Are there requirements for attendance?
Students whose attendance is less than 80% will not be given a passing grade and those who attendance falls below 70% will be withdrawn from the course.
Can I join the class late if I have done some prior Tibetan study?
Yes this may be possible.
Students who wish to enter either the first or second year program after the start date will be required to pass an entrance examination. The exam will be equivalent to the current level of the class and if the student does not pass they will not be enrolled in the course.
Please be aware that there are maximum numbers for each class and so to avoid disappointment it is better to start at the beginning of the year.
Students who join the class late are required to pay for the term in which they join and earlier arrivals will be given priority for enrolment. Students with prior knowledge might be tempted to start late, however we highly recommend that they use the beginning of the year to orientate themselves within the local environment.
Do I have to pay the all of the course fees if I am not there for the full year?
Students entering any time in the first term will be required to pay the full year fee. A student entering the second term will have the first term fees waived and is required to pay for the full second term and second half of the year. All fees are due one week after enrollment.
There are maximum numbers for each class and students coming for the full year will be given priority over students looking to do only a part of the year. For those considering late enrolment, please see Can I join the class late . . . ?
If the class is at its maximum number, latecomers will not be admitted.
If I can speak colloquial can I go straight to 2nd year?
Students with prior study who wish to enter the second year are required sit an entrance examination. We recommend that the applicant send us some references from an institution they have studied in previously and give us details of what material they have covered. With this information, we can provide some advice for the student to prepare for the entrance exam.
If the applicant does not pass the exam they will not be admitted.
Can I come for half the year?
It is possible to attend only half the year if the maximum number of students in the class is not met. Priority will always be given to those enrolling in the full year and Thosmaling can make no guarantee that there will be places available for those wishing to enroll for half of the year.
Students who enroll for the full year and choose to leave after the first month of the course are not eligible for a refund of their fees. Students leaving for an emergency or situations out of their control will be considered for a refund on compassionate grounds.
How many people are in the classes?
The maximum number of students in the first year language class is twenty. The maximum for the second year is fifteen and this course can only be run with a minimum of six students.
What should I bring?
These days, all daily necessities and many luxury items are readily available in the Dharamsala area. However, the quality of the items on sale can sometimes be less than desired and we find in particular that the quality of items such as sunscreens, sunhats, padlocks, razorblades, shoes and even ballpoint pens can often be a little disappointing. Another useful item, for travel in India (though perhaps not required so much in Thosamling itself) are foam earplugs - these are very difficult to purchase here.
In late January and in February the weather will often be quite cold, so warm clothing is very important. Shawls etc.. are of course easily obtained in India, but good quality thermal underwear, jackets, socks, warm hats and other similar accessories are not.
In May and June the weather will be relatively warm to hot, before the arrival of monsoon sometime in June or early July. The monsoon in Thosamling is relatively changeable with frequent sunny periods between heavy rains, but leather goods and other things not stored properly can attract mildew. Good waterproof footwear is a must during monsoon, most people preferring open plastic sandals as the weather is still warm. By September or October the monsoon recedes and the weather becomes pleasant and sunny, gradually cooling until late November when the weather can again sometimes become a little cool to cold. For most of the year, light clothing suitable for warm weather can be worn. Students are requested to dress modestly, keeping in mind that Thosamling is a place of Buddhist study and practice.
Second year students require an MP3 player or laptop computer to listen to recordings. An MP3 player that is capable of voice recording is likely to be useful for students attending any of the courses.
Texts and study aids such as the following could also be useful for some students:
- "Manual of Standard Tibetan" by Nicholas Tournadre & Sangda Dorje.
- "Colloquial Tibetan: A Textbook of the Lhasa Dialect" by Tsetan Chonjore
- "Lectures in Tibetan Religious Culture" by Geshe Lhundrup Sopa
- "The New Tibetan-English Dictionary of Modern Tibetan" by Melvyn Goldstein
- "English-Tibetan Dictionary of Modern Tibetan" by Melvyn Goldstein
- "Tibetan Translation Tool" (computer based dictionary)
- "Illuminator" (computer based dictionary)
All of the above resources are available for purchase either in Dharamsala or by download over the internet. "Lectures in Tibetan Religious Culture" is available for purchase at Thosamling.
Registered packages from overseas take about two weeks to reach Thosamling.
What Tibetan dialect will we be studying?
Tibetans living around Dharamsala have adopted a dialect that is based on the pronunciation from the central region of Tibet. It is this dialect that is taught at Thosamling and the teacher and conversation partners all speak it very clearly.
The Tibetan community in the nearby village is large enough that the students can gain exposure to a diversity of pronunciation through their interaction with the local people.
What accommodation is available?
For information on accommodation please Click Here
