All Malayali parents in Australia can probably relate to the following scenario. When your kids’ grandparents call from Kerala and ask them a simple question in Malayalam, and your kid looks at you expecting an explanation. Of course, it doesn't make you look bad. However, this episode does not easily leave you.

The positive thing about today's Australia is that there are enough Malayali families and thus there is a sufficient demand, which gives you plenty of choices. What is not easy is choosing the right tutor. And the challenge here is that not everyone can teach a kid who speaks only English to understand, write,and speak Malayalam. This checklist will help you to do this.

Why is a perfect Malayalam Tutor Essential?

One's native language isn't something that one learns in the same manner as one would learn a new hobby. One acquires one's native language through systematic exposure to it, and that is precisely what children in Australia lack since they are exposed to English all around them at schools, playgrounds, and sometimes even at home. A competent tutor is someone who not only teaches vocabulary to the students but also instills in them the habit of thinking in Malayalam so that ultimately the students speak the language instinctively without forcing them.

That is also the reason why a beginner Malayalam learning class online is more suitable for most Australian families than trying to teach it yourself after picking up the kid from school and making important business calls.

What to Look for in a Malayalam Tutor? A Parents Checklist

1. A Structured, Age-Appropriate Curriculum

Find out whether there is a genuine learning path or just a haphazard bunch of worksheets. What will be used to teach a five-year-old will be totally different from what will be taught to an eleven-year-old who can speak Malayalam very well but doesn't know how to read any letters at all. The typical Malayalam classes for children follow a certain level system that teaches the alphabet to reading and writing skills to conversing independently. Any tutor who cannot outline this is probably a bad choice.

2. Look for Real Time Classes – Don’t Go for Recorded Classes

Recorded lessons might serve well as an adjunct, but they cannot help your child improve their pronunciation in real time or recognize if the child has silently tuned out. The live lessons with an actual tutor provide the give-and-take aspect that language learning entails – your child pronounces a particular sound, the tutor listens to it and helps correct the mistake without wasting much time. This is crucial in the case of Malayalam because it has unique sounds not present in English.

3. Look for Expertise in Teaching Malayali Kids Abroad

The actual gap between teaching Malayalam language to the kid in Kerala and that of a kid living in Melbourne or Sydney in an environment full of English cannot be compared. The tutor familiar with the diaspora in Australia will know the particular weaknesses of the child and teach according to that rather than applying a generic approach.

4. Flexible Scheduling Around the Australian School Year

There isn’t much free time left due to Australian terminologies, holidays, and other extracurricular activities. It would be wise to confirm if lessons could be scheduled in accordance with school timings and time zones prior to the enrollment of your kid. Being inflexible with scheduling classes during exam or term breaks is one of the most frequent reasons why people give up on taking language classes within two months.

5. Interactive & engaging Classes

Children are quick to lose interest in lessons if they seem to be boring lectures. You need to know if the classes involve playing, storytelling, singing, and socializing, as these aspects will ensure that your child continues to be interested rather than bored. Your tutor should make your child come again for their next class.

6. Clear Progress Tracking

You will be able to clearly visualize your child’s progress, not just be told "They are doing fine." Do check whether there are any periodic assessments, sample readings, or other measurable points that indicate the development of your child. It also lets you know when you need to advance your child to a new level.

Akshharam Brings It All Together

The selection of a Malayalam tutor for your kid does not mean getting an inexpensive service or the first result you find online. The right program should consist of a balanced structure, live instruction and lots of experience in teaching kids whose home is far away from Kerala, as all these factors can take your child from being unsure of himself/herself to the fluency of reading, writing and speaking.

This is what we have developed at Akshharam. Our level-based, live Malayalam classes for children have been created with the aim of teaching Malayali kids, living in other countries, with flexible schedules adjusted to the calendar of Australian schools and experienced tutors aware of difficulties faced by your child. In case your child has only begun learning the alphabet of Malayalam or already wants to conduct a conversation in Malayalam, then our beginner Malayalam learning classes online will be helpful to your child. Are you willing to let your child make connections with his/her mother tongue? Have a look at our learning modules or join us now and sign up for a convenient class!