Ipdilaam tanglishla type panna seekramavay sethirum nu solreengala..rightu. Coming to the topic, the reason behind this post is the way in which the language is being introduced for my kid. Ever since the classes started, every single day has been more disappointing and irritating as a participant on those classes as I sit along with my kid. The reason behind those emotions being, the poor way of taking the kids through to something that is so special and wonderful. The alphabets have been introduced bang on day 1 and kids were asked to start practicing writing them. Most of them had no clue what they were doing and were mistaking it for some art form. The way the alphabets were introduced was also horrible. For the first letter, it was explained as a “laddu with a curve, intersecting with a sleeping line and a standing line”!!! And this on the very second class of the language getting introduced!! How the hell kids will follow this instruction!! And the worst part being, the entire message was on English!!!
As much as I was astonished and sad to the see this way of taking the language to the kids, may be the teachers are not to be blamed a bit as well. This is how they’ve been taught, possibly I’ve been taught and they are following the same for the next gen as well. It might have worked 100 years back, but with so much of tools and new thought processes allowable, why such efforts are not being taken to promote Tamil is the major cause for heartburn. When I see how my kid has been picking up on his English skills and how he sees tamil I can feel the difference with my own eyes. He learnt words and sentences by watching videos, songs, stories and by the time the letters were made to be written by the teacher, she had already taken the class numerous times over the same words and letters which would’ve subconsciously registered on their minds. He never felt he was drawing something while writing the alphabets. No wonder English as a language is so prominent as that language gets promoted and practiced with newer technology and processes that takes it to the kids in an easier manner.
Idhellam sonna sandaiku thaan varanga. Pity the kid doesn’t know difference between a tamil or a hindi alphabet. Really hurts to see that. Enda..itheye nee englishla thana post panniruka nu divert panni topic essencea miss pannidatheenga :)
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For the longest time (before they were introduced at school), I taught uyir ezhithukkal as kolam. Making my son color to his choice and all
These guys are based in Australia though- if you can, try their toys. I haven't tried myself.
And yes, it's me:-). I have consciously commented from another email. Slipped on this, as I commented from my mobile ha ha. Have been quietly writing a blog :-)