Here's well documented post by Maddy (Manmathan) in his Blog "Historic Alleys" about Vedic learning by "Namboothiri Brahmins" in Kerala even today followed. Since this is a lengthy post I give below the URL only. Those interested please open the link and read the article to know how difficult it is to learn Vedas in the traditional method.
feedproxy.google.com
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

The Mutts of Trichur and Tirunavaya – Seats of Vedic learning in Kerala
A place where you can find articles covering the history of Malabar from the earliest of times, as well as its people and personalities.
Bangalore.