Different ways to learn Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a classical language of South Asia belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting impact on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies.

Different ways to learn Sanskrit

1.Instructional Audio CDs

Audio CD courses sound too good to be true: pop in the CD on your drive home from work, and you’ll be speaking Sanskrit fluently in less time than it takes a Game of Thrones season to end. The truth is that audio courses actually work, but not in a passive manner the marketing material might lead you to believe.

Learning any language requires active involvement in a regulated process (no matter how simplified that process might be). Even with audio CDs, you will eventually have to put in some serious leg work, especially with a language as linguistically diverse as Sanskrit.  

2.Websites and online dictionaries

Many online dictionaries provide not only the definition of a word but also samples of phrases in which the word is employed in various circumstances. With practice, these can be quite useful in enhancing your Chinese communication abilities.

3.Software Applications

Interactivity, large peer communities, and relatively low cost have made software applications one of the most popular ways to learn Sanskrit. Different applications emphasize different learning methods. Supplemented with regular interaction with an actual native speaker, these software programs can be powerful learning tools because of the following reasons:

• Interactive Lessons: Interactivity increases engagement with the lesson and keeps students interested in the process. Some programs incorporate games, puzzles and stories to ensure faster learning.
• Learn at Your Own Pace: Lessons can be stopped, paused and repeated until you are comfortable – an obvious plus. Be warned though: this also enables unmotivated students to shelve the software when encountering difficult passages.
• Mobile Apps: Prominent software programs are also available on mobile and smartphones as dedicated apps. This means you no longer have to be tied to your desktop and can learn on the go.

4. Online Resources

A number of websites dedicated to the study of Sanskrit have emerged in the past few years. These sites offer the dynamic learning environment of private lessons along with the interactivity of software programs. Most are free, some cost as little as $0.90 for dedicated mobile apps. A few popular online resources are:

• Multibhashi.com: Multibhashi is an ed-tech platform that facilitates online learning in an effective and innovative manner through the medium of audio-visual training sessions and app-based learning. It is a leader in providing learning solutions in various spheres.
• Language Curry – Speak Indian: If you are someone who is highly intrigued and amused by Indian culture and its languages then, you shouldn’t give Language Curry a miss. Language Curry is free to download iOS App that helps you in learning different Indian Languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, etc.

5.YouTube: 

YouTube is an application that is available on smartphones. With YouTube there are so many videos or channels available which you can refer to improve your listening, reading, writing and speaking part in Sanskrit.

6. Other Methods

Besides the following, there are a bunch of other ways to learn Sanskrit as well, such as:

• Local Language Groups: Websites like Meetup.com facilitate meetings between like-minded people. It is easy to find Sanskrit language groups in your neighbourhood that can help you practice and learn the language.
• Learn from Native Speakers: Programs such as Amerispan.com help English language speakers learn Sanskrit by staying with native speakers. This is an excellent way to not just learn Sanskrit, but experience Latin American culture as well.

Learning Sanskrit is a lifelong process that requires a long-term commitment. Complete mastery requires that you not only learn Sanskrit in a classroom setting but understand its cultural contexts as well. Watching Sanskrit movies with subtitles, making Sanskrit-speaking friends, and even living in a Sanskrit-speaking environment for some time are some ways to keep up with the language. 

You can utilise any one or a combination of all of these online options to study or improve your Sanskrit, depending on what works best for you.

So keep learning.

All the best!!!