Children learn Kannada at a weekend offline class in Los Angeles in the US.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Hubballi: The Kannada Academy in the United States, established in 2020, focuses on teaching the Kannada language and culture to the children of overseas Kannadigas.
It operates in various states across the US and extends its reach to 12 countries in America, Europe, and Asia.
The academy (https://www.kannadaacademy.com/home) offers an eight-level certificate course --- Swara Balla - 1 & 2, Akshara Balla -1 & 2, Pada Balla -1 & 2, and Jana-1 & 2 --- which teaches Kannada language, words, grammar, speaking, reading and writing, text and poetry, history, rivers, forest, folk, festivals and more.
Kids, aged between 6 and 14 years, can enrol for the Kannada classes and teachers trained by the academy take Kannada classes online through Google Learning Center.
The syllabus has been prepared based on the suggestions of the Kannada Development Authority, Government of Karnataka.
Kannada Academy executive board member Shiva Gowder told DH that the academy has the accreditation of the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS-WASC), recognised by many countries.
More than 1,500 schools in the US have Kannada as a foreign language helping students in their academics and professions.
“Apart from this initiative, we have 90+ offline weekend classes under the Kannada Koota in various states where several students and adults also join classes,” Gowder added.
So far, the academy has trained 1,600 teacher-volunteers. More than 6,000 students underwent the programme in the last five years and for this academic year, they have a new admission of 500+ students and they are being taught Kannada through online classes.
Another board member Naveen Mallikarjunaiah said the seal of biliteracy is an award given to high school graduates who demonstrate proficiency in two or more languages. Hence, the kids of Kannadigas, who understand Kannada and find it difficult to read and write, enrol in the classes, he explained.
Praveen Huggishetra, a software engineer in Hershey, Pennsylvania (US), said, “My kids have taken up Kannada online classes which help them to learn to read, write and to keep our culture alive overseas too, otherwise the young generation will forget Kannada language and culture.”