Overview of the Cambodian Course

The course examines two different Cambodian dialects: standard Cambodian and the Phnom Penh dialect. Standard Cambodian is the approved speech for public education and mass communications. Of all the Cambodian dialects, it corresponds most closely to the writing system. The Phnom Penh dialect is spoken in the country's capital city. It differs sharply from the standard Cambodian in pronunciation but is similar in other aspects. Being familiar with both styles will enable students to speak and understand the language better. This course contains 90 units, arranged in groups of five under a common theme. The first four units of each group are based on dialogues and the fifth unit is based on a narration. The text for units 1-20 is entirely in standard Cambodian. Starting with unit 21, the dialogues are in the Phnom Penh dialect, and the narration is standard Cambodian. Each of the 90 units includes dialogues, drills and vocabulary sections.