Tips and Tricks to Learn Kannada for Global Communication

Kannada is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in the southwestern region of India. The language is also spoken by linguistic minorities in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Goa; and also by Kannadigas abroad. The language had roughly 43 million native speakers by 2011. Kannada is also spoken as a second and third language by over 12.9 million non-native speakers in Karnataka, which adds up to 56.9 million speakers. It is one of the scheduled languages of India and the official and administrative language of the state of Karnataka. Kannada was the court language of some of the most powerful empires of South and Central India, such as the Chalukya dynasty, the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the Vijayanagara Empire and the Hoysala Empire.

The simplest way to learn any language is to be consistent and dedicated to studying and practicing that language. Learning Kannada is not an easy task. Even it is difficult for people who already know Hindi. It is very different from Hindi. It has a totally different script, vocabulary and grammar. However, not to worry, Kannada can be learned easily with your dedication and effort. The first step to learning a language is always to start with the basics. Start with the alphabets, move on to vocabulary, grammar and so on. 

Besides learning the basics, here are some tips and tricks that you can use to improve your Kannada effectively for global communication. 

• Start practising some basic sentences in Kannada right away!
  Learning a new set of alphabets/scripts is going to take time. Most of the foreigners or Kannada learners that I know had started with memorizing and understanding basic sentences in Kannada – such as Nanna hesaru rāhul. Nānu mumbainalliyē iruttēne. (My name is Rahul. I stay in Mumbai). Since you don’t know the Kannada script yet, write down the pronunciation of sentences in your mother tongue or the Roman script.
• Learn phrases that are in practical and daily use first
  An online course to learn spoken Kannada using examples and phrases from real-life situations. A curriculum specially crafted for foreigners, travellers, ex-pats, and Kannada language learning enthusiasts!
  You absolutely don’t need to jump straight to grammar to speak a language. Of course, some grammar is necessary but the more you speak in Kannada without translating sentences in your mind, quicker the process will be. Once you are confident about basic phrases and daily use sentences, then move to grammar and learning the Devanagari script.
• Learn Basic Grammar
  Till this point, you should be comfortable having a conversation in basic Kannada. It’s a good time to move towards grammar and correct your conceptions about sentence construction. You can use any good Kannada learning book for this or if you can find a tutor that will be great.
• Vocabulary and flash-cards
  Without vocabulary, your speaking will remain limited. Learning new words will enrich your language skill. Find and note down new words. If possible use a flashcard or an app that has a flashcard feature to remember new words.

• Make mistakes!
  Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Children learn a language quickly as they are not concerned if they make a mistake. Anyway, people will love it if you make an effort to learn their language and embrace their culture. Mistakes will help you reach to the next level!
• Practice, practice, practice!
  Can’t stress enough this point. Practice even if you are making mistakes. If possible find a native speaker of Kannada tutor and try to speak Kannada with that person.
• Listen to Kannada songs and movies Many of the Kannada songs and movies are famous and popular. Listen to Kannada songs while looking at the lyrics of the songs. After a little while, you will able to hum the songs without the lyrics. Listening to Kannada songs will improve your Kannada vocabulary as well as help you to pronounce Kannada words correctly. It is will also make it easier to memorize the words in the lyrics and use them later in a conversation. We can also learn many things while watching a movie. It can be regarded as one of the most fun and effective ways of learning. While watching a movie, you will take the help of subtitles to understand the dialogue. And with the help of subtitles, you will be able to understand the conversations in the movies. Once you have become a little familiar with the Kannada vocabulary try watching the movies without subtitles. Check how much can you understand without the help of subtitles. This is one of the easiest tricks to improve your Kannada effectively.
• Tune into radio channels or listen to Podcasts There are several radio channels and podcasts in Kannada. You can tune in to these channels and make use of these audio resources. There are also many apps that can be of great use in learning Kannada. These apps come for all stages of learning the language, beginners, intermediate and advanced. With the help of these apps, you can practice speaking and writing. There are several exercises which are very fun and which will definitely improve you in speaking and writing Kannada.

These are a few of the tips and tricks that can help you with global communication in Kannada. Try all the tips and tricks. You will find out which one among them is the most effective for you. Give more emphasis on that particular trick. Be consistent in practising. And within a very short period of time, you will find yourself to be able to have any conversations in Kannada very easily.

All the best.