Tamil for Beginners
Tamil for Beginners introduces students to the reading, writing, and grammar of one of the two classical languages of India, spoken by about 70 million people. In the first section of the book, forty-five graded lessons present modern written and spoken Tamil. In the second section, grammar lessons correspond to those in reading and writing. The first eleven lessons are in the form of simple conversations presenting the basic structures of the language and some facets of Tamil culture. They cover typical situations that students are likely to encounter--visiting someone's house, a school, a restaurant, a movie, etc. Other lessons consist of short essays or stories describing everyday Tamilian life. Each lesson contains running vocabulary, grammatical notes, exercises, and writing practice. The volume contains both Tamil-to-English and English-to-Tamil dictionaries. By the end of the year, students should be familiar enough with everyday vocabulary that they will be able to read straightforward modern Tamil materials (such as a magazine article), write simple essays and letters, and function in normal situations in a Tamil home.
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