INTRODUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT

Sinhala Language is the mother tongue of the Sri Lankans. The Department of Sinhala is the one of the largest department of the University. There are 14 permanent staff members (4 professors, 7 senior lecturers, and 3 probationary lecturers), 2 temporary staff members, and 3 non-academic staff members. There are around 1000 students who are following Special and General Degree Programmes in connection with the Sinhala Language and Literature in the Department. The Head of the Department is Ms Angel Kotawalagedara.

Goals of the Department

To upkeep Sinhala Language and Sinhala Literature for the future Generation. In this view it is expected to introduce traditional Sinhala grammar regulations, literature and culture in organized manner.

To develop the scope of Sinhala stream as an interdisciplinary subject in order to enhance the students’ deductive intellectuality in the wake of the modern changing social process; thereby it is expected to introduce social theory, cultural studies, linguistics aesthetics, visual theory, media studies, scope of universal literature, epigraphy, paleography, Sanskrit which the scope of Sinhala stream is enriched with.

To protect the heritage of Ruhuna for the future generation of the country. i.e. folklore, folk-poem, traditional folk-drama etc.

To experiment in identifying the features of language culture and develop the Faculty of Sinhala in the University of Ruhuna as a center to reassure them with prime focus on the region of Ruhuna.

To organize seminars, lectures and part-time/ short-term courses for school teachers who teach Sinhala Language.

To provide the service of lectures and doctors to the students studying Sinhala for A/L.