Other Languages
Bengali
Bengali, known as Bangla in its native form, is one of the most spoken languages in the world with nearly 300 million speakers. It inherits a rich literary and cultural tradition with names like Rabindranath Tagore, Jibanananda Das and Satyajit Ray at the forehand. It stands as the primary language in Bangladesh and is the second most spoken language in India, especially in the region of West Bengal or Pashchimbanga.
The Standard Colloquial Bengali word stock features twenty-five per cent of borrowing from Sanskrit, sixty-seven per cent of native words with Sanskrit cognates and eight per cent of indigenous origin, as well as foreign words.
The sounds of Bengali, many a time pure and musical in texture, are scientifically grouped according to where and how they are produced in the mouth. The script has upstrokes, downstrokes and other shapes that hang from a horizontal line. It is important to assimilate the Bengali sounds and script in a configured manner, eventually leading the learner to an effective interaction between one and the other. Bengali for Beginners is a meaningful step towards achieving that objective and basic competency in all four skills—speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Bengali Courses
SCS 2793 Bengali for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Egyptian Hieroglyphics
In 1822, a French scholar cracked the code of classical Egyptian writing and opened up their ancient world of beliefs and practices. Learn to decipher some of the symbols and words on Egypt’s monuments found in museums and elsewhere. Know this rich civilization from within and learn the mother language of many Semitic languages. In this introduction to the Egyptian language, you will get a sense of how the language portrayed reality and learn some of the most common symbols that reflect their thought.
Egyptian Hieroglyphics Courses
SCS 2779 Egyptian Hieroglyphics for Beginners
Greek (Biblical)
Learn Biblical Greek, the language of the New Testament and the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. This language, known as koiné, ‘the common tongue’, was in use all over the Mediterranean world from the time of Alexander the Great until the Latin of the late Roman Empire eventually superseded it. During the early days of Christianity, it was better known by more people than Latin or Hebrew. For that reason, the early texts of the Church are written in koiné, and much of the Jewish world read their Scriptures in Greek translation.
Today, knowledge of this language brings one closer to the world and thought in which Jesus and the apostles lived their lives. ‘Much is lost in translation,’ and studying the texts in the original language opens a nuanced array of meaning which can otherwise be lost, even in the best translations. Come closer to the exciting world of late Hellenistic and early Christian developments through your basic knowledge of Greek.
Greek (Biblical) Courses
SCS 2663 Greek (Biblical) for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Greek (Modern)
Modern Greek is not Classical or Biblical, but reflects the long experiences of its speakers. The conquests of Alexander the Great left Greek as a widespread business language, much simpler than its classical predecessor – just in time to be used by the writers of the New Testament. Then, Venice bequeathed her maritime vocabulary to the Greeks, and Ottoman Turkey left many everyday words by occupying the country. Eleven million Greeks in Greece and a diaspora of over three million worldwide benefit from the rich language that results. That includes 200,000 people in Toronto.
Greek (Modern) Courses
SCS 2370 Greek (Modern) for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Polish
The official language of Poland, Polish is a blend of Slavic and European elements, perfectly reflecting Poland’s position at the geographical centre of Europe. Polish is the language of a world-renowned body of cinema and a vibrant literary tradition—Polish authors have won four Nobel prizes. It is the native language of musicians such as Chopin, Paderewski, and Górecki. Polish is heard around the world, from the cobbled streets of Warsaw’s Old Town to Roncesvalles Avenue, the site of Toronto’s annual Polish Festival. Since it uses the Latin alphabet supplemented with diacritical marks, Polish is more accessible to English speakers than some other Slavic languages.
Polish Courses
SCS 2484 Polish for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Tamil
Tamil is an important language of the Indian subcontinent spoken in parts of India and Sri Lanka. It is also an official language of Singapore. It is the eighteenth most spoken language, with over 80 million speakers worldwide. Tamil is one of the longest surviving classical languages in the world, with a literature over 2000 years old. The modern colloquial language taught at the School of Continuing Studies differs from classical forms, and from formal, written Tamil.
Toronto is an important centre for Tamils with a lively community of restaurants and businesses, art, community services and mass media.
Tamil Courses
SCS 2800 Tamil for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Turkish
Turkish is spoken natively in Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and other countries of the former Ottoman Empire, as well as by several million immigrants in the European Union. There are 65 to 73 million Turkish speakers worldwide. Its word formation is remarkably flexible. It is distinctive in its vowel harmony. It is now written in a modified Roman alphabet.
Turkish Courses
SCS 2387 Turkish for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Vietnamese
Vietnamese is the national language of the 70 million people of Vietnam. It is also spoken in Vietnamese communities around the world. Vietnamese is a tonal language, much of whose vocabulary is derived from Chinese, especially words that denote abstract ideas, in the same way that modern European languages borrowed from Latin and Greek. The writing system in use today is an adapted version of the Latin alphabet, with additional diacritical marks for tones and sounds.
Vietnamese Courses
SCS 2381 Vietnamese for Beginners
SCS 1797 Preparation for Graduate Reading Exam: Languages
SCS 0643 Private Instruction in Languages
SCS 2551 Semi-Private Instruction in Languages
Yiddish
Yiddish was the language of Jews who settled in the Rhine Valley after migrating from lands where Romance languages were spoken about a thousand years ago. Thus, quite naturally, the language that evolved was a mixture of local German dialects, sprinkled with words from Romance languages, and from the Hebrew and Aramaic adopted from the Jewish world of prayer and study. Yiddish is written with Hebrew characters from right to left. It is a language spoken by Jews throughout the world and is currently seeing a renaissance in academic institutions the world over.
