Germany has long been a preferred destination for Keralites pursuing higher education and career opportunities abroad. There are many institutions here offering German language courses. However, all these courses are conducted in English as there are no dedicated curricula and textbooks for learning German directly from Malayalam.
The Hermann Gundert Cultural Center, an NGO dedicated to fostering cultural exchange between German and Malayali communities, has launched a curriculum and a textbook that enable individuals to learn German directly from Malayalam, without the need for English as an intermediary.
“The language barrier has been a challenge, especially for individuals who are not proficient in English,” says Raju Raphael, Director of the Hermann Gundert Cultural Centre, Thrissur. This may be the first-ever German language programme developed for a regional Indian language, he says.
