Dr. Upul Priyantha Gamage  


Senior Lecturer (Grade I)
Department of Sinhala
+94112857786
upulpg@bpu.ac.lk / gamageup@gmail.com
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Academic Qualification 

  • Bachelor of Arts (Hons)-University of Colombo
  • Master of Arts in Linguistics-University of Kelaniya
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Sociolinguistics – BPU, Sri Lanka
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics – CCNU, China 
  • Accredited International Pedagogical ICT License holder
  • International Customer Care Skills Passport holder
  • Certificate in Forensic Linguistics (CCNU, China)
  • Certificate in Public Chinese (CCNU, China)

Professional Qualifications

  • International Pedagogical ICT License
  • International Customer Care Skills Passport

Academic Experience

  • Senior Lecturer (Grade I) at the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka from 06/05/2023 to date
  • Senior Lecturer (Grade II) at the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka from 06/05/2017 to date
  • Probationary Lecturer at the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka from 06/05/2014 to 06/05/2017
  • Probationary Lecturer – The University of Colombo in 2014
  • Asst. Director (RES) – The Open University of Sri Lanka in 2014
  • Head of the Department-Language & Soft Skills Training Department at Orient Academy Limited from 01/06/2009 to 2013
  • Asst. Manager-Soft Skills Training at TGKICT Pvt. Ltd. From 01/10/2007 to 30/05/2009
  • Lecturer/Trainer at MMBL Cyber Skills Pvt. Ltd. From 01/10/2005 to 30/09/2007
  • Visiting Lecturer at The Open University of Sri Lanka from 01/07/2006 to date (Faculty of Education and Faculty of HSS)
  • Visiting Lecturer at the University of Vocational Technology from July 2023 to date (Faculty of Education)

Administration

  • Asst. Director (RES) – the Open University of Sri Lanka in 2014
  • Head of the Department-Language & Soft Skills Training Department at Orient Academy Limited from 01/06/2009 to 2013
  • Ass. Manager-Soft Skills Training at TGKICT Pvt. Ltd. From 01/10/2007 to 30/05/2009
  • Secretary of the BPUTA in 2016
  • Editor-Journal of Language Studies in 2020-21 (Vol.4 Issue II and Vol.5 Issue I) published by Faculty of Language Studies, Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Coordinator of Bachelor of Arts External Degree Programme from 2021 November to date, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Senate member of the Buddhist and Pali University from 2021 hitherto
  • Editor-Journal of Sinhala Studies in 2022 (Vol.3) published by The Department of Sinhala, Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Sinhala Studies in 2023 (Vol.4) published by The Department of Sinhala, Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Advisory editor-Nuwanasa departmental journal of Sinhala Department, Buddhist and Pali University in 2020, 2022 and 2023. 
  • Member of University Research Council from 2022 – Hitherto 

National Endeavours

  • A Member of the Review Panel, State Literary Festival of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Sri Lanka in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

Research interests

  • Sociolinguistics with special reference to language policy-planning, bilingualism & language contact phenomenon 
  • Systemic Functional Linguistics
  • Pragmatics
  • Forensic linguistics
  • Second language acquisition and teaching
  • Literature & literary criticism

International/ National Seminar Presentations

  • Gamage, U. P. (2023). The Role of Forensic Linguist as an Expert Communicative Evidence in Trademark Issues: a case of trademark issues in Sri Lanka. 12th National Symposium of the Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2022). Systemic Functional Linguistic Approach to Language Policy-Problems in Sri Lanka: From Colonialism to Post-war Reconciliation, Staff Development Programme, Homagama, BPU.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2022). Scientific Method: සංක්ෂිප්ත ආලෝචනයක, Staff Development Programme, Homagama, BPU.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2020). Journals as an Input Tool to Build up Cosmopolitan Academics, Staff Development Programme, Homagama, BPU.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2018). The Theravada Buddhist Stance of the Women, Femininity and the Women in Buddhist Tradition in Buddha's Period, a presentation at the annual Buddhist conference. Digne-Les-Bains, France: Alexandra David Neel Museum.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). Historical Derivations, Arguments, and the Current Functions of the Original Buddhist Language (Pali) in Sri Lanka, a presentation at the annual Buddhist conference. Digne-Les-Bains, France: Alexandra David Neel Museum.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). Rationalizing the English Language Influence on Modern Colloquial Sinhala, Professional Development Programme, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2013). Is speaking English our Way a Lingual Anarchy? an analysis of the Sri Lankan English Movement. Colombo: IHRA, University of Colombo.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2013). Eloquence in First Language as an Enabling Factor of Speaking Second Language: A Case of English Language Learning in Sri Lanka. Soul, Korea: Sookmyung Women’s University.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2012). Applying Pedagogical Aspects with ICT Integration and Managing Traditional Drudgery of Classroom in Sri Lankan Government Schools. Lucknow, India: Subhash Chandra Bose P.G. College.
  • Gamage, U. P., & Senevirathne, P. (2012). Error Patterns of Addition in Sri   Lankan   Pre-school Children. Lucknow, India: Subhash Chandra Bose P.G. College. 
  • Gamage, U. P. (2012). Is Language Taboo a Myth in General Terms? with special reference to verbs in the Sinhala Language. Forli, Italy: University of Bologna.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2012). Colloquial Sinhala & Contradictories of Pre-determined Syntactic Structures of Formal Linguistics. Colombo: The Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2012). Literary Text as a Way of Learning Administrative Lessons with Special Reference to Wimalarathne Kumaragama. Colombo: Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2011). Continuous Multiple Motivation in English Language Teaching. Osaka, Japan: AIFA.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2011). Skill Development Strategies to Enhance Employability in Post-war Sri Lanka. Chennai, India: Sai Ram Institute of Management Studies.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2011). Poetics of Governance: Humanistic Social Ideology of Wimalarathne Kumaragama’s Poetry. Colombo: Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2011). Linguistic Discriminations Which Hamper the Country Development: with special reference to male dominancy in noun patterns of Sinhalese and English Language. Batticaloa: The South Eastern University of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2010). Success & Failures of English Language Teaching. Badulla: Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2010). Motivation as a Key Factor in English Language Teaching. Jaffna: The Jaffna University of Sri Lanka.

