South Asian Studies Council




			Faculty \| Course Listing \| Languages Tamil A language of instruction and scholarship The Language Tamil, is considered one of India's two classical languages and represents one of the world's three oldest continuous literary traditions. Tamil has been written for approximately 2,000 years, with a corpus of classical Tamil poetry, grammar, and ethical texts. In South Asia, it is a regional language of southern India and northern Sri Lanka. Tamil belongs to the Dravidian language family. Modern Tamil can be mastered quite quickly. The Tamil syllabary is highly regular and easy to learn. Most master it in one to three weeks of instruction. The verbs, in seven classes, are remarkably regular, as is the case system. A diligent student should have little difficulty mastering the basics of case and verbal inflection within the first year. Tamil Instruction at Yale The following courses are available: TAML 115aG, Introductory Tamil I. E. Annamalai. 5 HTBA I; Not cr/d/f L1 1S C Credits (61) An in-depth introduction to modern Tamil, focusing on comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as on cultural understanding. Course work includes graded texts, written assignments, audiovisual material, and computer-based exercises. No prior background in Tamil assumed. Credit only on completion of TAML 116b. TAML 116bG, Introductory Tamil II. E. Annamalai. 5 HTBA I; Not cr/d/f L2 1S C Credits (61) Continuation of TAML 115a. After TAML 115a. TAML 130aG, Intermediate Tamil I. E. Annamalai. 5 HTBA I; Not cr/d/f L3 1S C Credits Meets RP (61) The first half of a two-term sequence designed to develop proficiency in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills through the use of visual media, newspapers and magazines, modern fiction and poetry, and public communications such as pamphlets, advertisements, and government announcements. Prerequisite: TAML 116b or equivalent. TAML 131bG, Intermediate Tamil II. E. Annamalai. 5 HTBA I; Not cr/d/f L4 1S C Credits Meets RP (61) Continuation of TAML 130a, focusing on further development of proficiency in the four language skill areas. Prepares students to conduct fieldwork in Tamil. Prerequisite: TAML 130a or equivalent. TAML 150bG, Advanced Tamil. E. Annamalai. mw HTBA I; Not cr/d/f L5 Meets RP (50) An advanced language course designed to help students understand speech from the public platform, conduct interviews in Tamil, and analyze texts through critical reading, discussion, writing, and translation. Texts may include creative literature of the modern period, contemporary cultural and political writings, and other genres as determined by student interests. Prerequisite: TAML 131b or equivalent. TAML 198aG or bG, Advanced Tutorial. E. Annamalai. f 2.30-4.20 I; Not cr/d/f (0) For students with advanced Tamil language skills who wish to engage in concentrated reading and research on material not otherwise included in the curriculum. The work is supervised by the instructor and culminates in a term paper or its equivalent. Permission to enroll requires submission of a detailed proposal and its approval by the instructor and the director of undergraduate studies. Tamil Scholarship at Yale In addition, Tamil is the focus of scholarly interest at Yale. Professor Bernard Bate of the Anthropology Department is a linguistic anthropologist who specializes in Tamil language and culture. While he has many years experience teaching Tamil as a foreign language and assists students in Tamil language instruction, his scholarly interests go beyond language teaching into Tamil literature, media, and politics. Many of his classes will be of special interest to Tamil learners. Though he is familiar with classical and ancient Tamil, he will focus on modern Tamil at Yale. Tamil Pedagogical Materials There are numerous sets of teaching materials available for the first three years of Tamil instruction. The University of Wisconsin, the University of Chicago, and Columbia all utilize the following materials for their first and second year courses: K. Paramasivam and James Lindholm. Basic Tamil Reader and Grammar. Two Volumes. Evanston, Illinois: Tamil Language Study Association, 1980. (Includes tapes for both 'written' and 'spoken' varieties of Tamil) E. Annamalai. The "Jim and Raja" Conversations. Evanston, Illinois: Tamil Language Study Association, 1980. (Including cassette tapes) The University of California at Berkeley uses instructional materials developed by Kausalya Hart: Kausalya Hart. Tamil for Beginners, Parts 1 and 2. Berkeley, California: Center for South Asia Studies. Professor Harold Schiffman and Dr. Vasu Renganathan of the University of Pennsylvania Language Center have developed materials and exercises (including hard copy and audio texts) for three or more years of Tamil instruction now available on line at: ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/tamilweb/ For basic syllabary ("alphabet") instruction, the University of Chicago and Columbia University have both had success with the following "Primer" that is available as a photocopy: Rev. Percy Kerslake and C.R. Narayanaswami Aiyar. Tamil Course for European Schools. Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1952. Two reference grammars are currently available: Harold Schiffman. Reference Grammar of Spoken Tamil. