Topic of Interest : How do we further increase the quantity and quality of tertiary level Tamil language education opportunities ?
CASE STUDY : BA Tamil Language and Literature , UniSIM
Objectives Target Audience
• This degree programme caters to the needs of adults who aspire to enhance their competence and knowledge levels in Tamil language and literature .
• The language courses enhance students ' understanding of linguistic concepts and language discourse from a functional grammar perspective .
• The literature courses offer an insight into a range of literary genres , periods and styles
Modules
• Listed below are some of the modules part of the BA course :
• Modern Literature
• This course comprises of modern poetry , prose , short stories , novel , and drama .
• Though the major portion of it is from Tamil Nadu , about 20 % of it includes Singapore & Malaysian modern literature .
• Translation - Theory and Practice
• This particular course has been developed locally to provide sufficient skills in translation work from Tamil to English and vice versa .
• Living in a multilingual country where English is the working language , translation skills are very important .
• Going through this course will make one very versatile in two languages .
• History of Tamil Literature
• This course traces the development of Tamil literature from the Classical period to modern period .
• It provides sufficient information and an in-depth knowledge on the various forms of literature at different period of history .
• Besides it also provides the rationale for the changes in literary forms .
• Sangam Classical Literature
• Keeping in mind the long history of the Tamil literature , the ancient Tamils had their own pattern of religious and social institutions , language and literature .
• The early literature in this period is characterised by an array of literary forms .
• The poetry of this period is all simple blank verse in chaste classic style devoid of rhetorical flourishes .
• The descriptions of events and scenery are all faithful and true to nature .
• Modern Tamil Poetry
• This course covers the growth of poetry in the 20th and 21st centuries , from the conventional to the modern , such as Haiku , Centriu and Kuku .
• ‘ Puthukkavithai ’ or a new poetry is another from which can be easily understood by anyone . The course also covers contemporary poems such as feminist poems and Dahlit ’ s poems .
• This programme is meant for anyone who have passion for the language irrespective of their career background .
• Particularly those who have no degree specialising in Tamil but work in Tamil related area such as Tamil language teachers , court interpreters , and broadcasters can upgrade their academic qualifications through this degree programme .
Career Prospects
• Degree holders will be able to engage in Tamil language teaching in pre-primary , primary , secondary , and junior colleges .
• They can also advance their careers in broadcasting or in the courts and Parliament as interpreters .
Strengths of the programme
According to Ms . Umayal ( part of the pioneer batch of students who took up the programme ):
• It was the only Tamil undergraduate degree progamme back when it was implemented
• Tamil teachers had to go to India to study Tamil at an undergraduate level before the implementation of this degree programme .
• Hence with the implementation of this degree , teachers could study at Singapore itself making it way easier .
• Flexibility of the programme
• The course administrators and namely Dr Shanmugam K understood that the students are working professionals and that they might not be able to attend all the lessons . Hence all the materials were nicely organised , compiled and given to the students .
• This made the course manageable as well .
• Relevance of the content
• The content was a perfect marriage between the historical aspects of Tamil and elements specific to Singapore .
• For example , there are translation modules which are both interesting and functionally relevant to students .
• Diversity of students
• This programme attracts students from various backgrounds – Tamil teachers , migrants from India , professionals from Tami broadcast sectors .
• This allowed varied opinions to surface in discussions making the lessons interesting .
Areas for improvement in the programme
• Part-time programme
• Students were unable to cover much depth in the courses .
• A full time-programme would have delved more deeply into the content
• The course is a tad competitive as well .
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