With an aim to promote use of the mother tongue among children settled outside Kodagu, an online platform in the district has come up with a unique initiative.
Madikeri :
With an aim to promote the use of the mother tongue among children settled outside Kodagu, an online platform in the district has come up with a unique initiative. ‘Umbak Entha’ will soon extend ‘Kodava Thak’ (Kodava language) lessons to children from the community, even as a few adults have signed up to learn their mother tongue.
“My nephew and niece who stay in Dubai often visit Kodagu. However, they did not know how to speak their mother tongue and this caused some communication gaps with the grandparents. I started teaching them the Kodava language and now, we look forward to extending this facility to many others who face the same situation,” explained Kalengada Bopanna, the founder of the ‘Umbak Entha’ online forum.
While he and his wife, Shilpa Bopanna, often posted content on food blogging on the online site, it took a new turn recently and will extend Kodava language lessons.
With a minimal charge, children aged between 5 and 15 can enrol for online lessons and learn their mother tongue. From basic Kodava words to numbers, the first month of the class will circle around basic knowledge of the language.
“A total of 31 students have already registered for the classes that will begin on February 4. Most of the students registered for the classes are from the US, the UK and Hong Kong. Others from Bengaluru and Hyderabad have also registered,” he shared.
Alongside teaching Kodava Thak, the online classes will have one session focusing on teaching ‘paddathis’ or rituals of the Kodava community. “The online classes will be held once a week for an hour or so. However, during the fourth week, we will take a class on the rituals and culture of the Kodava community,” he confirmed.
“While a majority of those who have registered are kids, we also have four adults, who will join us in learning their mother tongue. The classes on the language will be taught by homemakers who are well-versed in the language. For classes on rituals, guest lecturers from within the district will be appointed,” he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / January 30th, 2023
