Undergraduate Course: Introducing Sanskrit (DIVI08032)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course provides an introduction to Sanskrit, the language of classical Indian literature. It prepares students to read basic texts including from the scriptures of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. |
| Course description |
Academic Description
This course introduces Sanskrit, the language of ancient India in which many great works of literature, including Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, were composed. The course is accessible to absolute beginners and assumes no prior knowledge of the language.
Outline Content
The course begins with an introduction to the Sanskrit alphabet, including the Devanagari script. This is followed by a systematic review of basic grammar, including: verb categories and common verbal forms for expressing past, present and future; the use of case, number and gender in nouns and adjectives; compounds; and common sentence structures. Study of grammar will be interweaved with guided reading of basic texts and the acquisition of vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to read short simple texts.
Student Learning Experience
Students attend class four times per week, to ensure ongoing development and consolidation of their learning. Students will be required to complete homework weekly, and to engage in the interactive classes, which will regularly include informal quizzes and activities to ensure new material has been understood. Assessment includes class tests, ensuring students can monitor their learning, and an end of course exam, where extracts from set texts will be provided for translation and explanation.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2023/24, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 14 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 44,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
150 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Examination - 2 hours 60% (in person exam)
In-class assessment - usually 2 class tests 40% |
| Feedback |
Classes are interactive and will provide opportunities for weekly oral feedback on students' progress. Regular class tests will also be returned with feedback on any issues of understanding, and the CO will be available to meet individually with any students who are struggling at these assessment points. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Provide accurate translations of common Sanskrit sentence structures
- Identify and explain the basic elements of Sanskrit grammar
- Recognise and understand an appropriate range of Sanskrit vocabulary
- Comment on the textual and linguistic culture of ancient India
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Reading List
| Madhav M. Deshpande, Samskrita-Subodini: A Sanskrit Primer (University of Michigan Press, 1999) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
self-discipline
self-directed learning
critical engagement with the meaning of documents and recognition that meanings may be multiple
ability to read texts in a different language |
| Keywords | Sanskrit,Buddhism,Hinduism,Language,India |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Upali Sraman
Tel:
Email: usraman@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: rdutton@ed.ac.uk |
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