Malayalam is the mother tongue of Kerala. Learning the mother tongue in a foreign country has its own limitations and the freedom to use it varies. Striving to use Malayalam language as a medium of communication for the young generation has been made easy through having a Malayalam class run by the Wellington Malayalee Association Inc. This is a dream come true especially for parents who are happy to see their kids learn, write and speak in their own month tongue.
The Malayalam class was started in the year 2008 with the mission of teaching mother tongue to the immigrant children. Dr Arun Elias took the initiative to establish the platform for the immigrant parents to encourage their children to inculcate reading, writing and speaking skills in their mother tongue with a nominal fee of $25 annually. We have around 25 students attend the class regularly, which is conducted on a monthly basis at the Johnsonville Community centre.
The purpose of Wellington Malayalee Association is to promote and facilitate the cultural, educational, social and economic welfare of the Malayalees and the surrounding community at large. Aligning with this mission, WMA currently puts together Malayalam classes on a monthly basis. We have been conducting these classes at various different locations for past few years. Malayalam classes for reading/writing skills of our beloved language for our children. This activity is conducted via voluntary help from members of the community and is meant to cultivate and foster our cultural heritage among our children. Here are the details of the first class in 2014:
Day and Date: Saturday, the 2nd August 2014
Time: 5.30 – 6.30 pm
Venue: Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmoore Avenue, Johnsonville
We have an attendance of around 25 children, most of who can now read and write in Malayalam with a little help. We have 2 teachers who volunteer their time and talents for this great cause.Registration for the classes are open to all children of WMA members for a nominal annual fee of $25 per child.