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South Asian Language Programs

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures’ South Asian Language Program offers language courses in Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Urdu, with a view to developing both language skills and cultural and regional awareness.  

South Asia comprises about 11.51% of the continent of Asia and 3.4% of the world’s total land area, covering an area of over 1.9 million square miles. The population of South Asia is about 1.75 billion people, or approximately one quarter of the world’s population. It is considered to be the most densely populated region in the world, and is home to 39.5% of the population of Asia and 24% of the world’s total population.

The region generally includes the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The major religions in the region are Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism.

South Asia is the fastest growing region in the world and is currently experiencing positive economic momentum. Diversity is the salient feature of the region, be it in religion, culture or language. Given the region’s linguistic diversity and long literary history, it is no wonder that South Asia has been described as a linguist’s paradise.

South Asian Language Program (SALP) Events

Conversation Tables

During the academic year, a language roundtable is held every Thursday for each language taught through the South Asian Language Program. Please contact the SALP Director, Syed Ali, at [email protected] for more information.

For long-distance participation, you can join via BlueJeans through this link (room #908691956)

SALP Students' Group Video Project Presentations: 

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All the students in the South Asian Language Program work in groups of 3 or 4 to produce video projects at the end of the Fall and Winter terms. An event is held for the students and faculty to watch these videos together on the first Friday of December. To view students' projects from previous years, please visit the following sites: Fall 2016Winter 2016, Fall 2015, Winter 2015, and Fall 2014

SALP New Year Celebration: 

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The program holds this event to celebrate Bengali, Hindi, and Punjabi New Year. Students have the opportunity to participate in different cultural activities including music, games, and trying different foods.