Kerala University unveils tribal language primer to aid indigenous education

New Indian Express

5 days ago

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The same word — or minor variations of it — can hold different meanings for different people. The word 'kara' can conjure up images of 'land' in the minds of a Malayali. But imagine speaking the same word to a person from the Irula community, for whom the term 'karae' means 'water'. The variance becomes pronounced when students are made to learn words that convey another meaning in their native tongue.
To combat this issue and support the primary education of tribal children, the Centre for Endangered Languages of Kerala (CELK), under the University of Kerala, is set to release a primer for three tribal languages — Irula, Muduga, and Kurumba. CELK plans to launch the elementary book— the result of close to three years of tedious effort — this month.
'The loss of a language means the loss of a culture,' said CELK co-ordinator S Prema. She said the primer will serve as a reference book for primary students. Divided into sections such as relations, animals, etc., each word is listed in its Irula, Muduga, Kurumba, Malayalam, Tamil and English versions, along with corresponding images.
'A simple listing of words and their translation may not have the desired impact. A book must be attractive in the first place,' Prema said, adding that the primer was prepared as part of a state-funded project. However, it will require more government procedures, including SCERT approval, for the book to reach the hands of children, she said.
As part of its compilation, the CELK team travelled to tribal settlements and engaged with residents, to better understand their languages. The team would show community members objects or images to gather what they were called in the corresponding languages. 'Not all communities were open to us in the beginning. Active engagement ensured that the team was treated like family on subsequent visits,' Prema added.