Best tips and tricks to learn the Hindi language.
Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in India. Hindi has been described as a standardised and Sanskritised register of the Hindustani language, which itself is based primarily on the Khariboli dialect of Delhi and neighbouring areas of Northern India. Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, is one of the two official languages of the Government of India, along with the English language. It is an official language in 9 States and 3 Union Territories and an additional official language in 3 other States. Hindi is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of the Republic of India.
Native to India, Hindi is spoken mostly in the Northern, Eastern, Western and Central India (Hindi Belt) regions. Hindi has over 322 million native speakers speaking Hindi as their first language, following closely at 270 million of people who speak it as their second language.
Hindi has travelled all over from the Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central Zone, Western Hindi, Hindustani Language family to finally being itself; HINDI! So, even if you are someone of European descent, Hindi has something to do with you!
Let's now look at some of the tips and tricks to help you learn the Hindi language better. Your first step in learning a language should be through listening.
Put your spare time to use
Listen to Hindi radios/ podcasts in your spare time – You could also listen to Hindi podcasts, audiobooks, Hindi song playlists, on Spotify, YouTube, and many such apps with/without downloading while washing the car, walking a dog, waiting for the train, anywhere when you can find some time!
Watch Movies
Bollywood Movies are a rage, watch them! Some of which are available in English subtitles too! Watch Hindi soaps, talk shows, food channels, just about anything of your interest, to develop your listening skills and keep away from reading and writing as of now.
Don’t jump to reading just now!
Repeat the audio that you have heard previously, all over again, because there is a natural tendency to miss a number of words and phrases the first time, so when you listen to it the second time you will be able to catch many more phrases and words. Try that will most, one at a time. This will also help you train your ears to listen to Hindi words!
Find a Hindi language native speaker to speed up speaking
There are plenty of websites offering you language/ conversation exchange programs. You can join anyone that suits your schedule to improve your Hindi speaking. Such as italki, languageexchange, conversationexchange etc. Alternatively, get connected to your local Hindi community to start speaking. Don’t worry about making mistakes, they will be soon a thing of the past!
Put Social media to thorough use
Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, you can put all of these to very good use and find many lessons that help you learn the language free of cost.
Look for an online tutor
Hindi Language learners who wish to develop a serious interest in mastering the language must opt for a more organized, structured and disciplined format of study that comes with a teacher. You could opt for 30mins at a minimum going up to two hours at a stretch whenever you are comfortable.
In the next step, I invite you to start reading.
Reading is a great way to improve your language skill. Start with simpler, day to day used sentences and slowly move on to kids’ storybooks, short stories subsequently to larger articles, newspapers, magazines or novels based on your lines of interest. If you are someone who spends time online, reading blogs in Hindi is also a great option.
Use your devices, smartphones, social networking sites smartly
Change the language of your devices, FB, Insta, accounts, handset to Hindi. This would give you an opportunity to repeatedly see the most commonly used words in everyday life.
Once you have progressed a little in listening, speaking and reading, it’s time to coordinate all acquired skills to writing!
Label objects in your home
Paste a post-it that bears the name of each object in your house, on the respective objects in the kitchen, study, living rooms etc.
Practising
Although a little old school, writing something is also a great method of learning Hindi. We remember things better when we write them. Find opportunities to write in Hindi. A personal journal in Hindi, a diary that collects all phrases you find in Hindi to further enhance your vocabulary is something you must do now. Keep a dictionary handy!
Finally,
Each individual is different and they accordingly have a unique method of learning depending on several factors such as availability of time, support from home, the necessity to learn, and many more. While I strongly recommend you identify a learning method that enhances your learning and speeds it up a multitude of times, we request you also bear in mind that, there are no right or wrong methods to learn a language. Remember, in addition to the method, your need/ desire to learn Hindi, is the key to keep you going in the face of adversities. If you have a strong reason to learn the language, are dedicated and consistent, nothing can stop you from learning Hindi!