[Buddha-l] sanskrit self-study

[Ashok Aklujkar]

In catching up with e-mails after my return from India last week, I notice
that my name has been mentioned in the context of studying Sanskrit at the
beginning level. 
 
On 11-08-2005 20:53, "Chris A. Stanford" <castanford at gmail.com> wrote: > ...
Ashok's, publication .... I would reserve this excellent work for my second
year and above students.Ashok is a member of this list so, could probably
advise better than I.<
 
As the author of the publication being discussed here,  I will, as far as
possible, avoid making evaluative remarks in this response. To provide the
clarification necessitated by Chris Stanford's kind observation, I will say
only this: (a) I use the first 21-23 lessons of my _Sanskrit: an Easy
Introduction to an Enchanting Language_ [= SEL, in abbreviation] in the
first year / first two terms of Sanskrit learning. Lessons 24-36 are covered
in the first term of intermediate Skt. The student attrition rate in the
first year is negligible. If any students leave, they do so in the "shopping
period" of the first two weeks, mainly because registration in the
oversubscribed courses required by their study programs opens up. (b) SEL
includes a self-sufficient graded reader. By the time students take leave of
it at the end of the third term/semester/quarter, they have much reading of
Skt to their credit. (See the 'curse' point in my second posting of today
for an indication of why I prefer to divide and arrange teaching in this
way.)
 
I can send pdf attachments of the following documents to any member of this
list who wishes to know more about my Sanskrit teaching materials and the
thinking that has gone into preparing them:
            1. "Contents"
            2. "Introduction for instructors"
            3. "Introduction for students"
            4. "SEL inquiry response"
 
Please use "Send SEL intros & info" as the subject heading in emailing me.
If you so specify, an additional file on SEL evaluations received can also
be sent.
 
On 11 Aug 2005 12:51:57 -0600,  "Richard P. Hayes"
<Richard.P.Hayes at comcast.net> wrote: >Also good, but a little cumbersome to
use, is Ashok Aklujkar's textbook, which comes with tapes. Deshpande and
Aklujkar are both phenomenal Sanskritists. They both began learning when
they were toddlers and have been friends and rivals all the way through
their lives. You couldn't go wrong using a textbook written by either one of
them.<
 
Thanks, Richard, for your generous praise. Coming as it does from a person
with your critical acument, it means much to me. (Please do not tell Madhav
Deshpande that I consider him to be a better Sanskritist.)  The 2005 edition
of SEL will be available for sale in about one week. It consists of two
physical volumes (1: Tools Grammatical and Lexical, pages 462. 2: Tests and
Transition , pages 180; total pages 642) and five 90-minute cassettes (total
recording minutes about 450).
 
The second of the volumes mentioned above combines a workbook, a reader, a
review tool and a guide taking the learner from the protected environment of
a textbook to the wild world of the editions of Sanskrit texts. The
principle behind the first volume is that the learner should be able first
to read the contents of the graded lessons and then to consult them easily
as he/she works through the second volume. Toward that end, the first volume
includes also a rearrangement of the contents of the graded lessons in the
form of a reference grammar and vocabulary explanations, The cassettes
assist with pronunciation, translations and quick reviews of important
grammar as well as translated passages.
 
SEL is meant for adult students outside India. It can be adapted to the
Indian scene, but, in the near future, I am unlikely to find the time needed
for the adaptation.
 
I hope I will not be faulted for using this opportunity to announce the
following:  I will be teaching Introductory Sanskrit in the second term of
the 2006 Summer Session at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver,
B.C., Canada). If the retirement rules do not change in such a way as to
affect me, this will be the last course I will be teaching at UBC. The dates
set for the course are Monday 17 July - Saturday 26 August 2006, with a
two-hour final examination taking place on the last day. During the
specified six weeks, the class will meet for 3-3.5 hours each on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, making a total of 78 hours of instruction and
testing. Students will have Wednesdays and weekends free for consolidation
of what they learn on the other days. The current UBC fees for such a
6-credit course are (Canadian students) C$802.20 and (international
students) C$3,324.00. These *may* change slightly in 2006.