Telugu

Telugu is offered from Yale by Professor Shiva Sai Ram Urella. For more information on this class, please contact shivasairam.urella@yale.edu.

Course Offerings

Elementary Telugu

This course is designed to provide a foundation in the Telugu language, one of India’s classical languages, spoken primarily in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The course honors diverse learning styles and preferences while giving equal weight to all four linguistic skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Through a variety of assessments, including script worksheets, oral pronunciation exercises, homework, and quizzes, students will steadily improve their language proficiency. The course is structured to help students progress from simple introductions and using everyday phrases to more complex topics like discussing family, daily routines, and future aspirations. Language learning is enhanced through deep cultural immersion by exploring diverse topics such as the Dravidian language family, the Telugu calendar, regional festivals, cuisine, and Tollywood films.

Intermediate Telugu

This course is designed for students who have a foundational knowledge of Telugu and aims to enhance their proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking. The curriculum uses a variety of culturally immersive materials, including short stories, modern song lyrics, newspaper articles, and movies, to improve their reading comprehension, speaking skills, gain important insights on grammar rules, and expand their vocabulary. The course emphasizes the practical application of language skills through active class participation, weekly quizzes, and homework assignments. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze cultural texts, discuss current events, and narrate personal experiences with greater fluency and complexity.

For class times and locations, please see the Schedule page.