Mongolian

Indiana University is the only university on the American continent that offers a Mongolian program and formal Mongolian instruction for three levels as a part of a university degree during the academic year. Introductory Mongolian is also available during summer. There are scholarships available for summer sessions and funding opportunities, such as the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships for studying abroad.

Mongolian is spoken by over 7 million people, not just in Mongolia, but also in some parts of China (Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) and Russia (Buryatia and Kalmykia). As a member of the Altaic language family, Mongolian shares structural similarities to Turkic and Tungusic language groups.

Mongolian vocabulary is rich in early Turkic, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese elements that reflect the country’s nomadic, Buddhist, and Asian heritage. Mongolian continues to adopt words from Russian and English, but very much retains its own distinctive character.

It is much easier to begin with Cyrillic Mongolian (МОНГОЛ ХЭЛ) with almost no difference between spelling and pronunciation to learn about cultural riches of contemporary Mongolia and as you advance, progress to the beautiful “vertical” Mongolian script, which was introduced by the legendary Chinggis Khan in the 13th century in order to connect his empire from the Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe.

Learning this language will help you discover Mongolia, which is an emerging democracy and one of the last countries on earth with nomadic peoples. In addition to being a gateway to U.S. government or non-profit careers, Mongolia has become a captivating tourist destination and a highly competitive site for mining industries.