Campus Talk: ‘My wife is Maharashtrian… I’m glad this course is available,’ says music teacher from USA taking MU’s ‘Communicative Marathi’ course in Mumbai

This is the first time any university in the state has developed such a comprehensive course on Communicative Marathi, including a structured curriculum for each level. Marathi learning textbooks, workbooks, and audiovisual materials have been developed across all six levels to support students enrolled in the course.

There are also dedicated learning resources designed for specific target groups, such as rickshaw and taxi drivers, nurses, bank employees and government employees.

Notably, all the learning material for this course has been developed by the Department of German at Mumbai University, which also conducts the classes. The department has applied the well-established pedagogy used in teaching the German language to teach Marathi, using a more scientific and structured approach to language acquisition.

The Head of the Department, Prof. Vibha Surana, shared that the course began with her personal desire to learn Marathi as a non-Marathi-speaking resident of Mumbai. “Since I was already teaching German, I decided to apply those principles to learning Marathi for communication. Today, we have dedicated teachers running the course, which has moved online since the pandemic,” she said.

Classes are mostly held on weekends, considering that many of the students are working professionals pursuing Communicative Marathi for specific needs. For instance, a lawyer from Mumbai, who did not wish to be named, said, “While English is sufficient for higher courts, Marathi is essential in lower courts. It ensures seamless access.”

For Shilpa from Avyukta Training, a corporate training firm, the primary motivation to learn Communicative Marathi is to build a stronger rapport with state government officials. “We have lost some government projects to other Marathi-speaking agencies simply because we couldn’t establish that connection in the local language. Government employees who primarily speak Marathi tend to trust those who also speak their language,” she explained.

This is also the reason why Keagan Miller, a music teacher from the USA, is taking the Communicative Marathi course: to better connect with his wife’s family and culture. “My wife is Maharashtrian from Mumbai’s Dombivli. I’m glad this course is available, especially in an online format, which makes it accessible to many,” he said.

With official recognition from Mumbai University, the course has become a credible resource for individuals from Mumbai, across India, and abroad to learn Communicative Marathi. The course offers academic credits upon completion of each level, and students from any other course can take it to earn those credits. Admissions are currently open for Level 1, which has an intake capacity of 30 students per batch. Details are available on the university’s official website – german-mu.com