Multilingual might

Meenakshi Venugopal on how Native Monks teaches languages online and the importance of knowing more than one language

With language, as contemporary English artist and writer Edmund de Waal says, you are at home anywhere. The pandemic-induced growth spurt in online learning has reinforced this idea not just for school students, but also for those looking to expand their personal and professional horizons by picking up a new language.

“The onset of the pandemic has shown how important it is to promote multilingualism,” says Meenakshi Venugopal, COO of Native Monks (NM), a global language learning platform based out of Dallas, Texas. The platform covers 130 languages and facilitates one-to-one online classes with native tutors through its proprietary video software. NM has 5,300 students from when it started in 2017. Of the 8,500 tutor registrations, close to 1,100 are active.

As the pandemic showed, command over a language holds the key to effective dissemination of facts. “It was during this crisis of communication that people realised how huge language barriers were, especially when using medical terminology or providing important information. Providing pandemic-related guidelines in native languages not only increases the chances of people correctly comprehending the information, but also provides trust and comfort in accepting them,” says Venugopal.

The desire to stay in touch with one’s cultural background is behind most queries that NM receives from Indians. “Many Indians whose families have emigrated to other countries want to learn their native language. The reasons vary from improving their repertoire of skills to getting married to someone from a different nationality, to a desire to connect back to their roots,” explains Venugopal.

Regional languages such as Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada are popular. So, NM conducts a routine ongoing cycle of hiring tutors for these tongues. “The queries we receive from India directly are mostly from tutors. Many are interested in teaching English or Hindi. We also have a great selection of tutors for many other Indian regional languages such as Punjabi,” she adds.

Learners prefer to work with native speakers of the language even if it means paying more, says Venugopal. “Students feel comfortable learning from someone who not only is a native speaker but also is closely associated with its culture and values. It makes them feel more connected and gives them a feeling of learning it from a true native.”

While digital learning is here to stay, even as the world returns cautiously to its pre-pandemic routine, schools and tutors have to find ways to make it a mutually enjoyable experience. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that online learning has become mechanical and almost robotic, thanks to pre-recorded lessons. “Learning a language is more than just absorbing the vocabulary or listening to audios of correct pronunciations of jargon. Our tutors interact with the student to understand their motivation. Classes are personal and tailored to meet students' current level, with homework that keeps them engaged. We have also invested heavily in developing our in-house proprietary online application for video lessons. This gives students a sense of privacy and data confidentiality. These not only add a personal touch but revolve around what pupils need because each learner comes from a different place and has a different learning aim,” says Venugopal.