Remember, it's never too late to register for a class, even after it's begun. You can always catch up with any sessions you may have missed by watching the video recordings of previous sessions. The time remaining to register before the first class session is below, so stop hesitating and get to it!
Please note that this course is a Zoom only course and there is no in-person component.
• Term 1 (Feb-Apr) and Term 3 (Jul-Sep) each year pending sufficient enrolment.
• This course is offered live-streamed via Zoom, and as video recordings of the live sessions if you cannot attend the regularly scheduled class.
Begins Saturday 3 August 2024
• Our 2024 Term 3 Tamil 101 course meets on Saturdays from 6:00-7:00 pm beginning on Saturday 3 August 2024 (New Zealand time) and continues for eight consecutive weekly sessions. The last class of the Term is held on Saturday 21 Sep 2024.
• If you live outside of New Zealand and wish to Zoom in to our live class sessions, check the nearest local Time Zone equivalent below:
for live-streaming Zoom Sessions from New Zealand. If your Time Zone doesn't suit our live-streamed class, you can also access our courses by watching the live-recorded sessions that are posted to the course webpage each week, usually the next day.
Honolulu, Hawai'i: begins Fri 2 Aug 2024, 8:00-9:00 pm
US Pacific: begins Fri 2 Aug 2024, 11:00 pm-12:00 am
US Eastern: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 2:00-3:00 am
London, UK: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 7:00-8:00 am
Paris, France: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 8:00-9:00 am
New Delhi, India: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 11:30 am- 12:30 pm
Bangkok, Thailand: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 1:00-2:00 pm
Singapore: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 2:00 -3:00 pm
Tokyo, Japan: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 3:00-4:00 pm
Sydney, Australia: begins Sat 3 Aug 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm
Tamil 101, Part 1 - 2024 Term 1
• This is Part 1 of a four-part Introductory course taught over 4 successive school terms (take as few or as many as you’d like!) specifically designed for beginning Tamil learners who have who have no oprevious exeperience reading or speaking Tamil. All of our language programmes focus on acquiring reading and conversational skills, and learning about local culture. Our courses are designed for busy people: we do not expect you to study outside of class, nor do we assign homework (unless you’d like some!). Come and spend 12 class hours per Term (eight 1.5 hour weekly classes) studying Tamil and learning about Tamil culture, and have some fun too!
• Our Term 1 Introductory Tamil 101 course is specifically designed for adults (and children over 10 yrs) who do not know how to read, write or speak the Tamil language.
• Introductory Tamil 101 begins with learning the Tamil script (தமிழ் அரிச்சுவடி), writing and reading practice, and includes basic introductory grammar, vocabulary and conversation. Subsequent Terms reinforce both reading and writing, and focus on grammar, conversation and vocabulary. Tamil 102 continues with script reading and writing practice, and with introductory grammar, vocabulary, and conversation. Adults and teens who already understand and speak Tamil, but who do not know how to read and write, may chose to enrol in our Tamil 101 course.
• Subsequent Term courses continue with Tamil 102-104 in the first year and continue to include additional reading and comprehension practice, intermediate grammar, vocabulary, and conversation and will continue in the same time slot for the duration of the full course. Second year Intermediate Tamil (Tamil 201-204) will be available in the second year of study pending sufficient student interest.
Week by week new material will be posted throughout the duration of the course. Video recordings of each weekly session will be posted here after 1-2 days after each class.
EarthDiverse Course Information
EarthDiverse Zoom instructions
Tamil Vowel Chart PDF
Tamil Consonant Chart PDF
Tamil alphabet learning apps for your mobile devices:
20240803 T3.1 Tamil 101 PDF
20240803 T3.1 Tamil 101 video
This is a live-streamed course only and accessible via Zoom.
This course has distance-learning optionsonly. Students have two options for attending our courses once they have registered:
Attend our live on-line classroom sessions via Zoom at the regularly scheduled day and time.
Watch the live-recorded class sessions at your leisure, at a time, day and place more suited to your schedule.
• Our courses offer distance learning options for those unable to attend live class sessions in Hamilton (if offered). Live-streaming allows you to participate fully in your own learning, ask questions of the instructor and participate fully in the same way as if you were in the physical classroom.
• Those unable to attend the scheduled date and time of the actual class sessions, or those who need to miss a class or two due to previous engagements or unexpected illness, can watch any or all of the live-recorded video sessions on their computers, laptops, tablets or mobile devices and study at their own pace and in their own time.
• Detailed instructions on how to access our distance learning components will be sent after completing your registration. There are no additional fees for this service. However, distance learners will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with a good quality web-camera (tablet devices and mobile phones can also access our live-streamed classes), a built-in microphone (most modern laptops have built-in microphones) or a headset with a microphone. You will also need to download and install the free Zoom software on your computer or device. Those accessing the video recordings will be able to do so with a simple web browser on any device.
Those who cannot make the class meeting day and time via live Zoom sessions may consider accessing this course through the weekly recorded video sessions. Class videos are usually posted within 1-2 days of each live class session and are available for your own personal learning on a day and time of your choosing.
• This course has no assignments, quizzes, tests or exams.
• All classes encourage questions and group discussion.
• There are no refunds for missed classes. If you miss a class, you can watch the video recording!
• Guests of registered participants are welcome to attend a single session without registering.
• If, however, this course is cancelled due to insufficient enrolments please note that your registration fee will either be refunded in full or you may select to receive a course credit. Your choice!
All materials are included in the course fees. These are developed by our instructors and distributed as PDF files on the course webpage.
• Course materials are provided to all registered students as digital materials made available to you on the course webpage for download (accessible after registration). There is no need to purchase any additional textbooks for this course, although you may choose to do so to supplement your learning.
• You will only require a pen or pencil, a notebook for taking your own class notes, and a loose-leaf binder.
• Any notes that our instructor writes on a digital whiteboard are posted to the class webpage on your dashboard as a PDF file so that you can print these out at home and add them to your own notebook.
A keen desire to study Tamil!
• There are no prerequisites for this course.
• This course is open to all learners aged 10 years and above.
