Malayalam has about thirty-five million speakers and a literary culture far larger than that number suggests. This class tours the tradition the way a Malayali would: Chandu Menon's ഇന്ദുലേഖ, the modern poets, then the novelists, starting with Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, whose Malayalam is closest to speech. You meet Thakazhi's ചെമ്മീൻ, M.T., O.V. Vijayan's Khasak, Madhavikutty and Benyamin's ആടുജീവിതം (Goat Days). Then a three-stage plan: translations now, Basheer in Malayalam later, and poetry read aloud straight away as pronunciation practice. Words and phrases in this class: സാഹിത്യം (saahithyam) – literature പുസ്തകം (pusthakam) – book നോവൽ (novel) – novel ചെറുകഥ (cherukatha) – short story കവിത (kavitha) – poem, poetry കവി (kavi) – poet എഴുത്തുകാരൻ (ezhuthukaaran) – writer (man) എഴുത്തുകാരി (ezhuthukaari) – writer (woman) വിവർത്തനം (vivarthanam) – translation ഗ്രന്ഥശാല (granthashaala) – library നിങ്ങൾക്ക് ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട എഴുത്തുകാരൻ ആരാണ്? (ningalkku ishtappetta ezhuthukaaran aaraanu?) – who is your favourite writer? ഞാൻ ബഷീർ വായിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് (njaan basheer vaayichittundu) – I have read Basheer എനിക്ക് മലയാളം വായിക്കാൻ പഠിക്കണം (enikku malayaalam vaayikkaan padikkanam) – I want to learn to read Malayalam In this class: • Why a language of thirty-five million has six Jnanpith winners • From Indulekha and the modern poets to Basheer, Thakazhi and M.T. • Khasak, Madhavikutty and Goat Days, the novel of the Gulf migration story • A three-stage reading plan, and poetry read aloud for pronunciation Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.