How to learn to speak and write in the Kannada language?

Kannada was designated as a classical language in 2008, and it is thought to be at least 2500 years old, making it India’s third oldest language after Sanskrit and Tamil. Kannada is one of India’s 22 official languages as well as 14 regional languages. Kannada is spoken in around 20 dialects (Ethnologue). They’re usually divided into three categories: northern, southern, and central. The nearby languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and others, have influenced many of the dialects.

In terms of phonology, syntax, and lexicon, there is a significant contrast between the spoken and written versions of the language. There are several regional dialects of Kannada spoken, but the written version is relatively standardised. There are also a variety of social groups based on caste or social status. Brahmin, non-Brahmin, and Untouchable are the three dialects of colloquial Kannada, dependent on social origin. The normal, or prestigious, variety is built on the Mysore-Bangalore area’s middle-class, educated Brahmin dialect. 

Speaking Kannada

Starting with the basics

All but one vowel in the Mysore dialect of Kannada has 15 vowel phonemes, i.e., sounds that change the meaning of words, and a significant number of consonant phonemes, i.e., sounds that change the meaning of words. The consonant system is distinguished by the fact that it contains a variety of Indo-Aryan features in addition to a Dravidian inventory. Kannada is a heavily inflected language with a syntax that resembles Tamil. It is agglutinative, like other Dravidian languages, meaning that suffixes are attached to stems to create new words and convey different grammatical relationships. As a result, long terms like Shivatatvaratnakara, the name of the world’s first encyclopaedia, will emerge. Kannada uses postpositions to denote time, place, instrumentality, and other things at the end of noun sentences, typically after a case marker. In terms of function and context, postpositions are similar to prepositions in other languages. Verbs agree with their subjects in person, number, and gender. 

Learn to count. Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language. 

Memorize simple vocabulary. The wider the vocabulary you have at your disposal, the easier it is to speak a language fluently. Familiarize yourself with as many simple, everyday Kannada words and phrases as possible to help you start your first conversation.

Learn via the Immersion approach. Attach little Kannada labels to objects in your house. This way, you’ll remember the words better by associating them with the object directly rather than translating them from English to Kannada!

Study the basic grammar. In order to speak any language correctly, it is necessary to study the grammar particular to that language. Kannada grammar can appear quite daunting initially but once you get the hang of the grammar you’ll find that Kannada is a very direct and expressive language! Read through the noun, verbs thoroughly.

Don’t be discouraged! Learning a new language takes time and practice. It won’t happen overnight. 

Find a native speaker. One of the best ways to improve your new language skills is to practice speaking with a native speaker, who will be able to correct any grammar or pronunciation mistakes and can introduce you to more informal or colloquial forms of speech that you won’t find in a textbook. Find a native Kannada speaker in and around your neighbourhood you could also look for one online on websites such as Hello Talk, Tandem, Languagepartners, Conversationpartners Italki etcetera.

Consider signing up for a language course. If you are serious language learners and wish to take it a step ahead into formally learning Kannada I suggest you sign up for a language course online or offline.

Watch Kannada TV, Talkshows, Movies, and videos. You can watch movies on some Kannada DVDs (with subtitles), watch Kannada cartoons online, or search YouTube for Kannada-speaking YouTubers. This is an easy, entertaining way to get a feel for the sound and structure of the Kannada language.

Learn to Write Kannada 

1.Learn the Kadamba Script.

Kannada uses the Kannada Script, which evolved from the 5th-century Kadamba script.

2. Learn to pronounce the letters yourself.

The best way to memorize letters is to first learn to pronounce them. Forming the letters in your mind and writing them without having a reference set in front of you, is the only way to learn to write Kannada on your own. 

Learn Kannada writing.

1. Writing – You now need to learn an entire script—Kannada. A few Kannada worksheets is really all you need for this step. 

2. Typing

Learning to type in Kannada is essential for business purposes, finding Kannada videos and other content. Memorize where Kannada letters are placed on a keyboard and then work on your skills.

Attempt online Kannada writing exercises.

Look for relevant and reliable online Kannada exercises that can help you improve your writing skills. These can include quizzes that test your knowledge of the Kannada alphabet, games where you can write in answers or anything else that gets you writing.

 

Kannada is one of the 22 official languages and 14 regional languages of India. The number of Kannada online users is expected to grow to 25 million by 2021.  There are about 20 spoken dialects of Kannada (Ethnologue). They are usually grouped into three major groups: Northern, Southern, and Central. It is one of the scheduled languages of India and the official and administrative language of the state of Karnataka, the most for any Dravidian language and the second-highest for any Indian language. All the dialects are influenced by the neighbouring languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and others.  Kannada has an unbroken literary history of over a thousand years.

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