English to Tamil

Congratulations on the start of your Tamil to English journey. Since we are on the lens, I know that you are able to read and write English. I can also assume that like millions of other people, you are fluent in your mother tongue, Tamil, but hesitate while speaking English. Let's work together to become better English speakers. Let's look at the different options you have and how effective each of these are -

English Speaking Guaranteed Books (in Tamil)
The short answer to this question is NO. Now the reason is that since you are able to read this page, it means that you are not a complete beginner to the language. Books are helpful for people just starting out learning a language. A book which converts commonly used Tamil phrases to English will not help you because you already know those phrases. Where you need help is become confident in speaking English where a book can only offer tips but no practical help.

Is the Google translation tool the solution to learn English through Tamil?
Google Translate is a great tool for people looking to convert webpages or text into another language to understand the meaning. But I feel that it is not the best tool to help you overcome your hesitation in English. Google Translate is better than a Tamil to English and English to Tamil dictionary because you can not only translate words but also full sentences. However, it is still not a perfect product as sometimes there are very obvious mistakes.

Ever tried English classes?
English conversation classes are held in every nook and corner of most Indian cities. You might have even joined such classes. Were they useful? Well, there are useful for many people provided that the whole conversation class in held in English and both the teacher and students are not allowed to use a single word of Tamil during the class. What happens in many small English coaching centers is that the students only learn to translate a few Tamil phrases to English. These classes should be avoided. Try to join spoken English classes where the mode of instruction is English. Of course, your budget and convenience are also an important factor.

Writing in Tamil script and reading in English OR Thinking in Tamil and translating to English
Have you ever written an English speech in Tamil? Lot of people do this feeling that this will help them speak English fluently. I don't think this is very helpful in learning to speak English fluently. At the most, this will help you get through one speech. But it will not add much value in the long term where your goal should be to be comfortable having conversations in English.
Like many language learners, do you also think in Tamil and translate to English? This is unavoidable for most learners as they are conditioned to think in their mother tongue. However, since there is a time involved in thinking and then translating in your head, you are not able to get the requisite fluency. Don't despair - thinking in English will take time but as you get more comfortable in English, your fluency will most definitely increase.

There a quite a few free resources available on the internet which will help you learn English through Tamil. Tamilpadi.com and Tamildict.com are two good Tamil to English and English to Tamil dictionaries. Other sites like Tamilcube.com and Vengayam.net are also good. However, the moot point that remains is that do you really need these dictionaries or translation resources. What I feel that you really need is a website which helps you learn English through English . One such website in Englishleap.com which is an Indian site and is based on a methodology best suited for Indian learners.

I hope you found the tips in this lens useful. Remember you are responsible for mastering the English language. The most important tip is practice, practice and more practice. Talk in English as much as you can and before you know it, you will be a confident English speakers and will be able to talk fluently in all situations.