Tamil prose reader
A. A. MANAVALAN
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A CONTEMPORARY TAMIL PROSE READER: Edited by P.R. Subramanian. Pub. by Mozhi Trust, 27, Third East Street, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai-600041. Rs. 550.
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This Tamil Prose Reader designed to assist pedagogy for those learning Tamil as the second language is not only the latest but also the most comprehensive in terms of the material presented and the methodology applied. The selection of prose texts has been guided by the various aspects of Tamil language and culture in the modern Tamil society, as for example: stylistic variations, cultural introductions, modern theories and choosing from authors who have been almost forgo
tten or sidelined. In certain cases, more than one prose text is selected from an author — for example, Ashokamitran and S. Srinivasan — to illustrate the stylistic differences found in their writings. Thus the very selection of the prose texts included in this volume reveals the cultural and linguistic spectrum of the late 20th century Tamil writing.
The introduction by the editor spells out the need for a prose reader, the plan adopted to organise its various elements, and the criteria applied for the selection of the texts.
Style
The texts begin with a short, but pithy, introduction about the author and a note on their nature. Special care is taken to distinguish the stylistic presentation of the material by the writers, an important aspect useful to the one who learns Tamil as the second language and the historian of both the ‘first language’ and the ‘second language’. Meanings are provided in English for almost all the words and phrases considered difficult. Extra attention is given to explaining the culture-specific terms, which will be of immense benefit to the one learning Tamil as the second language and the teacher as well.
Another important aspect of the notes is the explanation offered for the diverse grammatical and stylistic expressions of the writers — a very useful service to the learner as also the teacher. For example: “avangalum=avarkalum, here the third person plural form is used honorifically to refer to the husband”; “aspesrus - this is Jaffna Tamil way of writing ‘asbestos’ in Tamil script”; and the note which says: “The Tamil expressions and syntax follow the English pattern at times. English words and phrases are used as is often the case in journalistic writing.”
Each text ends with an English translation faithful to the ‘source language’ text, not only to the message of the original but also to the idioms of both the languages, as the editor remarks. This aspect of the reader is very helpful to the one learning Tamil as the second language to understand the text in full.
The glossary provided at the end of the book is such as to make for a better understanding of the texts. The word forms are given as they occur in the texts, with English translation. Thus the glossary is useful to the learners as well as to the translators of modern Tamil prose texts. The method and the strenuous efforts involved in the preparation of the glossary are appreciable and worth emulation. Editor P.R. Subramanian and his team of scholars who produced this exemplary work and the Mozhi Trust, the publisher, deserve all commendation and encouragement.
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