LANGUAGE COURSES
Colloquial Tibetan Language Courses
The Heart of Tibetan Language at SINI offers innovative, joyful online colloquial Tibetan courses for learners worldwide, whether you’re studying for travel, Dharma, research, or pure love of language. Courses are available as live classes with a global community and as self-paced options for independent learners.
About the Program
Since launching in 2021, SINI’s online Tibetan language program has grown into a comprehensive offering spanning beginner through advanced levels, in both live and self-paced formats. The program is built around the three-volume Heart of Tibetan Language textbook series by Franziska Oertle, supported by the Khyentse Foundation.
Live courses feature small learning communities with weekly one-on-one conversation sessions with native Tibetan tutors based in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The self-paced track offers video webinars, exercises, Anki flashcard decks, and podcast materials for independent study.
The Heart of Tibetan Language
All courses are built around Franziska Oertle’s four-volume textbook series (three volumes published, with a fourth in development), བོད་སྐད་སཉིང་པོ། The Heart of Tibetan Language, a living resource full of dialogues, cultural notes, Dharma vocabulary, grammar explanations, and Tibetan songs. Supported by the Khyentse Foundation, Volume 1 has been translated into Portuguese with a Spanish edition in progress.
Volume 1: Beginner 
Volume 2: Intermediate 
Volume 3: Advanced Course Offerings
All courses are available on the Heart of Tibetan Language platform. A Learn to Read self-paced course is also available for those new to Tibetan script.
Learn the fundamentals of modern spoken Tibetan. Build your first conversational skills, gain insight into Tibetan grammar, culture, and thought, and develop metacognitive strategies for language learning. Available as live courses (101 & 102) and self-paced.
Deepen your grammar and conversational skills with intermediate topics: reported speech, comparison, nominalisers, and conversations about Tibetan New Year, pilgrimage, health, and more. Available as live courses (201 & 202) and self-paced.
Blend colloquial Tibetan with Dharma vocabulary: the life of the Buddha, the Three Turnings of the Wheel, refuge, the Four Seals, bodhicitta, and meditation. Available as live courses (301 & 302) and self-paced.
Discover all courses and enroll
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Tibetan Language Programs Team
SINI’s Tibetan Language Program includes an international team of dedicated native and non-native speakers delivering both Classical and Colloquial Tibetan courses through innovative teaching methods.
Franziska Oertle
Director
Paul Wobig
Assistant Teacher
Tenzin Ghegay
Teacher
Ania Sambroska
Assistant Teacher
Tzoe Wong
Registrar
Nat Thammamitr
Assistant Teacher
Lhakpa Tsering
Teacher
Bhargavi Viswanath
Assistant
Alexandra Sukhanova
Teacher
Melissa Katz
Assistant
Pema Woeser
Assistant Teacher
Juan-Felipe Garcia Peña
Online Learning Developer
Volunteer with Us
Preserve Sacred Wisdom Through Service
Join our Classical Tibetan program team and help preserve one of the world’s most precious literary traditions! We welcome volunteers to support the administration and teaching of this sacred language program. Help bridge ancient wisdom with modern learning by assisting with course coordination, student support, and educational activities while working alongside dedicated instructors and scholars in the sacred setting of Sarnath. Your contribution will help students access millennia of Buddhist philosophy, meditation, medicine, and poetry in their original form.
Ready to make a meaningful impact? Apply today by contacting us.
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