Language Books
Here you can find a list of language materials for Burmese (educational books and dictionary) in German and English. It does not claim to be complete. We welcome all supplements (homepage@myanmar-institut.org).
Language Course in Winter Term 2026/27
မြန်မာဘာသာစကား တက္ကသိုလ် သင်တန်း
University Language Course: Myanmar I
The Institute of Asian and African Studies (HU Berlin) is offering a beginner’s course in Myanmar, which is also open to students from other universities (and other visiting students) via online participation, during the winter term 26/27. This course is the first of a total of four sequential courses, which can also be taken in subsequent semesters if there is sufficient interest.
The course takes place twice a week for 90 minutes each session (4 SWS). Provisional course times are Mondays and Wednesdays, 10.00am–12.00pm. The course begins on 19 October 2026. No prior knowledge is required.
Registration and fees
If you are interested, please email johanna.neumann.1@hu-berlin.de as soon as possible.
You must also submit an application to attend as a guest student at HU Berlin. HU charges guest students €15 per semester hour; for this course, that amounts to €60 for the whole semester. Full details can be found here.
Course content
With the help of a textbook and various teaching materials, we will learn about the language’s writing and pronunciation systems and will be able to read and write by Christmas. We will also work through the basic structures of the language, make statements in two different tenses, learn to use numbers and exchange basic information about where from and where to, who, whose and what. In practical exercises during the course, we imagine our (real or fictional) families, haggle at the market and arrange to meet at specific times. Of course, cultural context relating to Myanmar is also woven into the course throughout.
Scope and credit allocation
A total of 10 credit points (= 10 ECTS) are awarded for attendance and successful completion of the exam at the end of the course, and these can be certified if required. Students must clarify the credit allocation for the course independently with their respective departments or their examination offices.
Workload
Please note that the relatively high number of credit points also means that the workload involved in preparing for and following up on lessons, as well as for participation requirements, is relatively high. Specific tasks for course preparation, together with various materials, will be made available via a Moodle course. To successfully complete the course, at least 80 per cent of these tasks must be completed. This time commitment is necessary in order to learn this rather complex language and to remain motivated by experiencing one’s own progress.