Kerala is ageing faster than almost anywhere in India, and the vocabulary of growing old is becoming the vocabulary of everyday life. This class explains the world an older Malayali lives in: low birth rates, long lives and children working abroad, which leaves many large houses with two elderly people and a video call every evening. You learn the words for age, elders, pensions, home nurses and old age homes, the sentences an older person will say to you, and how to respond when somebody shares something difficult about a parent. Words and phrases in this class: എത്ര വയസ്സായി? (ethra vayassaayi?) – how old are you? മുതിർന്നവർ (muthirnnavar) – elders വയോജനങ്ങൾ (vayojanangal) – senior citizens (formal) വൃദ്ധസദനം (vruddhasadanam) – old age home ഹോം നഴ്സ് (home nurse) – home nurse അവർ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കാണ് താമസിക്കുന്നത് (avar ottaykkaanu thaamasikkunnathu) – they live alone ആരോഗ്യം എങ്ങനെയുണ്ട്? (aarogyam enganeyundu?) – how is your health? മക്കൾ എവിടെയാണ്? (makkal evideyaanu?) – where are the children? മകൾ വിദേശത്താണ് (makal videshathaanu) – my daughter is abroad എന്നും വിളിക്കും (ennum vilikkum) – they call every day വർഷത്തിൽ ഒരിക്കൽ വരും (varshathil orikkal varum) – they come once a year ഞാൻ കഴിഞ്ഞുപോകുന്നു (njaan kazhinjupokunnu) – I manage കുറച്ചുകൂടി ഉറക്കെ പറയൂ (kurachukoodi urakke parayoo) – speak a little louder In this class: • The facts: low birth rates, long lives and migration • Words for age, elders, care and the old age home • What an older Malayali will say to you, and how to answer • The old age home question, and the right way to respond Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.