Mispronunciations are common while speaking Malayalam even among adults so there’s nothing special when coming to kids. It’s a fact that it drains our kid’s confidence while speaking because someone hearing them will raise their eyebrows and starts to correct them by saying it’s not like this and it’s like that. Probably that will adversely affect your child’s interest in the language. So, as parents’ try to guide them from the first step onwards, because they can pronounce a word correctly only if they can pronounce the letters in the right way, as you all know letters are the building blocks of every language.

Reading and writing are normal courses while coming to languages, of course it will help them in learning but in case of Malayalam we have to be more concentrated. Malayalam being a dynamic language with tricky letters, signs and unusual word combinations relative to English, pronunciation of each word counts here. Same words have different meaning when stressed on different syllables and also even a neglectable error in pronunciation can change the whole meaning of the word. So, along with learning the script you must ensure your kids also gives out the correct pronunciation. For this make them read aloud, initially it could make them a bit eerie but over time they will get used to it and possibly starts liking it. In Akshharam we proceed like that from scratch and we will make your child slowly savour the sweetness of Malayalam.

What happens when they read aloud?

Malayalam has a lot of letter combinations (koottaksharam)and letters which need to be stressed while saying (chillaksharam). And letters have multiple forms which differ in sounding. It will be incorrect if they use ‘ല’ instead of ‘ല്ല’ – ഇല്ല (No) becomes ഇല (leaf). Reading aloud acts as a muscle memory that is like their tongue gets training for getting seasoned accordingly to the language.

We can use the letter ‘ഴ’ as an example for that it is mispronounced as ‘യ’ even by adults, the words ‘മഴ’ and ‘പുഴ’ are often pronounced as ‘മയ’ and ‘പുയ’. This will be more or less due to the complexity of that specific letter because, to pronounce it correctly the tongue needs to be twisted in a specific formation and for that our kids need practice. Make them read louder as they can so their voice itself gets registered in their brain. If they read silently on even in low sound, you or the teachers or even the kid itself never notices it and they repeat the mistake. Sometimes we only ask them about what a specific word means and if they answer it correctly, we appreciate them and move on to the next, but it should not be like that in the case of Malayalam because here pronunciation and sounding matters.

• Give them a word, tell them how to write and make them write it a couple of times
• Make them read it aloud multiple times
• Gives another word with similar usages and tell them to read
• If they make any error make them say it till, they correct the pronunciation.

Improves reading speed and accuracy

Many kids will struggle with the eye to voice coordination during the learning process. Usually, the eyes follow the voice while reading, a larger eye voice span leads to faster reading. Reading aloud helps them in correcting their pronunciation, sounding and also in -

• Recognition of words and letters within no time
• Acquiring the skill of reading in even pace without breaking of sentences
• Enhanced eye-voice coordination

Giving them what they want

The thing which your kid need is to be served according to their need and not the other way. Know their interest, if they are into comic books, fairy tales, short stories or poems or anything it is deliver them. Initially try to give them books with colourful pictures so that it will attract them. If you give them a book for learning basic Malayalam letters and if there is picture of an elephant with a text below it as ‘ആന’ they will have a curiosity to know it and will ask their parents about it and you can teach them how to read and pronounce it. Make them say it for a couple of times and surely it will get registered in their mind.

The next time when they see an elephant passing by Infront of your ancestral house in Kerala they’ll at least say “look amma there goes an ആന”. It’s how Malayalam is to be taught, step by step, so it’ll be in them forever. For that type of learning process, you can utilize the online Malayalam classes for kids.

Inevitable role of parents

• Sit with them while they are reading
• As parents you could also try to speak aloud while talking to them, so that they can learn from your talks if they can understand it word by word.
• Try to avoid colloquial slangs, chances are high that the kids will get misled.
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Let them speak Malayalam with utmost confidence. If they show keen interest in learning enrol them for a Malayalam language communication class online.

In most of the families abroad both of the parents will be working and it will be a rigorous task for you to teach your children in between your hectic schedule, for such parents we are here. Akshharam focus on step-by-step approach, literally from scratch a bottom to top approach. We will take the letters from this screen to their lovely hearts.