Learning basic Kannada the immersive, fun Clubhouse way

A month ago, K J Subz found Clubhouse as the perfect launch pad to try a different way to teach the language

Immersive, interactive and loads of fan. Yes, that is exactly the way Karaoke Jockey Subra Manium will teach conversational Kannada to a bunch of non-Kannadigas, packed inside a room within the audio-only social media platform, Clubhouse.

For 21 years, K J Subz – as he calls himself inside Clubhouse – had tried to master Kannada. But this Tamilian from Palakkad with a Warangal education just could not get a grasp of it. He knew exactly why: The courses were not immersive enough, and without real conversations, the words simply disappeared from memory.

A month ago, he found Clubhouse as the perfect launch pad to try a different way: A room called ‘Learn Colloquial Kannada: Immersive use cases/baby steps’, dozens of non-Kannadigas eager to learn basic Kannada and a big bunch ready to teach! Subz figured out a way to link them all and make that seamless connection.

But why Kanglish as a tool? “We use English as a bridge, a link language to let non-Kannadigas get an initial grasp of the language. Once they get the basics right, the learners can dwell deeper. A lot of non-Kannadigas have created some great literary works in Kannada,” explains Subz. The learners are a mix of IT professionals, mostly North Indians and Malayalis.

The room is active 24/7 and averages over 100 regular learners every week. But what surprised Subz was the Kannadiga crowds eager to be teachers: “For every learner, there are 10 ready to teach Kannada,” he points out.

The learning itself is fun and immensely interactive. Teacher volunteers are first chosen among a growing crowd that include the likes of Yadunandan, Aishwarya Tubachi, Dr Bharat Bhushan and Anusha Kallur.

Scenarios are then conjured up where the learners and teacher get into role-play. The characters converse in varying levels of Kannada. “A lot of the learners come into the room and soak themselves in the conversations.”

Everyday conversations

Interactions are often woven around everyday scenarios. “The learner and teacher enact scenarios such as going to a grocery store, using short sentences that are less than 10 words. We also do ‘Slice of life’, where lines from the lives of the learners are played out. There is also the ‘context bubble’ and antakshari with words, all to gamify the learning process and make it fun.”

This unique experience has let language walls break, friendships bloom and prejudices vanish. “There is so much love in the room. Embracing the language as ‘street smart Kannada’, the new learners are creating lasting bonds with the people and culture,” notes Subz.