How to learn Hindi well without a teacher?

First of all, I am extremely happy to write this article with the hope that there are still young boys and girls who want to speak in Hindi. Otherwise, though Hindi is our national and official language most of the kids going to posh schools take pride in speaking in English or maybe in Italian also but clench their nose with the fact that they have to speak in Hindi! Being a teacher and a parent myself, I believe people should take pride in what is their own and then emulating others customs and language can happen at any time. India, as a country has always believed in ‘Unity in Diversity’ and this diversity, is particularly seen in the usage of Hindi where the dialect changes depending on the region.

Start with alphabets and small words- Since it is a language taught in schools in India as early as from class one, you can get cheap books that are sold in flea markets or through Amazon. These books can teach you basic two letters or 4 letter words. In fact, if you are planning to visit India and you want to learn Hindi for travelling then these books may give you names of veggies and basic food items which can make your survival easy. I would strongly recommend investing into a pocket dictionary, so that you may increase your vocabulary from any corner of this world.

Movies- Movies are a one-stop shop for learning a language and again it’s a great source of pride that Bollywood has an international market. In fact, if you pick up a movie like Bahubali or a movie like Badlapur – you will see the difference of dialect and how they are spoken depending on the context or region. The best part about learning Hindi is that-unlike a foreign language you won’t have to spend a fortune. Initially when you start to learn Hindi please do not dive into the intricacies of Grammar. Try to watch Hindi movies with English subtitles and pause after every 20mins and check if you can get the gist or some familiar words.

Self-learning is possible- Thanks to social media now everything is available at your fingertips. E-books and Youtube videos can be downloaded and some of the free apps like Duolingo, Anki and Memrise – can also teach you in a play-way method. Though I personally feel learning from a trainer has a long-standing effect but yes basic Hindi like name of the days, greeting techniques etc, can be brushed through these apps. In fact, in Facebook, you may join a Hindi-speaking community where you can easily get a partner, with whom you may start chatting right away without spending a dime.

Reading and writing- The old school techniques of reading and writing has no substitute. Of course, in a technologically advanced society people would beg to differ, however as a teacher myself, when you start writing in a piece of paper, automatically it will have a long-standing effect on your mind. Written Hindi is graceful and if you have started reading basic Hindi then India has a great collection of children’s stories. Firstly, these books look less intimidating and easily affordable! Secondly, you may start by reading them aloud and recording yourself to check the pronunciation. Thirdly, you may develop the habit of writing 5 Hindi words daily from these books.

Though the metropolitan culture of India is propagating English as the language of the intellectuals but if you look deeper at Hindi though it differs in terms of dialects and regions, it represents the soul of our country. Saying ‘Namaste’ and bowing our head in front of the guests and elders- have crafted a niche for us for a long time and that’s where the essence and pride of Hindi stands. I am sure with these tips you will plunge into the learning of Hindi and in no time, you will see yourself embracing not only the language but the culture itself.

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