When was the last time you typed a message fully in தமிழ்? not in Tanglish or with a mix of English? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably been a while. With the increasing use of Tanglish, Tamil is slowly fading from our daily conversations. But what if I told you that there’s a fun, creative way to bring Tamil back into our lives without feeling like it’s a chore? Let me take you through a journey through an amazing experience that not only made me laugh but also helped me reconnect with my தமிழ்!
The Language Based Board Game Expo was an incredible experience, filled with laughter and learning, as I engaged deeply with the Tamil language. Even though I’m sharing this experience in English, I never felt disconnected from Tamil. Playing the Tamil board game was a beautiful reminder that we can embrace both these languages without losing the essence of our roots.
Over the years, in school and the tech industry, I’ve noticed that the use of Tamil has been slowly fading from our daily conversations. It’s been quite disheartening to see how we are gradually forgetting our own language, even though it’s such an important part of our identity. Let’s be honest—most of us type “Enna da macha, pandra?” instead of “என்னடா மச்சான், பன்ற?”. We’ve become fluent in writing தமிழ் with English, but isn’t it time to reconnect with the real essence of Tamil?
And here’s the good news, we do not have to wait for long. A group of creative minds from DCKAP Palli have come up with a genius idea – Tamil board games! These are not just another game; it’s a way to learn Tamil effortlessly while having fun, Learning while Playing! I was very excited about it.
I had the chance to play five different games, and each one was a delightful challenge. The questions, filled with Tamil humor and language puzzles, had me saying, “ஐயோ, இது என்ன டா?” and “Wow, I didn’t know this Tamil word!” It was an exciting experience, and honestly, I feel like my Tamil skills leveled up by some points.
One of the best moments of the event was meeting the Klizer Community members in person. After working remotely for so long, it was refreshing to interact, play, and share this experience together. From collaborating behind screens to actually playing and sharing those fun moments together – it was such a refreshing change. There’s something so special about meeting like-minded people, especially when you’re sharing an experience that brings you closer to your roots. Seeing their energy, excitement, and passion for the Tamil language made the experience even more unforgettable.
To be honest, even I’d forgotten the finer details of தமிழ்—like the difference between Uyir Ezhuthukkal (அ, இ, உ, etc.), Mei Ezhuthukkal (க், ச், ட், etc.), and Uyir-Mei Ezhuthukkal (க, ச, த, etc.). But playing this game made me realize how much I’ve missed and how fun it is to reconnect with it. It’s not just about learning; it’s about rediscovering the beauty of Tamil that we may have overlooked for so long. Whether you’re an expert or a beginner, these games will help you to brush up on all those little things we often forget, and it does it in the most fun and engaging way possible!
I truly believe this initiative has the potential to go far. Imagine a world where Tamil is learned not just in classrooms, but in homes, offices, and social gatherings—through play. These games have the potential to bring Tamil back into the spotlight in such a fun way! And here’s the exciting part: they’ve just started by creating this game in தமிழ், but in the future, they plan to make it multilingual! Imagine playing these games in different languages, connecting with people from diverse cultures while learning and having fun at the same time. How cool would it be to learn Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and even regional languages and have fun at the same time? This is just the beginning, and the possibilities are endless!
So, let’s all take a moment to appreciate this initiative and try to speak and type more Tamil in தமிழ்– because “வாழ்க்கை” (life) is much more fun when we connect with our roots! Let’s show some love to தமிழ், and who knows, we might just bring back a whole new trend – தமிழ்2.0, but this time, with a whole lot more “fun!” Let’s make தமிழ் cool again!