Invited Speeches

  • Delivered a special lecture at the National Institute of Education, Maharagama, Sri Lanka on Identifying and Formulating Research Topics on the 7th of December 2023.
  • Conducted a presentation at the monthly research session of the Faculty of Buddhist Studies, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka on Linguist as an Expert Witness in Trademark Disputes on 25th of May 2023.
  • Delivered a special lecture on “Lankawe Rajya Bhasha Prathipaththiyata Prathipaksha Khsudra Bhasah Prathipaththi ha Avigngnanika Yatharthaya” (Official language policy in Sri Lanka, opposite micro-language policies and unconscious reality) at the Faculty of Buddhist Studies, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka on 2nd of December 2022.
  • Conducted a special workshop on Leadership for the Career Development Module of the Department of Nano Science Technology at the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka on the 9th of October 2020.
  • Conducted a workshop on Effective Communication Skills for a Pleasing Professional and Personal Life at the Career Guidance Unit of Ruhuna University on the 17th of December 2020. 
  • Conducted a workshop on Scientific Method for the academic staff of the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka on the 18th of October 2022.

Research & Publications

Books

  • Gamage, U .P.  (2023). වාග්විද්‍යා ප්‍රවේශය. Rajagiriya: Agahas publication.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Ranasighe, C.  (2022). කලාත්මක සිංහල කෙටිකතා සංහිතාව. Rajagiriya: Agahas publication.
  • Gamage, U. P.  (2019). The Tenses of the English Language. Maradana: Godage.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). Beddegama Sevanaya (Reading the Novel of the Village in the Jungle). Rajagiriya: Agahas publication.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Seneviratne, P. (2011). Perapasal Guruwaraya (A translation of Teacher Tested Techniques of Classroom Management book to Sinhala). Colombo: Author publication.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2009). Jäthika Chinthanaya (National Thought): an academic attempt to review Gunadasa Amarasekara’s collected works. Colombo: Author publication.
  • Gamage, U. P.  (2004). Gunadäsa kapuge, Ăgame Sita Vidyäwa Dakwä: a study of Gunadsa Kapuge’s lyrics as a social phenomenon and his intervention into the social discourse as a broad spectrum singer among Sri Lankans. Colombo: Author publication.

Indexed Journal Articles

  • Gamage, U. P. & Dilani, N. (2024). The Impact of English Lexical Categories on Modern Colloquial Sinhala Language with Special Reference to Neologism and Borrowing. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(2), 762-768, UK.
  • Gamage, U.  P. (2023). Systemic  Functional  Linguistic  Approach to  Language  Policy-Problems in Sri Lanka: From Colonialism to Post-war Reconciliation. International Journal of Membrane Science and Technology, 10(2), 2141-2150.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Dilani, N. (2022). The Rationale Behind the Influence of English on Modern Colloquial Sinhala Language. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(9), 11-20.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Kondowe, W. (2019). APragmatic Study of Humour in Udurawana’s Joke Stories of Sri Lanka: Implications for Second Language Teaching and Learning. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 9(7), 762-768, UK.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Makangila, S. P. (2019). Modality, Modal Commitment and Modal Responsibility of the Speeches Delivered by the President of Sri Lanka at the UNO General Assembly: A systemic functional analysis. Journal for the Study of English Linguistics, (7)1, 77-94, USA.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Makangila, S. P. (2019). Conversational Implicature, Humour Theory and the Emergence of Humour: A Pragmatic Analysis of Udurawana’s Stories in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, (8)6, 67-75, Australia.
  • Gamage, U. P. & Makangila, S. P. (2020). The Translator’s Visibility in Domestication and the Sinhala Translation of ‘The Village in the Jungle’. Journal for the Study of English Linguistics, (8)1, 60-69, USA

