Is it easy to learn Kannada if you speak English?

Kannada, also known as Kanarese is a Dravidian language. It is one of the 23-official languages of India and the official language of the state of Karnataka in South India. Predominantly spoken in Karnataka, it is also spoken by the bordering states of Karnataka. The government of India granted classical language status to this language in the year 2008. Now let us try to answer our question of whether it is easy to learn Kannada if you speak English.

Well, this would definitely depend on the individual learning ability. For English speakers, it may not be a very easy language to learn, however, it need not be difficult as well. It is important to understand the areas on which you need to focus to be able to learn the language better. If you are looking to learn kannada for conversational purposes, you can probably skip the script and reading during your initial learning phase. Start with basic greetings. Like many languages, the greetings are time-specific. Or a simple Namaskara would allow you to greet anyone without worrying about the time of the day.  Greetings can be learned along with parting phrases for better reliability. Also, learning some basic questions and their answers would help in a basic conversation for beginners. Practicing basic conversational phrases that are used when introducing yourself, talking to a cab driver, asking for help or talking to domestic help can all be useful in engaging in a small yet meaningful conversation and be a stepping stone to further learning.

When you are learning a new language, it is always a good idea to start with polite phrases as these show that you respect the language and the people who speak it. Also, this helps you overcome the language barrier to a certain extent and find help from local speakers easily.

Once you are able to make a simple and engaging conversation, you can slowly focus on learning how to write and read along with spoken Kannada. Learning the alphabet may be possible in a week’s time depending on your practice. This would help you learn the pronunciation in a proper way.

Unlike English, the nouns in Kannada are gendered. They are masculine, feminine or neutral. Also, the verb conjugations are different in English. The verbs do not have an infinitive form like English, but have a verb stem that is used in verb conjugations. These might sound overwhelming or very difficult initially, but once you get the hang of it learn the tricks of the language, you can easily learn the language even if you speak English. Technology has made it possible to learn a new language from the comfort of your home anytime now. There are apps that help you practice a language through fun, easy and engaging content in the form of games and quizzes or simple exercises.  You can also join an online class where you get an opportunity to learn from a teacher directly.