Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2016 Manifesto NUSTLS Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2016 Manif | Page 49

Issue 8 : Tertiary Level Education of Tamil Language
Topic of Interest: How do we further increase the quantity and quality of tertiary level Tamil language
education opportunities?
CASE STUDY: BA Tamil Language and Literature, UniSIM
Objectives
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Target Audience
This degree programme caters to the needs of adults who •
aspire to enhance their competence and knowledge levels in
Tamil language and literature.
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The language courses enhance students' understanding of
linguistic concepts and language discourse from a functional
grammar perspective.
The literature courses offer an insight into a range of literary
genres, periods and styles
This programme is meant for anyone who have passion for
the language irrespective of their career background.
Particularly those who have no degree specialising in Tamil
but work in Tamil related area such as Tamil language
teachers, court interpreters, and broadcasters can upgrade
their academic qualifications through this degree
programme.
Career Prospects
Modules
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Listed below are some of the modules part of the BA course:
• Modern Literature
• This course comprises of modern poetry, prose, short
stories, novel, and drama.
• Though the major portion of it is from Tamil Nadu,
about 20% of it includes Singapore & Malaysian
modern literature.
• Translation - Theory and Practice
• This particular course has been developed locally to
provide sufficient skills in translation work from Tamil
to English and vice versa.
• Living in a multilingual country where English is the
working language, translation skills are very
important.
• Going through this course will make one very versatile
in two languages.
• History of Tamil Literature
• This course traces the development of Tamil literature
from the Classical period to modern period.
• It provides sufficient information and an in-depth
knowledge on the various forms of literature at
different period of history.
• Besides it also provides the rationale for the changes
in literary forms.
• Sangam Classical Literature
• Keeping in mind the long history of the Tamil
literature, the ancient Tamils had their own pattern of
religious and social institutions, language and
literature.
• The early literature in this period is characterised by
an array of literary forms.
• The poetry of this period is all simple blank verse in
chaste classic style devoid of rhetorical flourishes.
• The descriptions of events and scenery are all faithful
and true to nature.
• Modern Tamil Poetry
• This course covers the growth of poetry in the 20th
and 21st centuries, from the conventional to the
modern, such as Haiku, Centriu and Kuku.
• ‘Puthukkavithai’ or a new poetry is another from
which can be easily understood by anyone. The course
also covers contemporary poems such as feminist
poems and Dahlit’s poems.
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Degree holders will be able to engage in Tamil language
teaching in pre-primary, primary, secondary, and junior
colleges.
They can also advance their careers in broadcasting or in
the courts and Parliament as interpreters.
Strengths of the programme
According to Ms. Umayal (part of the pioneer batch of students
who took up the programme):
• It was the only Tamil undergraduate degree progamme
back when it was implemented
• Tamil teachers had to go to India to study Tamil at an
undergraduate level before the implementation of this
degree programme.
• Hence with the implementation of this degree, teachers
could study at Singapore itself making it way easier.
• Flexibility of the programme
• The course administrators and namely Dr Shanmugam K
understood that the students are working professionals
and that they might not be able to attend all the
lessons. Hence all the materials were nicely organised,
compiled and given to the students.
• This made the course manageable as well.
• Relevance of the content
• The content was a perfect marriage between the
historical aspects of Tamil and elements specific to
Singapore.
• For example, there are translation modules which are
both interesting and functionally relevant to students.
• Diversity of students
• This programme attracts students from various
backgrounds – Tamil teachers, migrants from India,
professionals from Tami broadcast sectors.
• This allowed varied opinions to surface in discussions
making the lessons interesting.
Areas for improvement in the programme
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Part-time programme
• Students were unable to cover much depth in the
courses.
• A full time-programme would have delved more deeply
into the content
The course is a tad competitive as well.
Issue 8 : Tertiary Level Education of Tamil Language
PAGE 49