Topic started by Sukdev (@ sbproxy1.mystarhub.com.sg) on Sun Sep 28 21:27:49 .
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http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/education/story/0,1870,184201,00.html


Not Indians, but Tamil is no problem for them
Growing numbers of NUS undergrads are taking up a non-compulsory course in Tamil

By M Nirmala

THEY speak Tamil and some even stun their teacher with beautiful handwritten essays in the language.

These students are not Indians but they are studying Tamil as a non-compulsory course offered by the National University of Singapore (NUS).

A total of 274 undergraduates have taken or are currently undergoing this course.

It had a modest start of 22 pioneer students in 1999. Last year, 47 students signed up for the course.

The two-semester course, which lasts more than eight months and is conducted at the Centre for Language Studies, helps the undergraduates reach the oral and written proficiency of Primary 3 level Tamil.

At that level, many are able to read Tamil newspaper articles, write simple letters and speak Tamil.

Some undergraduates who have signed up said that they have had to overcome initial scepticism from some family members and their own anxiety about not being able to cope.

Miss Yvonne Tay, 21, a final-year science student, went ahead even though her parents, a lawyer and a housewife, were puzzled by her decision. 'They asked why I chose to learn Tamil,' she said.

Her reply: She wants to speak to her Tamil-speaking friends in their mother tongue.

An interest in learning new languages made Mr Kenneth Tan, 25, a final-year mechanical engineering student, study Malay first and then Tamil in NUS. 'Tamil is a lot more difficult than Malay but I manage by asking my Indian friends for help,' he said.

Miss Cynthia Khoo, 20, a social work student, believes that the language will help her be a better social worker after she graduates.

In addition to the weekly Tamil lessons, she brushes up on the language by watching Tamil television programmes and borrowing Tamil books from the children's section at the National Library.

Students who were interviewed said that strangers are often surprised when they learn of their Tamil language skills.

Miss Marlin Halim, 23, a final-year science student, recalled that on one occasion when she was going through her Tamil notes during a bus ride, a Chinese man behind her tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she could really speak Tamil.

'He kept asking me if I was telling the truth. It was hilarious,' she said.

Their lecturer, Dr S. Thinnappan, 67, is pleased with his students' progress.

Apart from classroom lessons, he invites them home for dinner and organises outings to Little India so that they can practise speaking Tamil.

Commenting on the growing interest in learning Tamil, Mr M. Harikrishnan, president of the Tamil Language and Cultural Society, said that it is a healthy development, because just as Indians are picking up Chinese, many Chinese students are showing an interest in Tamil.

'This is good sign for better understanding among the races,' he said.

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Sunny (@ ppp-219.65.96.208.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Thu Nov 20 22:38:46 EST 2003
  
  Peter Porter when did you become christian , join idiappam in selling idlis to divines.
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 1cust114.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Thu Nov 20 23:20:31 EST 2003
  
  >>I guessed so much, your intellect is limited - to about that of a dog!
  
  Dogs all over the world are protesting at this insult!
  
  
• From: varad (@ 66.36.249.149) on: Thu Nov 20 23:55:35 EST 2003
  
  Bikinis are suitable for Tamilians provided those girls are with Telugus or non-Tamilians other wise these guys will burn in envy.
  
  I think Tamil culture is in need of major revamp by adopting bikini and pasta culture. May be that way their future generation can be saved or shaved.
  
  But there are no better dogs than Tamilians
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 1cust185.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Fri Nov 21 20:22:13 EST 2003
  
  >>But there are no better dogs than Tamilians
  
  I thought Telugus are the best dogs. What happened ? Have you guys aligned yourself with donkeys recently?
  
  
  
• From: jk (@ 61.1.201.84) on: Sat Nov 22 02:12:37 EST 2003
  
  I believe dogs have more pathetic life. Specially the street barking dogs are more vulnerable to diseases and more pangs in life.
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 1cust249.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Sat Nov 22 12:11:44 EST 2003
  
  Some dogs live a royal life that even humans envy. But no donkey in the history of world ever had that privilege.
  
  
• From: sunny (@ ppp-219.65.96.87.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Mon Nov 24 03:41:50 EST 2003
  
  But dogs always die a bad death
  
  
• From: Idiappam (@ cache138.156ce.maxonline.com.sg) on: Mon Nov 24 08:09:07 EST 2003
  
  //But dogs always die a bad death//
  
  And some, like sunny, will always live a low life!
  
  
• From: Idiappam is dumb idiot (@ 66.36.249.149) on: Mon Nov 24 14:37:29 EST 2003
  
  Loongi Lions are great, Now I have a discussion between three coward lions as follows:
  
  Idiappam: Tell me are we topping the world in silk sarees?
  
  Miami: Yes yes, lah, I say you say lah, We Tamilians are best people to use highest number of sarees, though our blouses and petticoat concepts were imported from North.
  
