No faces, no gestures, only voices — the hardest and best Malayalam listening practice there is. Three phone calls, each slow and then at speed. Hear a mother check that her son has eaten, scold him gently about hotel food, and make him promise to come home next month — the Kerala phone call in its natural habitat. The whole class is in Malayalam — listen for the shape first, let the rest wash over you, and replay it daily for a week. Words and phrases you will hear: ഹലോ അമ്മേ, ഞാനാ (hello amme, njaanaa) – hello Amma, it's me എവിടെയാ? (evideyaa?) – where are you? ഞാൻ ഓഫീസിലാ (njaan officilaa) – I'm at the office ചോറ് കഴിച്ചോ? (choru kazhicho?) – have you eaten? ഊണ് കഴിച്ചു (oonu kazhichu) – I had lunch സമയമില്ല (samayamilla) – there's no time ആരോഗ്യം നോക്കണം (aarogyam nokkanam) – you must look after your health രാത്രി വിളിക്കാം (raathri vilikkaam) – I'll call at night എപ്പോഴാ നാട്ടിൽ വരുന്നത്? (eppozhaa naattil varunnathu?) – when are you coming home? അടുത്ത മാസം വരാം (adutha maasam varaam) – I'll come next month ഉറപ്പാണോ? (urappaano?) – are you sure? സൂക്ഷിക്കണം കേട്ടോ (sookshikkanam ketto) – take care, okay? ഞാൻ വെക്കുന്നു (njaan vekkunnu) – I'm hanging up In this class: • Three phone calls, slow then natural speed • Clipped spoken forms — എവിടെയാ, ഓഫീസിലാ, ഞാനാ • How a Kerala mother checks on you, and how to answer • Spoken questions on each call Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.