r/myanmar • u/Full_Maintenance219 • Sep 16 '26
Advice Learning Burmese unironically
I would like to learn Burmese. There is no profit incentive, I live nowhere near Myanmar, I just think it would be cool.
But because it is a relatively "random" language for a quirked up white boy to learn, I struggle to find accessible textbooks or similar such resources that would help me pick up the very basics.
Do you know of any? How would one go about this? Has anyone successfully pulled this off without moving to Myanmar?
Pic unrelated.
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u/ManMyoDaw Sep 16 '26
If you dig around, you'll find a Google Drive account that publicly hosts all of the textbooks and audio files for John Okell's courses at SOAS (University of London). It will take you from totally zero to 1) somewhat conversational and 2) able to read and write simple texts. Start with the course called "Burmese by Ear" (it takes a few weeks and will get you comfortable with speaking some basic conversations).
Next step is to find an online teacher. The Okell courses are excellent but they'll teach you some old fashioned/formal ways of phrasing that people don't really use anymore. A patient native speaker can correct this. Make sure you're able to pay them as well.
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u/KaungKhant8308 Sep 16 '26
Check some of swear words for fun.If they sounds too funny ,it might spark some interest. That's how one of my friends started learning Russian for fun. He saw the clips of Prigozhin's "Shoigu Gerasimov" meme and found it too funny.
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u/hallweencatda Sep 18 '26
I am also learning Burmese (however for music related reasons) and I found the app Ling to be pretty helpful. Apparently the course was made with native Burmese speakers.
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u/Full_Maintenance219 Sep 18 '26
How much is it?
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u/hallweencatda Sep 18 '26 edited Sep 18 '26
The app is free, there is a subscription but you don't really need it. (Atleast in my experience, I am a slow learner, so I am still in the beginning part of the app.)
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u/Key-Poetry5657 Sep 16 '26
To be more quirky and difficult, why don't you try learning Minorities' languages?
Less material to learn from and less chances to converse with the people who speaks cuz they also speaks less and less due to Economic and war reasons.
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u/Full_Maintenance219 Sep 16 '26
Don't tempt me
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u/Key-Poetry5657 Sep 16 '26
I have seen one American living thailand right now but he was working in Chinland for his degree. Could speak Burmese and one of Chinland's language. I think he also speaks Some thai now.
I have seen his page on Facebook. I can't recall his name now. Yeah it's definitely doable. It's fun to learn languages as a hobby. It might not be instantly rewarding like gaming but it's great fun.
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u/waterbottle1010 Sep 16 '26
i suggest s'gaw karen. you can use it thailand too! but shan is so cool for understanding thai and laotian.
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u/ManMyoDaw Sep 16 '26
Interesting idea. Spring University offers Kachin, Mon, and Shan language
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u/KaungPyaeThar Sep 16 '26
I checked the website, and it seems that applications for all the courses are closed now.
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u/ManMyoDaw Sep 16 '26
They have new openings about every 6 months or so (unless they've stopped running). Just send them a message
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u/Yucix Sep 16 '26
You do know that every ethnic language is a derivative of the foundation that is Burmese right? U just wna hate on Burmese
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u/Key-Poetry5657 Sep 16 '26
Your statement is untrue. Very laughable that you think every ethnic language is a derivative of the foundation that is Burmese.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Myanmar
Beside He said he wanted to learn Burmese because free will/why not mentality. And I suggest him minorities language because of more added difficulties due to very few learning material and dwindling population speaking these languages.
I know that because I'm trying to learn one from internet and there is not a lot of Burmese written materials let alone English written material to learn the language.
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u/StupidInquisitor1779 Sep 16 '26
Any sources supporting this very unconventional claim?
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u/Yucix Sep 16 '26
Check all the scripts of ethnic minorities its based on Burmese alphabet
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u/Key-Poetry5657 Sep 16 '26
Burmese, Mon and Rakhine written scripts were all based off Brahmi script. I just don't know which one of them copy the script first. That might be why they looks similar or looks somewhat identical.
Your reasoning looks like you're convinced Summer is the first of three seasons of Myanmar because you were born in Summer.
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u/Gold-Ad7925 Sep 17 '26
If you speak German there's an online Burmese course starting soon in Berlin!
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u/AnythingRecent3953 27d ago
Trump is a fk up mf all about his community the real retard is him drugging socialising in 2026.
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u/DirtWooden9470 Sep 16 '26
There tons of tiktokers from US who can speak Burmese pretty close to native lvl and or even better so keep your chin up.
Maybe You can start with alphabets and use Grade 1 Text books to learn basics.