Telugu

Telugu is one of India's classical and scheduled languages, boasting a rich literary heritage spanning over a millennium and numerous oral traditions. Spoken by tens of millions across South India and a global diaspora, Telugu's widespread reach and presence underscore its contemporary cultural and communicative importance. Learning Telugu presents an opportunity to explore its written and oral traditions, understand cultural and religious lifeworlds, and learn about South Indian history and social movements. Telugu is key to learning classical Carnatic music; its mellifluous, phonetic structure makes it ideally suited for musical compositions. The Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, has gained global acclaim for its compelling storytelling and high production values.

The Yale Telugu program currently offers courses to learn the language at elementary and intermediate levels through the Shared Course Initiative (SCI). These courses will utilize culturally immersive materials, such as poems, short stories, song lyrics, newspaper articles, social media, and films, to enhance proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Students will learn to understand and analyze cultural texts, engage in conversations about current events, narrate personal experiences, and demonstrate their understanding of Telugu language and culture through creative projects.