Sanskrit, the classical language of India, has long been renowned for its beauty, subtlety and complexity. It is the key to the civilisational treasures of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, and provides direct access to a vast repository of literary, scientific and philosophical wisdom. In this course students are introduced to the foundations of Sanskrit. The course balances traditional practices of textual reception—reading and grammar—with language production—speaking, chanting and singing.

Sanskrit is a demanding language. It involves the rigorous study of grammar, a considerable amount of memorisation, and high and sustained level of commitment. Previous language learning experience is a distinct advantage. All prospective students are encouraged to make an appointment with the convener to discuss the course before enrolling.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Pronounce all 49 sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet, read aloud simple example sentences, and chant the weekly verses accurately and joyously.
2. Write all 49 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet correctly, including conjunct consonants; write simple sentences accurately and aesthetically.
3. Use a vocabulary of 120 items.
4. Demonstrate an understanding and use of grammatical structures to read short texts and to translate basic sentences into and out of Sanskrit. These structures include: singular, dual and plural verb endings, for active and middle forms; the eight nominal cases; pronouns and adjectives; and the gerund.
5. Conduct simple conversations on such topics as: common greetings; friends and families; food and drink; and times of day.
6. Demonstrate a general understanding of the history, origins, status, and uses of Sanskrit.

Required Resources

Introduction to Sanskrit

Author: Egenes, T.

Publisher:

Edition: Vols 1 and 2

ISBN:

Availability:

Price:

Notes:

The Little Red Book of Sanskrit Paradigms

Author: Taylor, M.

Publisher:

Edition:

ISBN:

Availability: (available from author)

Price:

Notes:

The Joy of Sanskrit (ebook)

Author: Taylor, M. and G. Scotellaro

Availability: https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/joy-sanskrit 

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Weeks 1-12 For each week 1–12, every class follows this pattern: We will spend 30 minutes practising the weekly verse and reviewing previous verses. This is your opportunity to improve your pronunciation, learn lots of useful vocab and pick up some Indic wisdom at the same time. During the second 30 minute period, we practise conversation – yes, Sanskrit is a spoken language! – speaking Sanskrit improves your facility with grammatical forms and activates the creative parts of your brain. The last hour is dedicated to grammar, reading and writing. We will begin by reviewing the grammar from previous weeks, introduce new forms and drill them to build familiarity.
2	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 1, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 1; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday of week 1
3	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 2, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 2; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday 8 March of week 2
4	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 3, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 3; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday of week 3
5	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 4, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 4; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday of week 4. In-class test.
6	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 5, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 5; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday of week 5
7	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 6, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 6; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday of week 6
8	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 7, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 7; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday week 7
9	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 8, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 8; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday week 8
10	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 9, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 9; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday week 9
11	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 10, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 10; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday week 10
12	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 11, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 11; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday week 11
13	Work through The Joy of Sanskrit, Chapter 12, listening to all the embedded audio and video files; attend and contribute positively to one tutorial session; complete, self-correct, and hand in weekly exercises from Egenes, Lesson 12; practise and upload the weekly verse.	Scan of exercises and recording of verse due 11.55pm, Sunday 31 week 12

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Weekly Exercises (continuous)	10 %	01/07/2021	*	2, 3, 4, 6
Weekly Verses (continuous)	10 %	01/07/2021	*	1, 3, 4, 6
In-class test	5 %	15/03/2021	15/03/2021	2, 4
Assignment 1	10 %	19/04/2021	26/04/2021	2, 4, 6
Assignment 2	25 %	30/05/2021	06/06/2021	1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Spoken Sanskrit test	10 %	07/06/2021	07/06/2021	2, 4, 6
Take-home Exam	30 %	14/06/2021	02/07/2021	2, 4, 6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Weekly Exercises (continuous)

Complete and then self-correct the weekly exercises from Egenes that correspond to the weekly chapter from the Joy of Sanskrit.

Assessment Task 2

Weekly Verses (continuous)

Practise and record the weekly verse from the Joy of Sanskrit.

Assessment Task 3

In-class test

Writing the alphabet and at least one basic verb formation. Collaboration or consulting textbooks and notes during the in-class test is not permitted.

Assessment Task 4

Assignment 1

Part 1. Translation of a short passage from Sanskrit into fluent, accurate English. Show your parsing/working. Part 2. Translation of a short passage from English to Sanskrit, showing all your working.

Assessment Task 5

Assignment 2

Part 1. Translation of a short passage from Sanskrit into fluent, accurate English. Show your parsing/working. Part 2. Translation of a short passage from English to Sanskrit, showing all your working.

Assessment Task 6

Spoken Sanskrit test

This will consist of a simple ten-minute chat covering material from Weeks 1–12.

Assessment Task 7

Take-home Exam

Part 1. Translation of a short passage from Sanskrit into fluent, accurate English. Show your parsing/working. Part 2. Translation of a short passage from English to Sanskrit, showing all your working. The passages to be translated for the take-home exam will be available one week before the submission date. The submission date is the end of Week 14. Collaboration on the take-home exam is not permitted; it must be all your own work. A miniumum grade of 50% is required to pass the course.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension is penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students