Burmese (Myanmar): An Introduction to the Spoken Language, Book 1

The first volume in a four-part language course, this textbook enables students to start speaking and understanding the spoken language. In the early sections the focus is on familiarizing the learner with the unfamiliar sounds of the language and the structures of Burmese sentences. After this foundation the emphasis changes to acquiring the words and phrases needed for early encounters with Burmese speakers in Burma and elsewhere in the world. Numerous speaking exercises and practice dialogs feature travel topics such as asking for directions, taking taxis, and ordering food and drink, and common conversational topics such as introductions, family, and work. Because Burmese script can be challenging, Okell offers roman transcription alongside the Burmese script for Burmese material throughout the text. 

John Okell, now retired, was for many years Lecturer in Burmese at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He is the author of First Steps in Burmese and A Reference Grammar of Colloquial Burmese and coauthor of Burmese/Myanmar: A Dictionary of Grammatical Forms, and he continues to teach short courses in Thailand, in Burma, in Spain, in the USA, and at SOAS.