(A foundation course for the beginners to learn Tamil language with 30 alphabet notes and a few sound symbols). This curriculum is specially designed for students in Matric & CBSC schools in Tamil Nadu and students in other states and overseas countries.
Age limit to join the course: 7 to 70 years, Duration: One year
At present Tamil is taught as a letter- based language with 247 letters. In fact, Tamil is a sound-based language with 30 alphabet sounds. This curriculum is devised for the learners to learn Tamil as a sound- based musical language with 12 vowel notes and 18 consonant notes and with few vowel sound symbols to understand the rhythmic grammar structures of Tholkappiar, the first formal Tamil grammarian. The curriculum mainly insists the link sounds between the vowel notes and the consonant notes. In fact, the beauty of the Tamil language with marvellous grammar structures spans with the merging of vowel and consonant sounds and how to allot letter shapes to those merged sounds known as vowel-consonant sounds. In the curriculum at every stage the learner will acquaint with how to extract a vowel note and a consonant note from a merged sound and vice versa. This acquaintance of linked sounds and their extractions are more vital to understand the Tamil grammatical structures.
In this curriculum the sounds of Tamil language are alienated into three main groups known as short sounds, long sounds and syllable sounds to form words
There are eight musical structures in this curriculum and word-analysis is conducted in each structure to identify vowel notes, consonant notes including vowel-consonant sounds, short sounds, long sounds and syllable sounds
(ட் -ப் -ம் -ய் -ழ் - அ -ஆ )
The Tamil language has got 12 vowel notes and 18 consonant notes, but the students will not learn all 30 alphabet notes together. In the first structure they would acquaint with 5 consonant sounds and 2 vowel sounds only
The first consonant note is known as “t” in “kite” ( Tamil alphabet :ட்)
The second consonant note is known as “p” in “pack”( Tamil alphabet : ப்)
The third consonant note is known as “ m” in “come” (Tamil alphabet: ம்)
The fourth consonant note is known as “Y” in “Yak” (Tamil alphabet :ய் )
The fifth consonant note is known as “L” in” TAMIL” (Tamil alphabet : ழ்”)
The first vowel note is known as “a” in “another(Tamil alphabet :அ)
The second vowel note is known as “A” in “All”( Tamil alphabet :ஆ)
| படம் | பாடம் | பயம் | பழம் |
|---|---|---|---|
| அப்பா | அம்மா | பாப்பா | பட்டம் |
(ட் -ப் -ம் -ய் -ழ் - அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ)
In the second structure the learner will acquaint with two more vowel notes known as
இ and ஈ.(இ as “I” in tip and ஈ as “ee” in deep)
| அடி | ஆடி | படி | பாடி | பாட்டி |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| மீழ் | இடம் | ஈயம் | ஈட்டி | மிட்டாய் |
(ட் -ப் -ம் -ய் -ழ் -க் -ர் ச் -த் - அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ )
(ட் -ப் -ம் -ய் -ழ் -க் -ர் ச் -த் - அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ )
The learner will acquaint with four more consonant notes known as க் -ர் ச் -த்-க் as k in kit ர் as r in rabbit ச் as Ch in Church த் as th in cloth
| மார்கழி | மகரம் | ஆயிரம் | அச்சம் | திட்டம் |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| அக்கம் | பக்கம் | தாக்கம் | கட்டம் | காட்டம் |
(ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ்- அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ )
(ட் -ப் -ம் -ய் -ழ் -க் -ர் ச் -த் - அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ )
The learner will acquaint with four more consonant notes known as ந்- ங்- ல்- வ் ந் as n in night ங் as ṅ in noon ல் as l in lion வ் as v in very
| வாழ்க | வரம் | நாட்டம் | வசந்தம் | நகரம் |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| வீரம் | நிம்மதி | விக்கல் | வீழ்ச்சி | நீதிபதி |
(ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ் - அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ - எ - ஏ -ஐ-)
(ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ் - அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ - எ - ஏ -ஐ-)
The learner will acquaint with three more vowel notes known as எ - ஏ -ஐ எ as E in Eight ஏ as E in Elephant ஐ as ai in Thai
| நெல் | நெய் | பெரிய | தெய்வம் | செவ்வாய் |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| தேர் | வேல் | தேநீர் | தேர்தல் | தேவாரம் |
( ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ்- ற்- ள்- ஞ்- ன் – ண் அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ - எ - ஏ -ஐ )
( ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ்- ற்- ள்- ஞ்- ன் – ண் அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ - எ - ஏ -ஐ )
The learner will acquaint with five more consonant notes known as ற்- ள்- ஞ்- ன் – ண் ற் as ṟ in room / ள் as l in look / ஞ் as inj in injection/ ன் as n in in night / ண் as n in news
| ஆனி | கணனி | வெற்றி | வைகாசி |
|---|---|---|---|
| தண்ணீர் | நேர்காணல் | தெய்வீகம் | வெள்ளிக்கிழமை |
( ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ்- ற்- ள்- ஞ்- ன் – ண் அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ - எ - ஏ -ஐ- உ -ஊ- -ஒ- ஓ.)
( ட் -ப் - ம் - ய் – ழ் - ர்- ச்- க்- த் - ந்- ங்- ல்- வ்- ற்- ள்- ஞ்- ன் – ண் அ -ஆ -இ -ஈ - எ - ஏ -ஐ- உ -ஊ- -ஒ- ஓ.)
The learner will acquaint with four more vowel notes known as உ -ஊ- -ஒ- ஓ உ as u in ultimate/ ஊ as oo in moon / ஒ as o in opera/ ஓ as Oh in Ohm
| உயிர் | உனக்கு | திருக்குறள் | புதுமை | துள்ளல் |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| போராட்டம் | நோக்கம் | முக்கோணம் | தொடக்கம் | தொடரும் |
Types of words like nouns referred to names, places, time, work etc.
Types of verbs referred to time, gender, rational cla etc.
Sentence making-1- a simple sentence with a subject and predicate.
Sentence making-2 - a simple sentence with a subject, predicate and object.
Sentence making-3- structure of sentences with verb tense patterns.
Joining words with grammatic structures.
Making positive and negative Statements.
The curriculum structures of this certificate course in The Art of Learning Tamil as a sound-based language” ensure student-cantered learning approach, Students’ communicative competences in Tamil are well developed through active and creative learning activities including practical exercises.
Read Tamil language easily, fluently and speak with good understanding.
Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts.
Read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes.
Use Tamil as a communication tool through the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to meet basic and direct communication needs in familiar and everyday settings.
Introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, acquaintances and friends.
Understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
Describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need”.
“The sound of a language” is a student’s text cum workbook, designed as a resource material for the use of learners gaining access to this certificate course.
In the book there are four practical exercises how to pronounce a vowel note or a consonant note and correlate it with the related letter shape. Those practical exercises are based on the learning factors of listen and respond, say and identify, classify for identification and finally writing practice.
The lessons are designed as learning steps exploring the concepts of vowel and consonant notes structures, merging of notes and patterns of short, long, syllable sound arrangements to form words etc.
Each learning step is identified with a clear learning outcome and pre-requisite skills to complete ten practical exercises to explore the learning outcome.
The curriculum is devised with eight structures and at the end of each structure, the learners must take revision tests, The revision test papers are available in the book.
We have designed differentiated classwork sheets and assignments for each learning steps. They are accessible on the website: www.tamilnewway.com.
Short videos about how to teach each learning step are also accessible in the above website.