Learn for Fun Myanmarsar

2. Photo: Sunset on Ngwe Saung Beach by Catherine Bronzo, the University of California Los Angeles

3. Focus
Presentation 1
Burmese &language 20 mins
Quiz 10 mins
Learn for Fun: Myanmar Practise Session
20 mins
Open discussion for field visiting places
60 mins
Presentation 2
Etiquette for Buddhist
Monastery
Common Burmese Phrases
Sal Flower (Ingyin flower in Myanmar) by Michael La Palme

4. ● Land - 676,578 square
kilometers
● Population - 51.48 Millions
● Populated city - Yangon
● Capital City Nay Pi Taw

5. Morning Rush by Nigel Killen/Getty Images

6. 135 distinct ethnic groups
119 linguistic groups
Two-thirds of the total population is Bamar
Nearly 70% of the population are Burmese speakers
Kayan People in Shan State

7. Rakhine
Shan

8. Table adapted from data in A guide to the languages of the
World by Merritt Ruhlen (1987) and The major languages of
East and Southeast Asiaby Bernard Comrie (1990, London,
Routledge)
Rajakumar (earliest stone inscription) in
Myazedi inscription in Bagan

9. Burmese script adapted
from the script of Mon
people around 1100 AD
Source: Burmese by Ear
Reference text by John Okell

10. ?

11. Tonal language
Creaky tone Low tone High tone Stopped tone

12. Phone Gye Kyaung (monastery) ga (from) lar tal (come)
Phone Gye Kyaung (monastery) mha(from) lar tal (come)
Conversational
Style
Literary Style
I am coming back from monastery.

13. Romanization
How are you?
Nay Kaung Lar
Eg, May or Me or Mey or Mae

14. Honorifics
For paying respect, it is impolite to call someone name directly.
Maung Hla Aung

15. 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations from
1961 to 1971
U Thant

16. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

17. Some Tips for proper
communication

18. Ah nar hmu
Ah-nar-hmu (Ah-nar-de) is a feeling of national trait.
“Ar nar tal is a behaviour of prevarication, white lies, and
evasiveness”.
“Ar nar tal is hesitation, reluctance or
avoidance to perform an action in case it
might offend someone or cause someone to
lose face, or become embarrassed.”
From Wikipedia.

19. Intrusive Questioning
How old are you?
How many children do you have?
Are you okay with your salary?
Any promotions now?

20. ‘A Gentle smiles light up so much of Burmese
life, and no more so than at the age-old full
moon festivals held at pagodas up and down
the country.’
—Peter Smart, Lines from a Shining Land

21. Mingala-ba
means
Auspiciousness be upon you
Photo by Cory MacDonald, University of Colorado Boulder.

22. Rhetorical Questions
Where are you going?
Have you eaten your meal?
Are you well?
You have put on weight or you look like the same.

23. Do and Don’t in Myanmar, http://www.hapeye.net/Blog/dos-donts-myanmar

24. Do and Don’t in Myanmar, http://www.hapeye.net/Blog/dos-donts-myanmar

25. Manner in Greetings
● Bow a little bit of
the head for
elderly or seniors
● No Wai

26. Quiz

27. Q 1 what is the meaning of
capital city of Myanmar?
Photographer: Luke T aylor via Bloomberg

28. Nay Pi Daw means Royal City.

29. Q2 What is
the currency
of Myanmar?
The old traditional burmese dress. Dated unknown.

30. It is Kyats.
No coins is
using now.
Burmese actress, Daw Win Min Than, a star in the movie Purple Plain in 1954

31. Q4 How many seasons are in Myanmar?
Shwedagon Pagoda

32. At Shwedagon Pagoda in 1948 by Henri Cartier Bresson
Do you know
how tall I am?
5 feets 2 inches

33. Next topic
“ Monastic Etiquette”
Hsinbyume pagoda, photo by Carbajo rodriguez/ Smithsonian Magazine via Bloomberg

34. REFERENCES
1. CultureShock! A survival guide to customs and etiquette Myanmar, Saw Myat Yin, Marshall
Cavendish Editions, 2017 Safari, 3rd edition published in 2011
2. People, Population, Languages of Myanmar, Facts and Details, retrieved from
http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Myanmar/sub5_5c/entry-3032.html
3. Myanmar Ministry of Education, Myanmar Language Department, retrieved from
http://www.myanmarlanguagecommission.myn.asia/
4. UNFPA, Myanmar 2014 Census, published book via webpage from
http://myanmar.unfpa.org/census
5. Ethnologue languages of the world,
https://www.ethnologue.com/country/mm/languages
All photos are credited to the original uploaders