Sanskrit language
This language is spoken in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. World’s oldest language is Sanskrit. The Sanskrit language has been spoken since 5,000 years before Christ. Sanskrit is still the official language of India.
Sanskrit is one of the oldest known languages over thousands of years. It is also called “Dev Vani” the language of gods, as it is said that Brahma introduced this language to the Sages of celestial bodies. It is believed that the Sanskrit language came from the Indo-European language family of the Indian subcontinent.
Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and Buddhism and Jainism’s historical texts. It was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia. 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.
How long does it take to learn Sanskrit? How long did it take you to learn Sanskrit from scratch?
I hear these questions quite often. There is no simple answer.
The duration depends on the purpose of learning the language. If you want to learn Sanskrit to understand the ancient scriptures and texts, it will take around six months to 1 or maybe two years, Whereas if you’re going to learn spoken Sanskrit, it will take you around 3-4 months.
Several factors can influence how long it takes to learn a language.
Things to keep in mind
1. How to learn the Sanskrit language quickly?
Learning any language usually requires a period of at least 3 to 4 months. However, if you wish to learn Sanskrit quickly, then you’ll have to develop a habit of practicing the Sanskrit language daily, giving at least 2-3 hours.
2. How many hours a day will you spend with Sanskrit?
This is perhaps the most important consideration and does not refer to how many hours do you spend in a Sanskrit language classroom. It means how much time do you spend listening, reading, speaking, or writing in Sanskrit. It can be listening to podcasts while walking the dog, reading, watching movies, listening to songs, radio or being engaged in a conversation in Sanskrit. In some ways, exposure to Sanskrit outside the classroom can be more intense than exposure inside the classroom, unless you are lucky enough to have one-on-one instruction.
If one person spends 2 hours a day then it amounts to 182 days means 6 months . If another person spends one hour a day in Sanskrit, it will take 365 days, or around a year. If you spend less than an hour a day, it will take much longer.
3. Do you speak a language that is similar to Sanskrit?
Similarity can apply to vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation. Hindi is very similar to Sanskrit in terms of vocabulary and grammar but somewhat different in terms of sounds. Tamil is also similar to Sanskrit in terms of pronunciation, but quite different in terms of vocabulary and grammar. Hindi -speaking people will learn to understand quickly but may speak with a heavy accent. They would take a much longer time to learn Sanskrit, even though they can acquire good pronunciation almost immediately.
The greatest advantage comes from the degree of similarity of vocabulary. Sanskrit and Hindi share a lot of vocabulary. Most of the words are of common Brahma origin. Acquiring new vocabulary is the most time-consuming part of language learning. It simply takes a long time to get used to new words. When we begin a language, the new sounds and the unique combinations of sounds seem strange. Sanskrit has fewer sounds than Hindi, and it can seem as if all these Sanskrit words resemble each other. For the brain to get used to this takes time. However, as a speaker of Hindi, you have a head start.
It also takes time for our brains to get used to the structures of a new language.
4. How much do you like Sanskrit?
Do you like the sounds of Sanskrit? you like something about the history or the culture of countries where they speak Sanskrit? Do you have Sanskrit-speaking friends? Do you like movies or TV programs or music in Sanskrit? Do you have a favorite Sanskrit-speaking singer or movie star?
The more you can answer yes to these questions, the faster you will learn. Language learning engages many parts of our brains. Your emotional commitment to a new language not only influences how hard you study but also influences the efficiency of your learning.
5. How confident are you that you will learn to become a fluent speaker of Sanskrit?
Is it even your goal to become a fluent speaker? If you are simply hoping to learn a few phrases, this will not take long. If, on the other hand, you want to become fluent, you must believe you can do it. That is why experienced language learners, who have learned other languages, often do better in new languages. They have done it before. They know they can do it.
Your attitude will have a determining influence on your language learning progress. Your determination to succeed and your commitment to staying the course will depend largely on whether you can visualize yourself achieving fluency, even before you achieve.
In fact, when you begin your learning, you should have a clear picture of the result. Imagine conversing freely with Sanskrit speakers and enjoying books, movies, and television programs in the language. Once you can engage in these activities, however imperfectly at first, your Sanskrit language skills will just take off.
If you have not yet had the experience of having become fluent in another language, give yourself the benefit of the doubt. If you want to climb a mountain, and don’t think you can make it to the top, then chances are you won’t.
ALL THE BEST!!
