White-collar language courses skip this vocabulary entirely, yet it is some of the most useful you can learn. Tools, materials and the verbs of making and mending, followed by the words for describing a fault and the sentences for getting work done, including the price question to ask before the work begins. Then the culture: Kerala's tradition of skilled trades, how to treat the people doing the work, and why carpenters, masons and electricians make some of the best language partners in the state. Words and phrases in this class: ചുറ്റിക (chuttika) – hammer ആണി (aani) – nail വെട്ടുകത്തി (vettukathi) – bush knife, machete ഏണി (eni) – ladder കയർ (kayar) – rope (coir) മണൽ (manal) – sand നന്നാക്കുക (nannaakkuka) – to repair മുറുക്കുക (murukkuka) – to tighten ഇളകുന്നു (ilakunnu) – it's loose തുരുമ്പിച്ചു (thurumbichu) – it has rusted പണിക്കൂലി എത്ര? (panikkooli ethra?) – what's the labour charge? എത്ര ദിവസമെടുക്കും? (ethra divasamedukkum?) – how many days will it take? ആശാരി (aashaari) – carpenter, master craftsman In this class: • Tools and materials, from the hammer to the laterite block • The verbs of building, cutting, fixing, tightening and measuring • Describing a fault, and agreeing the price before work starts • Kerala's skilled trades, and why tradespeople are ideal language partners Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.