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. A. H. Arden. A Progressive Grammar of the Tamil Language. 5th ed. Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1942. Second and third year materials include the following: R. E. Asher and R. Radhakrishnan. A Tamil Prose Reader: Selections from Contemporary Tamil Prose with Notes and Glossary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971. Kausalya Hart. Tamil Madhu: From Sangam to Bharathy. Berkeley: Center for South Asia Studies, forthcoming. Harold Schiffman. Reader For Advanced Spoken Tamil, Part One: Radio Plays. Deparment of Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Washington, Seattle. (Includes hard copies and audio tapes.) S. Vaidyanathan and J. Murphy. Tamil Newspaper Reader (plus 2 cassettes). Wheaton, Maryland: Dunwoody Press. There are several other audio materials available from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to those materials listed above, there are no published workbooks for reading and writing exercises. However, the late Professor Norman Cutler at the University of Chicago produced a series of worksheets to accompany the readings in the Paramasivam and Lindholm volumes. An alternative set of exercises has been developed by Professors Sam Sudhanandha and James Lindholm in association with the summer intensive course in Tamil at the University of Wisconsin. The Yale University Center for Language Study currently has a number of resources available on line (including text and audio materials) which could be expanded. Fonts are available for purchase from a number of organizations and as shareware Curricular and Faculty Connections Two faculty in South Asian Studies—John Bernard Bate and T.N. Srinivasan—presently speak Tamil and one of them—John Bernard Bate—conducts extensive research in Tamilnadu. Study Abroad Opportunities There are two excellent programs available for students interested in study abroad opportunities in Tamil speaking areas: The University of Wisconsin-Madison College Year in India Program, and the South India Term Abroad (SITA) Program. The University of Wisconsin (Madison) College Year in India Program includes a summer intensive in Tamil at Madison and a full year of college credit (through the University of Wisconsin) for study in Tamil language, social science and humanities in Madurai, Tamilnadu. The program has been in operation since the late 1970s. Due to its excellent language preparation and pedagogical flexibility—including year-long Tamil study at a local college and tailor-made courses of study for students in tutorials with local scholars—a disproportionate number of graduate students and professional scholars working on Tamilnadu today made their start in this program. The SITA program is run through a consortium of colleges (Bates College, Bowdoin College, Dickinson College, Grinnell College, Smith College, the University of Denver, Whittier College, and the George Washington University) which send around twenty students to Madurai for a semester each year. The program, in operation since 1990, sends a faculty member each year to lead the students in a rather well-developed series of courses taught by some of the best scholars/teachers in Tamilnadu (most with years of experience teaching foreign students; some with considerable teaching experience in U. S. colleges and universities). The program includes extensive travel on weekends; students are housed with local middle-class families. National Context There are two intensive programs now being offered in U. S. universities. The University of Wisconsin-Madison runs a ten-week program in introductory Tamil which is open to all undergraduate and graduate students. The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor also runs a ten-week intensive program in second year/intermediate Tamil. In addition to these, the American Institute of Indian Studies, Madurai, runs both a summer and a year-long intensive in intermediate and advanced Tamil. Most graduate students working on Tamil in U. S. institutions today take advantage of the opportunities the AIIS offers in this respect. On-line learning potential In addition to the University of Pennsylvania's Website for Learning and Teaching Tamil mentioned above ("Pedagogical Materials") there are several on-line sites for Tamil learning which have not been tested by any member of the faculty at Yale. Though, there are significantly more Tamil learning materials available over the Internet than ever before and many of them should have materials suitable for the professional teaching of Tamil as a second language. Language Tables Language tables provide an opportunity for learners and speakers to meet informally to converse and practice their language skills. Meetings are held weekly. Currently, there are South Asian language tables in Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali. See Yale Bulletin and Calendar for current meeting times. Language Links Yale University Center for Language Study South Asia Summer Language Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Offers intensive summer courses in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, and Urdu.