Penn Language Center and South Asia Regional Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Course: SARS 230-680

Meeting time: M 5PM to 7:00 PM - 633 Williams Hall

Wed 5PM to 7:00 PM - 741 Williams Hall

Instructor: Dr. Vasu Renganathan

Books and Software for the course:

1) HyperCard Tamil learning software by Vasu Renganathan

2) MULTILANG Windows software by Vasu Renganathan

3) WALTT (Tamil learning Web site)

4) Tamil for beginners Part I and II by Kausalya Hart (Required)

5) A basic Tamil Reader and Grammar (by Paramasivam and Lindholm) (optional)

This course is meant for beginners of Tamil who do not have any background in Tamil prior to taking this course. Instruction for this course include teaching both the writing and spoken system. An assignment will be due on every Monday, and a quiz will be held once in two weeks (on every other Wednesdays). There will be a midterm and final examination. Grade is issued based on the following:

Attendance - 5%, assignments - 10 %, Quizzes - 15 %, midterm - 30 % and final - 40 %.

Week of September 9: (Class day: 9th)

Class work: a) Introduction to Tamil Language, b) Introduction to writing system, c) Tamil vowels d) Tamil consonants, d) Visiting the computing lab at 441 Williams Hall.

Homework: Assignment No. 1. - Writing Tamil vowels and consonants

Reading for next week: WALT homepage: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/tamilweb/mkletter.html, saylet.html, framesyll.html and HyperCard software: lessons 1 and 2)

Week of September 14 to 20 (Class days: 14th and 16th)

Class work: a) Making syllables in Tamil, b) Practice writing syllables, c) Making words and d) Pronunciation of Tamil words - reading words

Homework: Assignment No. 2 - Writing syllables and making words

Reading for next week: WALT page: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/tamilweb/lessons/lesson1.html, Reading on Sandhi rules will be provided.

Week of September 21 to 27 (Class days: 21st and 23rd)

Class work: a) Pronunciation of Tamil words contd., b) Making noun-noun sentences, c) Making interrogative questions versus information seeking questions and d) practice sandhi rules

Wednesday Quiz (23rd): (45 minutes) covering writing vowels, consonants and making simple words and simple sentences

Assignment: Writing words, translating simple sentences with noun-noun construction

Reading: Sandhi Rules, Interrogative questions, Information seeking question and negative markers

Week of September 28th to 30th (Class days 28th and 30th)

Class work: a) Sandhi rules, b) Use of case suffixes, c) Introducing the use of verbs and d) use of tense markers (present tense)

Assignment: Combination of words and vowels, translating a reading passage

Reading: Reading - 1 from the reader