A child's language development journey is an awe-inspiringly remarkable one, from speaking single words to fluently forming complex sentences! Mastering pronunciation is a significant part of this incredible journey because pronunciation skills are essential for effective communication.

Mastering Malayalam pronunciation is definitely not a cakewalk, even for adults who are trying to learn. Malayalam is an enigmatic language, a phonetic and syllabic wonder, so mastering the pronunciation will be challenging for anyone. But we all know that children are the best learners. So in this article, we will discuss tips and strategies for parents and kids to master the Malayalam pronunciation.
 

How can you help your child with Malayalam pronunciation?

Malayalam is a complex and intricate script derived from the ancient Brahmi script. The pronunciation of some Malayalam words can be extremely tricky because they have a lot of unique sounds that require a distinctive technique to pronounce; an example is the sound ‘ഴ’ which many individuals who attempt to learn Malayalam find really hard to pronounce. Pronunciation involves understanding many key aspects, including sounds, stress, intonation, volume, pitch, pace, and pause. Many other details of voice dynamics also play a role when you achieve the right pronunciation.

But how do you teach your children these intricate details to achieve perfect pronunciation? Here are some tips:
 

 Repeat and repeat

Mimicking and imitating are among the many things children are extremely good at, right? Leverage this aspect and encourage your kids to mimic or imitate the Malayalam words, phrases, or full sentences and repeat them till they perfect the sound of the words and the delivery. Seamlessly incorporate this into your daily life; for example, teach the word ‘വാഴപഴം’ and encourage the child to repeat it as you give your child a banana to eat. As you repeat certain words, the child can pay attention to the movement of your mouth and learn your technique to pronounce the word, and with enough practice, they will master it.
 

Tongue twisters

If you want to bring some fun to this adventure, tongue twisters are the perfect tool to teach your child some Malayalam pronunciation! Tongue twisters are fun linguistic hurdles you can conquer by controlling your speech muscles and tongue. As a child, you might have played tongue-twister games. Now it's time to bring back those Malayalam sentences with so many rhymes and twists and introduce them to your kids. Challenge them to pronounce those tongue twisters accurately and rapidly, and maybe offer a small price if they succeed,which will motivate them to play this game more often. How about we start today with the classic ‘ഉരലാൽ ഉരുളിയുരുളിയാൽ ഉരലുരുളുമോ ഉരുളിയുരുളുമോ..’?

 

Songs and rhymes

Even if we forget a chapter we took hours to master, we don't forget a single word of our favourite song, right? Yeah, so songs and rhymes are another way to help your child master the Malayalam pronunciation. Play your child’s favourite Malayalam songs and encourage them to sing along. If they make a mistake, correct them until they pronounce it the right way. Favourite songs can motivate children to actually master the pronunciation so they can sing along. Not to mention the extra Malayalam vocabulary they are going to gain by learning all the lyrics.

Teaching Malayalam rhymes to your children can get you the same results. Rhymes are based on comparable words and sounds. Your kids will greatly benefit from learning Malayalam nursery rhymes. The musical nature of rhymes will assist them in practising precise word timing, stress, and intonation, which will perfect their pronunciation. And just like songs, they will expand your child’s Malayalam vocabulary!
 

Twinning words

A very effective way to improve your child’s comprehension of Malayalam word pronunciation and delivery is to make them understand the difference between words that sound extremely similar. There are words that can have a completely different meaning with a small addition or subtraction of a vowel or a dependent vowel. For example, consider the words ‘മനം’ which translates to ‘the mind’ and ‘മാനം’ which translates to ‘the sky’ or ‘respect’ according to the context of the sentence it is used in. Find words like this and explain the tiny differences in the pronunciation and the big differences in the meaning.
 

Familiarity leads to...

Familiarity leads to better understanding, at least when it comes to learning a language. So make sure you stick to familiar contexts while introducing new Malayalam words to your child and teach them the pronunciation. Familiar contexts will help them comprehend the meaning better, and it will empower them to use the words appropriately.
 

Visual aids

Visual aids are always helpful if you are trying to teach your children something. It can help with the Malayalam pronunciation too. If you are simply teaching your child a word’s pronunciation without any context, the child doesn't have anything to associate with the information they have acquired that day, and there is a big chance for them to easily forget it. However, with visual aids, the child can associate the information with something.
 

For example, imagine you are teaching your child the word ‘കോളാമ്പി’, If you just teach them how to pronounce the word, they might learn the pronunciation for the time being, but they will easily forget it or won't know how to use that word appropriately in a sentence. Instead, imagine you show them a real കോളാമ്പി or a picture of it and explain why and how it is used. The child now knows the context, how this object looks, and what it is used for; thus, they are less likely to forget the word or its pronunciation, and they might successfully use the word in a Malayalam sentence.
 

Conclusion

Mastering Malayalam pronunciation is a journey that requires patience, practice, and dedication from both children and those who teach them. But if you feel like what you teach at home is not enough, opting for a Malayalam language communication class online for your child is a rational move.

If you are searching for such a class to enroll your child in, the Beginner Malayalam Learning Class online at Akshharam is the perfect choice for you! We are passionate about developing and nurturing your child’s interest in language and culture, and the structure of our customisable and interactive curriculum will be especially beneficial for your children. Malayalam is an extraordinary language that cannot be separated from the culture that sustains it, and we are thrilled to accompany your child on this learning journey. Connect with us to learn more.