Course Description

English Language Support Unit

Years II & III, Semester I & II

As most textbooks and research books in Cambodia are written in English or French, foreign language acquisition is essential for professors and students alike. The development of students’ knowledge base and research skills across all disciplines at the Royal University of Phnom Penh is an outstanding goal of this foreign language program.

Department of Computer Science

Year II, Semesters I & II

In this course, students learn to use MS Word and MS Excel programs, which are essential for further progress in their studies and their future careers. Students gain practical and theoretical knowledge in how to use and create texts, tables, pictures, WordArt, calculations, graphics and utilising the MS Access database management program.

Mr Heng Kimvan Year II, Semester I

Building on the knowledge of folk tales acquired during Foundation Year, students analyse and use folk conventions to write their own fairytale. Students then examine the social meaning and basic characteristics of folk literature, methods of research, and different types of folk narratives, including myths, fairytales, fables and humorous fairytales.

Mr. Yeang Virakbot

Year II, Semester I

Students learn about different linguistic theories, including those of Ferdinand de Saussere, Tesniere, Noam Chomsky and Andre Martinet.

Mr. Yok Sieng

Year II, Semesters I & II

This course consists of a study of Pali, including its palaeography, alphabet, nouns, adjectives, translations, verb conjugations, tenses and pronouns. Categories covered include numbers, declensions, gender, affixes, prepositions and compound words, as well as methods of reduction, augmentation, elision, and translation practice.

Mr. Yok Sieng

Year II, Semesters I & II

Students study the Sanskrit alphabet, vowels, consonants, combinations of vowels and consonants, and conjunct consonants of two and three letters. Topics include nouns, the three genders, eight declensions of nouns and articles, pronouns, verbs and compound words, as well as methods of reduction, augmentation, elision, and translation practice.

Dr. Chan Somnoble

Year II, Semester I

This course introduces students to basic phonetic analysis. They learn of phonetics and phonology, the anatomy and physiology of words, initiation, phonation and articulation, the phonetic classification of language and sound, and the imitation of acoustic phonetics. Students then apply this knowledge with a phonetic analysis of the Khmer language.

Mr. Yeang Virakbot

Year II, Semester I

Students study the alphabet on stone inscriptions, and learn to read and write texts in ancient Khmer. They then analyse the phonetics and linguistic features of these inscriptions.

Dr. Hean Sokhom

Year II, Semester I

Following from the Foundation course in Sociology, this course acquaints students with various theories in the field of sociology, and teaches them to think in a sociological manner.

HKL210 Khmer Literature I (Pre-Angkorian)

HKL213 Semantics

HKL214 Inscription II

HKL215 Aesthetics

HKL216 Asian Studies (people and culture)

HKL217 Indian Literature

HKL301 Khmer Literature II (Angkorian)

HKL302 Linguistics II (Applied Linguistics)

HKL303 Lexicology

HKL304 Asian Literature I
HKL311 Asian Literature II

HKL305 Parts of Speech

HKL306 Khmer Culture I

HKL307 Chinese Literature

HKL308 Khmer Literature III (Post Angkorian)

Students analyse literature from the Longvek, Udong and French colonial periods in Cambodian history. They study inscriptions and literature written on palm leaves between 1336 and 1618, famous poetry describing the origin and construction of Angkor Wat, literature describing the relationship between Cambodia and the French, and Khmer nationalist literature.

Mr. Thea Sok Meng

Year III, Semester II

Students learn about the special characteristics of literature including literary image, literary models, literary truth and aesthetics. They also study theories about the relationship between literature and society, the characteristics of social class in literature, and literary nationalism.

Mr. Ith Sothea

Year III, Semester II

In this course, students gain a basic understanding of social, cultural and literary research methods. They then practice their skills by gathering and analyzing primary and secondary sources from which they produce a fully referenced research paper.

Mr. Chan Vathna and Ms. Van Sovathana

Year III, Semester II

This course examines the literature of Classical Greece, the European Renaissance and the Classical Romantic period.

Mr. Sok Kosal

Year III, Semester II

In this course, students explore, compare and contrast the rituals, practices, art and culture of Buddhism and Brahmanism during the Funan, Chenla, and Angkorian epochs.

Mr. Ponn Chhay

Year IV, Semester I

Students analyze the evolution of literary ideas and texts during the period of Cambodian independence. They study the works of Keng Vansak (Selected poetry -

Young Lady Heart and Desire in the Prison

Turn Back

New Sun Rises on the Old Earth

Robbers Heart in the Rich

The Last Shelter

Mr. Monh Sary

Year IV, Semesters I & II

In this course, students conduct a comparative study of

Tum Teav

Romeo and Juliet

Tristan and Isolde

Andromaque

Remaken P

art Four

Le Cid

Chau Sratop Chek

Madame Bovary

Ka Key

Le Rouge et le Noir

Kolap Pailin

Ramayana

Rearn Ker Khemen

Mr. Thea Sok Meng

Year IV, Semester I

In this course, students examine modernist elements and style in writing and literature, including realism, romanticism, nationalism, creation, imitation and new-creative literary styles.

Ms. Van Sovathana, Mr. Chan Vathna, Mr. Monh Sary

Year IV, Semester I

Students examine the themes of realism, naturalism, symbolism and existentialism in Western literature.

Mr. Yeang Virakbot

Year IV, Semester I

In this course, students analyse the gender of syntax relations, forms represented by syntax relations, groups of words, phrases, sentences, clauses, and the syntax of different kinds of words.

Mr. Thea Sok Meng

Year IV, Semester I

In this course, students learn the methodology involved in writing a research report or narrative with themes taken from traditional folk stories.

Mr. Ponn Chhay

Year IV, Semester II

Students gain an understanding of Cambodia immediately before 1970, the Lon Nol coup, and the periods of 1970-1979 and 1979-present through famous works of Khmer literature.

Mr. Yeang Virakbot

Year IV, Semester II

In this course, students explore the relationship between language and society, and analyse the objectives and usages of language.

Mr. Yeang Virakbot

Year IV, Semester II

Students examine the characteristics of Khmer language, including articulation, syllables and syllable derivations, vowels and consonants.

Mr. Sok Kosal

Year IV, Semester II

In this course, students analyse the concepts of ‘Khmerness’ and Khmer identity through an exploration of Cambodian society, family, education and the impact of tradition of Khmer behaviour. They then examine cultural knowledge from the past and how it has contributed to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Khmer identity following recent periods of upheaval.

Mr. Thea Sok Meng

Year IV, Semester II

In this course, students learn how to write a commentary, discussion, or comparison on themes taken from traditional Buddhist and Brahmanist stories, or from Khmer literature.

Year IV, Semester II

Students with outstanding performance throughout their degree are offered the chance to research and write an original thesis in Khmer Literature during their final semester. Students choose a topic in consultation with a supervisor, who then guides them through the period of research and writing over one semester, culminating in the completion and presentation of a completed thesis.