Introductory Classical Mongolian is sometimes offered, contingent on staffing availability, for a full academic year with an intermediate course and additional reading courses available in succeeding years. The program, which focuses on reading and translation ability, is aimed at introducing students to Classical (literary) Mongolian as a research tool for work in history, linguistics, religion, and other areas of research. The first course is mainly devoted to the Mongol script, vocabulary, and basic grammar. It includes simple readings from standard historical and religious texts. The second course focuses on more advanced grammatical knowledge and is meant to introduce students to a wider variety of texts.
From time to time, the Department also offers courses in Modern Spoken Mongolian. For more information, and to inquire about the availability of Classical Mongolian instruction, please contact the Language Program Coordinator at eal@fas.harvard.edu.