Peer Review Journal Articles

  • Gamage, U. P. (2022). Multiple Motivation as a Key Factor in English Language Teaching – a Case Study in Hambantota, Journal of Language Studies, Vol. 6(I). Faculty of Language Studies. Buddhist and Pali University: Homagama. 
  • Gamage, U. P. (2022). Journals as an Input Tool to Build up Cosmopolitan Academics: Complexity, Advantages and Challenges. Journal of Language Studies, Vol. 6(II). Faculty of Language Studies. Buddhist and Pali University: Homagama. 
  • Gamage, U. P. (2021). Linguistic Discrimination with Special Reference to Male Dominance in Noun Patterns of Sinhalese and English Languages. Journal of Sinhala Studies, (2) I, 41-50.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2021). Socio-political Context & the Evolution of Linguistic Communities in Sri Lanka Hand-in-Hand with Language Policy Adoptions. Journal of Sinhala Studies, (2) II, 26-61.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2020). The Philosophical Stance of the Systemic Functional Approach to Language. Journal of Sinhala Studies, (1) II, 1-22.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). කලාව යනු කුමක් ද? : ආනන්දයෙන් ම ස්වයං පැවැත්ම තහවුරු කර ගැනීමේ ආත්මාර්ථයෙන් “කලාව” මුදවා ගැනීමේ නිර්වචනාත්මක මැදිහත්වීමක්BPU Journal of Language Studies, Vol. I(I), 116-133.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). භාෂා ආබාධවලට ලක් වූවන්ගේ සිංහල භාෂා සන්නිවේදනය සහ ගැටලු අවකාශය: පරිකල්පනයෙන් යථාර්ථයට (Sinhala language communication of impaired people and the problems that they face: from imagination to reality).BPU Journal of Buddhist Studies and Humanities, Vol. II(I), 84-114.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2016). විචිත්‍ර චින්තාවන්ගෙන් ඔබ්බට ගිය ගුණසේන ගලප්පත්තිගේ නාට්‍ය කලාව සනාතන  සමාජ අරගලයේ ප්‍රතිබිම්බයක් ලෙස (Gunasena Galappatthi’s stage plays which reflect the contemporary social struggle)" BPU Journal of Buddhist Studies and Humanities, Vol. I(I), 263-281.

Creative Works

  • Gamage, U. P.  (2023). ගිනිපිග් කළේ ඇයි නුඹ මා කොරෝනා. Rajagiriya: Agahas Publication. 
  • Gamage, U. P. (2019). Frantically Waiting (A free verse). Always CCNU. Central China Normal University, Wuhan.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2012). Eya Saha Eya (She and She) - Sinhala Poems. Colombo: Author publication.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2012). Kalutara Bodiya Langadee, (a poem which was published in the edition of “Ekolosweni Peya” poem collection). Colombo.

