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Rev. Dr Kapugollewe Anandakiththi has launched his latest book, Phonology and Morphology of Modern Marathi. Formally presented to Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva this April, the publication marks a scholarly milestone as the first comprehensive study of Marathi phonetics and grammar by a Sri Lankan academic. The work stems from the author’s extensive research in Maharashtra, India, and highlights the University of Kelaniya’s commitment to high-impact global research... Read more

The third-year undergraduates of the Translation Studies programme organized the ‘Buds to Bloom’ Going Down Ceremony on 06 March 2026 at the K14 Auditorium. The event celebrated the transformation of final-year students from university entrants to soon-to-be graduates.

The ceremony was attended by the Head of the Department, Rev. Dr. Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero, academic staff, and students across all batches. Featuring various performances and commemorative segments, the occasion served as a dignified tribute to the students’ academic journey at the University of Kelaniya... Read more

The Department of Linguistics proudly congratulates its faculty members recognized for outstanding contributions at the Humanities Excellence Awards 2025:

• Dr. Vindhya Weerawardhane: Coordinating Excellence Award (MA in Linguistics).

• Dr. Anuradha Jayasinghe: Coordinating Excellence Award (Diploma in Tamil).

• Senior Lecturer Jayamal de Silva: Coordination Excellence Award (CALW Unit) and Contribution Excellence Award (Departmental Service).

• Professor R. M. W. Rajapakshe: Honorary Service Award for his distinguished academic legacy... Read more

The Faculty of Humanities received a commendation for Best Faculty Website at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards, held on 1 January 2026. Senior Lecturer Jayamal de Silva, Faculty Webmaster and CALW Unit Coordinator, accepted the award from Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva.

This recognition highlights the Faculty’s excellence in digital innovation and communication. The achievement was spearheaded by the web team, led by Mr. Jayamal de Silva and Faculty Associate Ms. Randika Padmasiri... Read more

The Translation Circle of the Department of Linguistics inaugurated Bhāṣārṇava, an academic colloquium series, on 29 January 2026. The first session, held at the K14 001 Auditorium, focused on the “Essential Qualities of a Professional Interpreter.”

Ms. Nirasha Udyani, Interpreter at the High Commission of India, served as the resource person. She shared expert insights into the linguistic, cognitive, and ethical competencies required for professional interpreting, emphasizing accuracy and cultural sensitivity... Read more

Senior Lecturer Jayamal de Silva formally presented his latest academic work, Bhāṣā Parivartana Adhyayanaya, to Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva on 17 December 2025. The event was attended by Department Head, Rev. Dr. Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero.

Published by S. Godage and Brothers, this volume is an expanded and updated edition of de Silva’s 2018 work, Bhāṣā Parivartana Pravēśaya. It provides a comprehensive theoretical exploration of translation studies, incorporating modern developments in the field. This publication marks a significant contribution to linguistic scholarship and reflects the Department of Linguistics’ ongoing dedication to impactful research... Read more

A guest lecture, organized by the Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, was held on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at the Department premises. The lecture titled ‘The Return of Diyasena Kumara: Buddhist Millennialism and Political Prophecy in Sri Lanka,’ was delivered by Dr Justin Henry, Bhagwan Padma Prabhu Endowed Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies of the University of South Florida.

Dr Henry holds a PhD in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where his research focused on the religious traditions of South Asia. His scholarship demonstrates strong linguistic and historical depth, engaging sources in Sanskrit, Pali, Sinhala, and Tamil, with particular emphasis on Sri Lanka and South India... Read more

The Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, has organized a series of staff development lectures to be conducted by Professor Theresa McGarry of the Department of Linguistics, Trinity State University, USA.

Accordingly, the first lecture, titled ‘Inductive Learning and Teaching,’ was successfully held on Thursday, 11 December 2025, at the Department premises.

Professor Theresa McGarry is currently affiliated with the Department of Linguistics at the University of Kelaniya, where she is engaged in collaborative research on the Sinhalese language... Read more

The Certificate Awarding Ceremony of the Diploma in Translation and Interpretation (Batch 12) and the Diploma in Tamil (Batch 14) programmes, conducted by the Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, was successfully held on Saturday, 16 August 2025, from 10.00 a.m. at the Sri Dharmaloka Hall, University of Kelaniya.

A total of 94 students from the Diploma in Translation and Interpretation programme and 192 students from the Diploma in Tamil programme were awarded certificates at the ceremony, marking the successful completion of their respective courses... Read more

The University of Kelaniya’s Department of Linguistics recently welcomed Professor Theresa McGarry from East Tennessee State University for a six-month International Visiting Fellowship. A distinguished Fulbright Scholar specializing in syntax and applied linguistics, Professor McGarry met with Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva to discuss strengthening global academic partnerships.

During her tenure, Professor McGarry will teach at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels while engaging in significant collaborative research with Department Head Dr. Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero... Read more

On April 2, 2025, the Department of Linguistics at the University of Kelaniya held "Adios," a formal farewell ceremony for the final-year BA (Hons) in Translation Studies batch.

The event was graced by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Dr. Sudath Senarath, and the Head of the Department, Ven. Dr. Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero, alongside the department's academic staff. Organized by the third-year undergraduates, the ceremony recognized the graduates' academic journey and their upcoming transition into the professional sphere.