  Sidha: No idiappam we are still #1 in the world when it comes to having sex many times a day that is why we guys top the chart in HIV infection.
  
  Miami: So what this is our contribution to world and we must be proud i say lah. We can can do so many things with our half baked language lah.
  
  
  idiappam: hey lavde kabal, our food is best I say lah, Our protein filled Idlis are creating wonders and doing havoc in worldu scene lah. and our divine langauge which is taking us to Nirvana.
  We Damizhians are best people and next to god.
  
  Sidha: more over we top the worlthu in choftvare
  with pake dhegrees and pake gommunity certipigate lah.. Let us go to Tamilnadu village and become more divine lah by getting a backward certipigate to top the world lah in job market lah.
  
  We can can beat the world lah.
  
  Tamilian1: we dhamizhilans will rule the world lah. we will be the first people to climb mars, pluto , jupiter and many unknown planets lah.
  
  Tanmilian 2: we can also add 2+2 lah, we are great lah.. he...
  
  it will be continued on demand , please appreciate the divine , nonplgarized self fart. I request all my brothers and sisters(future wives) to believe we Tamiliaans
  
  
  
  
• From: Idiappam (@ cache138.156ce.maxonline.com.sg) on: Mon Nov 24 14:57:56 EST 2003
  
  Sunnys are toping the world in writing crap in forums!
  
  
• From: lah, lahh.. wah..wah... sunny (@ ppp-219.65.96.244.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Mon Nov 24 15:47:30 EST 2003
  
  okay lah.
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 1cust129.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Mon Nov 24 20:27:32 EST 2003
  
  >>But dogs always die a bad death
  
  In your dreams.
  
  
• From: sunny (@ ppp-219.65.98.227.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Tue Nov 25 00:07:38 EST 2003
  
  So dog die dog's death in dream also, this is another added qualification and gift to divinity of dravidians.
  
  
• From: ramasamy (@ 216.127.82.98) on: Tue Nov 25 00:38:19 EST 2003
  
  Backward Tamilians are pain in neck even in Andhra's
  top city Hyderabad. They want to beg, steal and do all sort of crimes when not employed.
  
  
• From: naidu (@ cm6.gamma188.maxonline.com.sg) on: Wed Nov 26 07:12:32 EST 2003
  
  i'm a telugu in singapore,my great grand parents came to singapore and all of them married in the same caste.anyway i'm a naidu.we forgot about telugu because of the large tamil community in singapore.now i'm trying to learn telugu by myself and i'm learning tamil in school.tamil is so easy but i hate that language.tamils are usually very dark
  
  
• From: Idiappam (@ cache138.156ce.maxonline.com.sg) on: Wed Nov 26 08:21:35 EST 2003
  
  Naidu saidL
  //tamil is so easy but i hate that language.tamils are usually very dark but are mostly bright!//
  
  Thanks!
  
  
  
• From: sunny (@ ppp-219.65.97.159.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Fri Nov 28 02:52:43 EST 2003
  
  Self fart is always better than perfume. How tamil has become bright specially when it is only tribal langauge and spoken by illetrate backwards.
  
  
• From: ramasamy (@ 216.127.82.99) on: Fri Nov 28 08:44:10 EST 2003
  
  Tamils are bright? i doubt, first learn to wear loongi properly and use condoms to avoid further HIV
  infection all over state.
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 1cust57.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Fri Nov 28 22:51:01 EST 2003
  
  sunny, ramasamy and varad are the most intelligent people I have met so far in FH, (next to Tony azhagan. otherwise, tony will get mad!) Their depth of knowledge in farting and loongi just amazes me. They are walking encyclopeadias in these subject matters!
  
  
• From: rosh (@ 220.226.29.160) on: Sat Nov 29 06:18:39 EST 2003
  
  miami is another great loongi lion and loongi pulling fighter.
  
  
• From: tamilian (@ 66.98.130.76) on: Sat Nov 29 08:06:24 EST 2003
  
  Miami madherchod ki gand mei ghode ka lund.
  chutiya ka bachha, come out , how i punch your face with one blow. You motha fu*cking loongi lions needs to be castrated with your balls bleeding.
  
  
• From: Miami (@ 1cust39.tnt1.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Sun Nov 30 11:47:00 EST 2003
  
  sunny, ramasamy and varad and
  rosh(@ 220.226.29.160) and
  tamilian (@ 66.98.130.76)
  are the most intelligent people I have met so far in FH, (next to Tony azhagan. otherwise, tony will get mad!) Their depth of knowledge in farting and loongi just amazes me. They are walking encyclopeadias in these subject matters!
  
  
• From: Tamilian (@ ppp-219.65.96.231.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Mon Dec 1 15:45:06 EST 2003
  
  Loongi lions are fighting hard to keep their dik up.
  
  

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