Islamic World)

                 

 

 

Course Description:

R Teach Yourself Bengali by William Radice; H Learning Bengali by  MR Hillali 

ch.. chapter number; p. page number

 

Week

Item, Topic, Chapter, Page no

 

 

Week-1

Greetings + Syllabus

 

Alphabet – Vowels (revision)

R- ch.13, p. 53-55, H- p. 12-19

 

 

 

Alphabet-Consonants(revision)

R- ch.13, p. 53-55, H- p. 12-19 

 

 

Alphabet-Consonants (revision)

R- ch.13, p. 53-55, H- p. 12-19

 

 

 

Week-2

Alphabet-Consonants (revision)

R- ch.13, p. 53-55, H- p. 12-19

 

 

 

Combined/joined letters

R-ch. 35, p. 282-287 

 

 

 

 

 

Persons & Pronouns

R- ch. 14, p. 62-66, H-p. 114-117

 

 

Possessive + Adjectives 

R-ch. 15, p. 70, 73-77, H- 149-155

 

 

 

 

Week-3

Vocab quiz (1) + Prepositions

R-ch. 22, p. 158

 

 

 

Prepositions

R-ch. 22, p. 158

 

 

 

Number(cardinal, ordinal) +Time + Date

R- ch. 26, p. 202-205, H-p. 141-144

 

 

 

Number(cardinal, ordinal) +Time + Date

R- ch. 26, p. 202-205, H-p. 141-144

 

 

 

Week-4

Vocab Quiz (2)+  Use of Ôhow muchÕ, Ôhow manyÕ etc  R-ch. 20, p. 132-134

R-ch. 16, p. 83, H- p. 193-197

 

 

 

 

Selected Simple Words (including verbs)

R-ch. P. 312-358, H-293-334

 

 

 

 

Selected Simple Words (including verbs)

R-ch. P. 312-358, H-293-334

 

 

Selected Simple Words (including verbs)

R-ch. P. 312-358, H-293-334

Writing Assignment-1 is due

 

 

 

 

Week-5

 

Lesson Quiz (1) + The Present Tenses + verbs

R-ch. 17 p. 95-98, H- p. 172-176

 

 

 

 

The Present Tenses + verbs

R-ch. 17 p. 95-98, H- p. 172-176

 

 

 

The Present Tenses + verbs

R-ch. 17 p. 95-98, H- p. 172-176

 

 

 

 

The Past Tenses 

R-ch. 22, p. 156-161, 181, 192-194

H-p. 176-180

 

 

 

Week-6

Lesson quiz (2) + The Past Tenses 

R-ch. 22, p. 156-161, 181, 192-194

H-p. 176-180

 

 

 

Vocab Quiz (3) + The Past Tenses 

R-ch. 22, p. 156-161, 181, 192-194

H-p. 176-180

 

 

 

 

 The Future Tenses

R-ch. 18, p. 106-107

 

 

 The Future Tenses

R-ch. 18, p. 106-107

 

 

 

Week 7

Lesson Quiz (3) + Revision of the tenses

 

 

 

Adverbs R-ch. 20, p. 132-134

R-ch. 16, p. 83, H- p. 193-197

 

 

 

Reading & writing sample sentences

Reading short articles ÔAmader DeshÕ and ÔChhoy Ritur Desh / H- p. 279-280

 

 

 

 Week-8

 

Midterm Examination

Reading: A short article ÔManush O ProkritiÕ + other reading selections/ H-p. 279

 

 

Writing a narrative paragraph 

 

 

Week-9

Lesson Quiz (4) + Writing sentences

Reading conversations: ÔAt a bus stopÕ + ÔAttending a PartyÕ.

 

 

Reading an article ÔBangladesh WarÕ R-ch. 31, p. 250-256 

 

 

Parts of a day+ Days of a week+ Months+ Seasons

 

 

 

Week10

Vocab Quiz ( 3) + Reading conversation: ÔVisiting a doctorÕ

Writing: A Narrative paragraph

Writing Assignment-2 is due

 

 

Rading conversation: ÔIn an hotelÕ + ÔA HolidayÕ/ H- p. 254

 

 

Reading a short article, ÔTagore in EnglandÕ

R-ch. 30, p. 242-248

 

 

Week11

Lesson Quiz (5) + Writing: A Descriptive Paragraph 

 

 

 

Obligations + Comparatives

R-ch. 19, p. 119-120, R- ch.21, p. 144-150,  H- p. 151

 

 

 

 

 

Reading: Bengali  newspaper + A poem Ô ParibonaÕ

H- p. 291

 

 

Writing: A Desciptive Paragraph

 

 

 

Week12

Vocab Quiz (4) + Writing: An Example Paragraph

Writing: An Argumentative/ Persuasive paragraph

 

 

 

 

 

Reading: A poem, Ô Shadhinota TumiÕ 

R-ch. 32, p. 258-261

 

 

Reading: ÔThe International Mother Language DayÕ

 

 

 

 

Week13

Lesson Quiz (6) + A round table discussion on current issues in Bangladesh

Writing: A Comparative Paragraph

 

 

Reading: selected stories from Bengali newspaper

 

 

Vocabulary: Weather + Tourist Spots + Religions of Bangladesh 

 

 

Writing Assignment-3 is due

 

 

 

Week14

Vocab Quiz (5) + Writing a personal letter

 

 

 

Writing: An Argumentative Paragraph

 

 

 

Reading: Selections from Bengali Newpapers

 

Writing: A Cause and Effect paragraph 

 

 

 

Week15

Vocab quiz (6) + Reading Comprehension

 

 

Translation from English to Bengali

 

 

 

Translation from English to Bengali

 

 

Translation from English to Bengali

 

 

Week16

Translation from Bengali to English

Reading: A selected short story

 

 

 

Review class

 

Review class

 

 

Week17

Final Examination