Tamil for Beginners

Introduction

Welcome to our beginner-friendly online Tamil language course! This course is tailored to introduce learners to the beautiful and classical Tamil language and its rich literature. Through a structured curriculum, students will embark on a journey to achieve basic literacy in Tamil—learning to read, write, and speak with confidence. Our program is designed to make Tamil accessible to a broad audience, fostering interest and appreciation for one of the world’s oldest living languages.

Course Objectives

• To introduce the classical Tamil language to a broad audience, stimulating interest in its rich literature.
• To equip learners with the ability to read, write, and understand basic Tamil.
• To foster conversational skills in Tamil, enabling learners to communicate effectively.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will:

• Have a basic understanding of the Tamil language and its literature.
• Be able to engage in simple conversations in Tamil.
• Have expanded their Tamil vocabulary and understood essential grammatical concepts.

Course Syllabus

• Introduction to Tamil: Its history and significance.
• Learning the Tamil alphabet: Consonants and vowels.
• Basic Tamil vocabulary: Words, genders, and simple sentences.
• Introduction to verbs and tenses in Tamil.
• Practical Tamil: Numbers, telling time, and everyday phrases.
• Engaging with Tamil culture through proverbs, riddles, and storytelling.
• Grammar essentials: Prefixes, suffixes, and sentence construction.
• Utilizing Shabtha Kosh (Tamil dictionary) for vocabulary building.

Reading List

• “Tamil Grammar” by esteemed Tamil scholars, a comprehensive guide to the foundations of the language.
• “Bala Paadam” by Arumuga Navalargal, designed to provide a solid foundation for Tamil language beginners.

Course includes

• Live sessions
• Access to class recordings for asynchronous participation
• Certificate of Completion upon successful course completion