Taught by Achintya Prahlad
Tamil, also Thamizh, is a diglossic language, i.e., a language that has two distinct registers that are concurrently in use: the formal language, and the spoken language. The difference between the two is great, and in order to understand the workings of Tamil, one must learn them both. The formal language is used in writing, TV and radio news and some political and other speeches. It may also be used in historical or mythological films or plays to create a feeling of times long past. However, it is not archaic, and has itself evolved with the times to reach its modern form. This course will teach students both forms of Tamil in parallel. It is designed both for complete beginners and for Tamil speakers who wish to improve their knowledge of the language.
Students will learn the grammar of formal Tamil, beginning with the vowels, consonants and their pronunciation, and moving on to more complex aspects such as sentence structure and tenses. They will also learn to converse in spoken Tamil, and learn how words in formal Tamil are modified or replaced in speech. The spoken component will mostly consist of the standard Tamil of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. However, students will also be introduced to other dialects of Tamil. There will also be a discussion of culture, literature and poetry, stories of Tamil communities living in countries other than India and Sri Lanka, and the evolution of the language from ancient to medieval to modern.
