Burmese is the official language of Myanmar and serves as the main lingua franca in the country as well as in Burmese communities worldwide. Myanmar embraces many ethnic groups and a diversity of cultures while being predominantly a Buddhist country. Burmese has a long history of use in literary works and music, and today the language serves as a key medium connecting Myanmar communities domestically and internationally via the internet. Students will develop an understanding of basic cultural practices in Myanmar society through this course.

In this course, students will be introduced to spoken-style Burmese language and gain communicative competence at an introductory level. The course emphasizes conversations in everyday situations such as greetings, shopping, family gatherings, describing hobbies, expressing likes and dislikes, and making reservations. Students will also learn how to use the language appropriately in different social situations while familiarizing themselves with reading and writing Burmese script.

Students will study short conversations and texts, learning the main aspects of phonology, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary of Burmese. Students are given opportunities to practice their Burmese listening, speaking, writing, reading, and translation skills  

Throughout the semester, students will role-play conversations and occasionally interact with Burmese guest speakers who share their lived experiences of their own places and cultures to enhance students' receptive, interactive, and productive skills.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Use an active vocabulary of around 300 Burmese words in spoken and written forms.
2. Recognise and pronounce the basic 32 Burmese consonants, 7 basic vowels, and 3 tones, including other distinctive features of Burmese pronunciation with Burmese scripts.
3. Produce and write simple sentences using Burmese scripts.
4. Recognise and produce sentence structures in the spoken style Burmese used in short conversations and reading and writing of short, basic texts.
5. Communicate using correct grammar and pronunciation for everyday situations such as greetings, small talk with friends and family and shopping.
6. Develop and demonstrate an understanding of basic cultural practices such as honorifics for Burmese names and the custom of birthdays of the week.

Required Resources

Required Teaching Resources will be provided via the BURM1002 (Burmese 1) Canvas site.

Students are strongly recommended to obtain the following dictionary, as shown below:

Pocket Burmese Dictionary (Burmese -English / English- Burmese )

Publisher: Periplus

Edition: 2008

*EBook (2014) is also available.

Recommended Resources

Burmese: An Introduction to the Spoken Language Book 1

Author: John Okell

Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press

Edition: 1994, 2010

*recommended for BURM 1002 (Burmese 1) and BURM 1003 (Burmese 2)

Burmese: An Introduction to the Spoken Language Book 2

Author: John Okell

Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press

Edition: 1994, 2010

*recommended for BURM 1003 (Burmese 2)

Burmese: An Introduction to the Literary Style

Author: John Okell

Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press

Edition: 1994, 2010

(All books are available at the Menzies Library, ANU, for a two-hour loan. Please contact the loans desk.)

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

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

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introducing yourself	Quiz 1, Assignment 1
2	Things and places	Quiz 1, Assignment 2
3	Weather	Quiz 1, Assignment 3
4	Describing family	Quiz 1, Assignment 4
5	Food	Quiz 1, Assignment 5
6	Daily Life	Mid-term Assessments: Oral & Listening, and Reading and Writing
7	Like and dislike	Quiz 1, Assignment 6
8	Transport	Quiz 1, Assignment 7
9	Asking for permission, help	Quiz 1, Assignment 8
10	Describing cities	Quiz 1, Assignment 9
11	Birthday	Quiz 1, Assignment 10
12	Describing your pet	Final Assessments: Oral & Listening, and Reading and Writing

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Participation (10%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]	10 %	1,2,3,4,5
Weekly Online Quizzes (15%) [LO 1,2,3,5]	15 %	1,2,4,5
Weekly Online Assignments (20%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5, 6]	20 %	1,2,3,4,5,6
Midsemester Assessment: Written and Reading (10%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]	10 %	1,2,4,5
Midsemester Assessment: Listening Comprehension and Oral (15%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5, 6]	15 %	1,2,3,4,5,6
The final assessment: Written and Reading (15%) LO [1,2,3,4,5]	15 %	1,2,4,5
The final assessment: Listening Comprehension and Oral (15%)	15 %	1,2,3,4,5,6

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

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.

Participation

Vigorous participation in class activities is expected as part of assessments, not just attendance.

Assessment Task 1

Participation (10%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]

Students are expected to actively participate and engage in classroom activities. Participation should demonstrate the key language learning skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Assessment Task 2

Weekly Online Quizzes (15%) [LO 1,2,3,5]

Weekly online quizzes aim to reinforce what they have learned in class each week and identify areas of language skills (listening, reading, and writing) that need improvement.

There are 10 quizzes (except in weeks 6 and 12), each worth 10 points; each quiz is weighted equally at 1.5% of the total grade. The weekly quiz will be due by Sunday at midnight.

Students will receive feedback and marks for weekly quizzes by Monday of the following week. Therefore, feedback for their early quizzes will be available to students before the census date on 31 March, allowing for informed course continuation decisions.

Assessment Task 3

Weekly Online Assignments (20%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5, 6]

Weekly online assignments aim to reinforce what is learned in class and to identify areas of language skills (speaking and writing) that need improvement. There are 10 assignments (except in weeks 6 and 12), each worth 10 points; each quiz is worth 2% of the total grade. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be provided via Canvas. The weekly assignment will be due by Sunday at midnight.

Students will receive feedback and marks for weekly assignments by Monday of the following week. Therefore, feedback for their early week assignments will be available to students before the census date on 31 March, allowing for informed course continuation decisions.

Assessment Task 4

Midsemester Assessment: Written and Reading (10%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]

The mid-semester assessment aims to promote student engagement and develop reading and writing skills in Burmese script. It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their language proficiency and understanding of basic cultural practices at the midpoint of the course.

Students are required to complete two reading comprehension tasks and one writing task (totaling 80 words in Burmese script).

Assessment Task 5

Midsemester Assessment: Listening Comprehension and Oral (15%) [LO 1,2,3,4,5, 6]

For the Mid-semester Assessment: Listening Comprehension and Oral Proficiency, Students will complete a variety of listening comprehension tasks and participate in oral assessment activities (oral presentations, role-plays, questions, and answers).

Assessment Task 6

The final assessment: Written and Reading (15%) LO [1,2,3,4,5]

The final assessment is designed to evaluate listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, enabling students to demonstrate their overall language attainment and understanding of cultural

• Written and Reading (15%) _ Students will complete two writing tasks and three reading tasks totaling 150 words in Burmese script.

Assessment Task 7

The final assessment: Listening Comprehension and Oral (15%)

For final listening comprehension and oral assessments, students are required to complete a variety of listening comprehension tasks and participate in oral assessment activities (oral presentations, role-plays, questions, and answers).

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

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

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are 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

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted 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 Accessibility 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 supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students