In an effort to encourage students learn Tamil easily and passionately, Karky Tamil Academy has launched Thambaa Tamil Labs. Students can now engage in hands-on learning of the language through songs and games.

Developed by lyricist Madhan Karky and translator Nandini Karky, the labs consist of 16 levels of language proficiency, helping not just students but also teachers and researchers to have a better grasp of the language.

The duo had been developing and running tools for the public such as a Tamil dictionary and rhyme finder. “In the last four years, we started to teach Tamil through our tool, Payil, in other countries. We wanted something more hands-on to [help people] learn the language and developed a curriculum for students and professionals,” said Mr. Madhan.

Stating that the reason for students to learn Tamil should be the future not the past, he said: “So we mapped out the career paths — such as proofreading and sports commentary — that those proficient in Tamil can choose, so that children are aware of the opportunities that come with learning the language.”

Thambaa labs comprises six modules — Nooli (books), Karuvi (tools), Aadal (games), Paadal (songs), Payil (courses) and Aazhi (tests). It takes the learner through a variety of games and lessons to fully grasp a concept. “While you can select each one to attend to a specific need, you can also learn a specific concept, such as tense or grammar, through a game,” Mr. Madhan adds, while playing a game in Aadal to choose the right tense.

Recalling the translation of the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, Nandini said: “The Tamil language had beautifully compared the geography of India and Tamil Nadu to a woman and her bindi. Something that we sing every day but whose meaning we fail to grasp,” she said.

One can also choose to go via Nooli, where through a book, the learner goes through the five other modules to better understand the concept.

All the books, songs and games are developed by the Karky Tamil Academy. They plan to create 260 songs, 1600 books and 60 games. They will also introduce short podcasts on grammar and other topics.

The labs have been taken up by nine schools across Tamil Nadu — six in Madurai, two in Chennai and one in Erode.

“Additionally, the experience for the learner is also tweaked as per requirement. If they want to do better in reading or grammar, the algorithm picks up on that and caters to their needs,” added Mr. Madhan.

Under Karuvi, there are tools to find synonyms for a word, find a Tirukkural on the number or topic, and rhymes for a word. “We want to help students learn Tamil with passion,” said Ms. Nandini.