Other Journal Articles

  • Gamage, U. P. (2023). දේශනවල දී පවර්පොයින්ට් (PowerPoint) තහනම් කරමු : එය ළමුන් මෝඩයන් කරන, ගුරුවරුන් එපා කරවන මෙවලමකි, නුවණැස, Vol. VIII, The Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2022). විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය යනු කුමක් ද?: අධ්‍යාපනයේ කරණීය තර්කණයට අභියෝගයක් (A book review). නුවණැස, Vol. VII, The Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2023). නූතන සංවර්ධනයෙන් ආන්තීකරණය වූ ක්‍ෂුද්‍ර ජීවිතයක අඳෝනාව: කවුරුවත් නැහැ කවුරුවත් නැහැ, ඔක්කම්පිටියේ පඥ්ඥාසාර හිමි උපහාර කාලපය, කැලණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලය (Yet to publish).
  • Gamage, U. P. (2021).The Inconceivable Reality of Alexandra David Neel: Glimpse Memoirs of her Visit to Ceylon  (Sri Lanka), Sur Les Chemins d’ Alexandra David Neel. Alexandra David Neel Museum, Vol. I (I), pp. 23-28, Digne-Les-Bains, France
  • Gamage, U. P. (2019). බැද්දේගම නවකතාවේ වස්තු විෂය සහ භාෂාව (The plot of the Village in the Jungle and its Language). නුවණ, තෙවන වෙළුම, සිව්වන කලාපය, 206-211, අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍යංශය.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2019). ප්ලේටෝනියානු ප්‍රේමයේ නූතන අර්ථකථනය : හන්තාන සිහිනේ (Hanthana Sihine song is the modern definition of plataunic love) නුවණැස, Vol. V, 93-103, The Buddhist and Pali University of Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2018). භාෂාත්මක පරිකල්පනය බිඳ වැටීමේ සුසුම සහ පීඩාව: මම නම් ආසයි අහන්න නයනා (Sigh and affliction of the collapse of metaphysically constructed language world). නුවණැස, Vol. IV, 74-80, The Buddhist and Pali University of Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2016). “ප්‍රබුද්ධ” කාව්‍යයේ දාර්ශනික පසුබිම, මහගම සේකරගේ දෘෂ්ටිය සහ ඊට ඉවහල් වූ බස (Philosophical background of Prabuddha and Mahagama Sekara’s ideology and language of poetry). Journal of Pali Studies, Vol. III, 115-131.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). සිංහල නවකතාවේ නව ශානරීය අනන්‍යතාවක් ගොඩ නඟන “අහම්බකාරක”(Formation of a new genre in Sinhalese Novel: Ahambakaraka) නුවණැස, Vol. III, 166-172, The Buddhist and Pali University of Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). කුරුලු හදවත :යථාර්ථවාදී ආඛ්‍යාන ක්‍රමය පිළිබඳ සුපසන් බලාපොරොත්තුවක් (Birds Heart: A very pleasing hope on realistic fiction of Sinhala literature). Magazine of Pali Studies of the Buddhist and Pali University, Vol. IV, 58-65, Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2017). සංස්කෘතික සහජීවනයට එරෙහි ජාතිවාදය (Racism, against cultural harmony), VINIVIDA. Colombo.
  • Gamage, U.P. (2016). Meena, Jayatissa Saha Rosalin and Early Sinhalese Novels. English Department Annual Magazine of the Buddhist & Pali University, Vol. I(I), 124-131.
  • Gamage, U.P. (2016). New Trends and the Issues of Modern Literary Criticism in Sri Lanka: With Special Reference to Sinhala Literary Criticism. English Department Annual Magazine of the Buddhist & Pali University, Vol. I, 66-69, Maradana: Godage.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2016). මිනිස් හැඟීම් වර්ණ ගැන්වීම වෙනුවට යථාර්ථය ඥානනය කිරීමට ඉවහල් වූ මඩු කොකු මිටේ කතාව (The story of the bunch of the Madu Leaves), Staff Development Proceedings of The Buddhist and Pali University. Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2016). සේකර, ප‍්‍රබුද්ධ සහ සමාජ යථාර්ථය (Mahagama Sekara, Prabuddha and Social reality), kqjKei, Vol. III, 56-69. The Buddhist and Pali University of Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2016). යථාර්ථවාදය යනු කුමක්ද? (What is realism?) Sihiwatana Pustakaya of The Buddhist and Pali University. Homagama.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2015). කලාවේ හුදෙකලා වූ කලාකරුවා ශ්‍රමාභිවන්දනයෙන් ඔබ්බට ගෙන ගිය මේ තරම් සියුමැලි ද කළු ගල් (A song which took away the isolated artist from felicitation of his labour), නුවණැස, Vol. I, 115-125,  Maradana: Godage.
  • Gamage, U. P. (2010). Bucolic Poems Written in the City: A Book Review.  http://prometheuses.blogspot.com

Book Chapters

  • Gamage, U. P., & Dilani, N. (2023). The Theravada Buddhist Perspective on Women and Feminity. In D. Gnanarathana, K. Anoma, N. Makawita, J. Lam, & L. H. Miin, SAMMODANA: A Compendium of Curated Essays (pp. 128-134). Singapore: Buddhist and Pali College of Singapore.

Academic Distinctions, Scholarships, Prizes

  • The Excellent International (PhD) Student Award offered by the Central China Normal University in 2022. 
  • The Excellent International (PhD) Student Award offered by the Central China Normal University in 2019. 
  • The Best Presenter at the Staff Development Research Forum of the Staff Development Programme conducted by the Staff Development Center of the University of Kelaniya in 2014.
  • The best Portfolio award for the Staff Development Training Portfolio report in the 2014 cycle conducted by the University of Kelaniya.
  • International award in train the trainer conducted by City & Guilds.
  • Winner of the Gold medal for the best poem collection, Sahithya Sankathana in 2016, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka.

Current Research Activities

  • Phonetic Similarities and dissimilarities of lexical realizations of two language concepts in hundred languages from different language families in the world.
  • Pali and Sanskrit lexical influence in Sinhala.

Memberships

  • Regular member of the Linguistic Society of America


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