'Learn one sentence challenge': Bengaluru firm takes action to end 'Kannada Gothilla'

The 'Learn 1 Kannada Sentence Challenge' at Schmooze received mixed but mostly positive feedback on X.

A Bengaluru resident and an employee at Schmooze, an AI-led dating platform, shared an interesting initiative on X (formerly Twitter) aimed at promoting Kannada usage within the office.

In her post, Vidya Madhavan, announced the launch of the "Learn 1 Kannada Sentence Challenge" at Schmooze. (X/@vidyamadhavan2)

In her post, Vidya Madhavan, announced the launch of the "Learn 1 Kannada Sentence Challenge" at Schmooze, where employees are encouraged to learn and use at least one Kannada sentence every day.

The challenge began with employees sharing the sentences they struggled to communicate in Kannada, with translations provided either by the sole Kannadiga in the office or through Google Translate. Madhavan expressed hope that, a year from now, she would be able to write an update to the post in Kannada.

Check out her post here:

Reactions from X users were mixed but generally positive. One professional shared that their team had made comics to help teach Kannada and expressed happiness in doing so, noting that the language is easy once you get the hang of it.

Others praised the initiative as a great way to learn and foster inclusivity.

However, a few users questioned the focus on Kannada, suggesting that companies in Bengaluru might consider setting up offices in Tamil Nadu, given that many employees might be from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, or North India. Despite the differing opinions, the post highlighted a growing trend of embracing regional languages in workplaces.

This initiative comes amid the ongoing language debate in Bengaluru. The city, a melting pot of cultures and people from different states, has witnessed debates about the dominance of Kannada over other languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, with many residents calling for greater promotion of the regional language.