A 19-year-old Bihari student's heartfelt Reddit post about learning Kannada before moving to Bengaluru for college has gone viral, earning widespread praise. The student's genuine enthusiasm and respectful tone have resonated with many, especially in a time of increasing language-related tensions in India. The teen, who is fluent in Hindi and English, with a working knowledge of Bhojpuri and Sanskrit, expressed a deep emotional connection to all Indian languages, saying he wants to embrace Kannada as a way to belong, not just as an outsider.
"I've always felt like every Indian language belongs to me just as much as Hindi does — whether it's Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada... they all feel like a part of me. And now that life's giving me the chance to live in Karnataka for 4+ years, I want to connect with Kannada in a real, meaningful way," he wrote in the post.
He said that he prefers to absorb the language naturally and respectfully, rather than relying on shortcuts. The student also expressed his eagerness to explore classical Kannada literature, particularly the works of Madhvacharya and Purandara Dasa.
"So I wanted to ask you people: how do I start learning Kannada deeply and purely — not like crash courses or just tourist-style phrases, but absorbing the language slowly and respectfully, like it's my own?", he added.
See the post here:
Moving to Bengaluru this August — How do I learn Kannada the real way, not the crash course way?
byu/Mundane-Amoeba-8096 inBengaluru
The post received overwhelming support on Reddit, with users offering tips on learning Kannada, such as starting with basic phrases, watching Kannada YouTube channels, and casually interacting with classmates. Some also suggested leveraging college language support programs to ease the learning process.
One user wrote, "Learn a few everyday words and phrases as time goes by. By the time you're out of college, you'll have some knowledge without dedicated learning. After that, if you're job keeps you here then think about learning properly. Many companies provide classes in-house as well(that's how I learned to speak). My mother tongue is not Hindi."
Another commented, "Make friends with locals and they will teach you a little bit."
A third said, "As you are coming to study, don't fret about it. You'll pick up Kannada by interacting with your classmates. It will be easier as a student compared to being an employee. You'll make friends and learn."
A fourth added, "By speaking to people. If you don't understand something, ask people, and that's the best way. People come out of their way to welcome you and encourage you learning Kannada."
