About TamilTime
TamilTime is a free web app that helps children learn beginner Tamil vocabulary with pictures, Tamil script, pronunciation audio and short interactive lessons.
What it does
TamilTime teaches beginner Tamil words, one at a time. There are currently 10 topics and 100 words. Each word comes with a picture, the Tamil spelling, and audio in both Tamil and English. After a word is introduced it is practised in a few different ways in the same short lesson.
Who it is for
Children who already read a little English and are starting Tamil from scratch. All instructions and prompts are in English, so a child can follow a lesson without needing to read Tamil first. The Tamil itself is always shown in Tamil script rather than spelled out in English letters.
It supports teaching, it does not replace it
A vocabulary app is good at repetition and terrible at conversation. Children get the most out of TamilTime alongside someone who speaks Tamil and can use the words with them, or alongside a teacher. It is a way to practise between those conversations, not a substitute for them.
How the words and audio are made
The pictures are illustrations generated for this app, and the pronunciation clips are computer-generated speech rather than recordings of a Tamil speaker. The Tamil spellings for the fruits unit have been checked; the remaining units are still being reviewed by a Tamil speaker. If you spot a word or a pronunciation that is wrong, please tell us.
Cost and accounts
Free, with no sign-up and no payment. Progress is kept in your own browser. See the privacy page for exactly what is and is not stored.