Both the Dean and the Head of Department addressed the gathering, commending the students' dedication to the field of linguistics and translation... Read more

The launch of Pratīkṣā 07—the nineteenth volume of short stories translated by the final-year students reading Translation Studies at the Department of Linguistics—was held on the 01 April 2025 at the K14 auditorium of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya.

This volume consists of twenty-eight Sinhalese translations of folk stories representing an Indian cultural background.

The keynote speech was delivered by literary scholar and professional translator Mr Chulananda Samaranayake. Dr Sudath Senarath, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Rev. Dr Kapugollawe Anandakiththi, the Head of the Department of Linguistics; academic staff members of the Department; parents of the final-year students; and students representing the other batches of Translation Studies also participated.

The event was organized by the Translation Circle of the Department of Linguistics. Read more

The Department of Linguistics at the University of Kelaniya hosted initial discussions on a proposed institutional collaboration to digitally scan the Mirror Wall at Sigiriya on the 19th of February 2025. The meeting was attended by Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, and Ven. Dr. Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero, Head of the Department of Linguistics, alongside distinguished foreign scholar Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas, Director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) at New York University (NYU). Also present was Professor Mangala Katugampola at the Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya... Read more

The field trip 2025 for the students of Linguistics (Hons) and Translation Studies (Hons) of the Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya was completed on 13 and 14 February 2025. The primary purpose of the field trip was to study the dialectal differences in the Tamil language used in Bandarawela area. Read more

The annual general meeting and the freshers’ welcome of the Tamil Language Studies Association of the Department of Linguistics was held on 29 January 2025 at the K14 auditorium of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya. The event was organized by the second-year and third-year students reading Tamil as a Second Language (TASL), and the first-year students were welcomed during the event. Dr Susath Senarath, The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Dr Kapugollawe Anandakiththi Thero, Head of the Department of Linguistics, Professor Emeritus R. M. W. Rajapaksha and the academic staff members of the Department, including Dr Vindhya Weerawardhana, Senior Lecturer Jayamal de Silva, and Senior Lecturer Kavitha Arundaharan also participated... Read more

The Department of Linguistics was awarded third place for the Best Department Website of the University category at the Vice Chancellor's Award Ceremony 2024, held on 01 January 2025. The WebMaster of the Faculty of Humanities, Senior Lecturer Jayamal de Silva, was presented with the certificate... Read more

Senior Professor Janaki Wijesekara of the Department of Linguistics has recently published three books covering various aspects of psycholinguistics. The books are titled ‘Reading Difficulties of Slow Learners and Children with Dyslexia’, ‘මන්දගාමී සහ ඩිස්ලෙක්සියා සහිත දරුවන්ගේ පාඨන ගැටලු’, and ‘පාසල් දරුවන්ගේ ලේඛන දුබලතා’. Professor Wijesekara handed over the copies of the books to the Vice-Chancellor, Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, on Friday, 08th December 2023... Read more

A special lecture titled ‘The Ramayana and the Role of University Humanities in Public Life’ was delivered on the 5th of December 2023 by Dr Justin W. Henry, Bhagwan Padma Prabhu Endowed Assistant Professor of the Department of Religious Studies, University of South Florida, USA. The event was organized by the Department of Linguistics and was held in the K14 boardroom of the Faculty of Humanities... Read more

A special event to formulate a student forum for Translation Studies undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya, organized by The National Languages Equality Advancement Project (NLEAP) and the Centre for Development Research and Interventions (CDRI) and hosted by the Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya was held on the 19th of July 2023, at the K14 boardroom of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya... Read more

The Department of Linguistics at the University of Kelaniya successfully conducted the Certificate Awarding Ceremony for the Diploma in Tamil programme on Sunday, 23rd July 2023. The event, held at the Sri Dharmaloka Hall, commenced at 9:00 a.m., marking a milestone in the academic journey of several dedicated students.

The University of Kelaniya extends its warmest congratulations to the Batch of 2023 and looks forward to their future contributions to the linguistic heritage of Sri Lanka.... Read more

VĀGVARNA 2023, the official launch of Pratīkṣā 05—the volume of short stories translated by the final-year students of Translation Studies and Translation Methods of the Department of Linguistics was held on the 27th of June 2023 at the K14 board room of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya.

The event was organized by the Translation Circle of the Department of Linguistics.

Pratīkṣā 05, the eighteenth volume of short stories published by the Department, consists of the Sinhalese translations of twenty-nine short stories originally written by Russian author Anton Chekhov... Read more

The Department of Linguistics at the University of Kelaniya marked a significant milestone with the Certificate Awarding Ceremony for the 2021/2022 batch of the Diploma in Translation and Interpretation. Held on Sunday, 28th May 2023, at the K14 Auditorium, the event was a formal recognition of the students' dedication to mastering the complexities of language mediation.

The event celebrated the hard work and academic excellence of students who successfully navigated the year-long intensive curriculum designed to produce professional translators and interpreters for the nation... Read more

A Tamil Language Training Course for the staff of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), was commenced on the 4th of December 2022 at the University of Kelaniya under the leadership of the Department of Linguistics.

This course was initiated according to an MoU signed between the University and the SLBFE... Read more

A Certificate Course in Tamil for Foreign Students was commenced on  8th of November 2022 at the University of Kelaniya under the supervision of the Department of Linguistics.

This course was initiated by the Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya upon a request made by the Department of Tamil, School of South Asian and Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures, Yunnan Minzu University in China, and the course duration is a period of 12 months (one year)... Read more