| |9 JULY 2024HIGHERReviewearliest and most foundational traditional grammar of Tamil, Greek, Arabic and other classical languages had revealed the distinct phonological theories present in the grammar of Tamil, Greek, and Arabic. In fact, Dr Sundararaj opined that the analysis and comparison between the classical perspectives on phonological theories within the context of classical languages from different parts of the world is crucial for developing new Phonological theories with a focus on pedagogy. "What my study has shown was that besides the shared phonological theories among these three languages, these traditional phonological theories also evolved within the realm of modern linguistics, which emerged during the 20th century, and how both traditional and modern phonological theories contribute to language teaching," said Dr Sundararaj excitedly. Naturally, research is not without challenges. In Dr Sundararaj's case, the complexities of grasping the structure, linguistic features, and grammatical intricacies of each Classical language proved to be daunting tasks. "To overcome these challenges, I dedicated a substantial amount of time to understanding the unique characteristics, linguistics features, and grammatical rules of each language," recounted Dr Sundararaj. In addition, while Dr Sundararaj had initially found it challenging to establish the relevance and justification for comparing each phonological element, he was able to find resolutions to these challenges by delving into the linguistic traditions of each language. What followed was an astonishing discovery where he uncovered a multitude of commonalities between Tamil, Greek, and Arabic, three linguistic traditions, specifically their phonological descriptions. "What is particularly striking is that in earlier times, these three language traditions did not employ a unified terminology to represent sound. Instead, they provide intricate descriptions of the articulatory properties and phonetic aspects of sound. However, they do not offer a clear-cut definition of what sound truly is. The scripts utilized to depict sound primarily focus on its visual representation," elaborated Dr Sundararaj. Undoubtedly, this discovery, according to Dr Sundararaj, has further successfully integrated the traditional phonological structures of Tamil into current approaches to teaching the language. When asked what he might have done differently if he could start over again, Dr Sundararaj replied, "I would perhaps reassess the phonological principles and recommence this investigation, highlighting the significance of the socio-historical context that encompasses the social elements influencing each linguistic idea, thereby establishing a framework for comprehending language phenomena."Do you aspire to expand your knowledge through research and hone your skills as an educator through the tutelage of field and industry experts like Dr Sundararaj? NIE offers more than 30 programmes in arts, sciences and humanities that will challenge your thinking, develop your skills and boost your career prospects.To find out more about Dr Dhamaraj Sundararaj and the research by the Asian Languages and Culture Academic Department (ALC) at NIE, please visit https://www.ntu.edu.sg/nie/about-us/academic-groups/asian-languages-and-cultures NIE is currently accepting applications for Graduate Programmes by Coursework and Doctor in Education until 4 July 2024, and Graduate Programmes by Research until 25 July 2024. Apply today https://ntu.sg/nieGradProgIntake and join in the journey to bring education to life! The National Institute of Education (NIE) is an autonomous institute under the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. It is ranked among the world's top 15 universities and Asia's top three education institutions by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking by subjects.
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