Tamil

Tamil is a Dravidian language of South India and one of India’s classical languages. Its ancient and modern literary traditions are both exceptionally rich and exceptionally varied. It is the dominant language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and has official status also in Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia. Altogether, there are more than 66 million Tamil speakers around the world. Learning Tamil thus provides access to one of the great and influential cultural traditions of India.

Language Placement

Students who speak Tamil, but cannot read or write, should register for TAM 506.

Students who would like to test out of Tamil can purchase the DAE (Departmental Administered Exam) form from Instructional Assessment and Evaluation and take the final exam for TAM 312L in May with the rest of the class. Please contact the Department of Asian Studies for more information.