Center for Global & International Studies

Hindi Language

KU offers 6 semesters of Hindi. Please consult the appropriate class schedule for time and location.

Lecturer: Dr. Geetanjali Tiwari (gtiwari@ku.edu).

FALL Semester:	SPRING Semester:
HNDI 110 (5 hrs) Elementary Hindi I	HNDI 120 (5 hrs) Elementary Hindi Il
HNDI 210 (3 hrs) Intermediate Hindi I	HNDI 220 (3 hrs) Intermediate Hindi II
HNDI 310 (3 hrs) Advanced Hindi I	HNDI 320 (3 hrs) Advanced Hindi II

 

"Learning a new language is not as simple as learning how to pronounce characters and organize sentences. It requires learning how to think in a new way, maneuver effectively in an unfamiliar culture, and become open to understanding your world in ways that may not be familiar or convenient. What I think is so rare and remarkable about Dr. Tiwari’s teaching method, is how she encourages us students to grow as people. She promotes working and learning for our own intellectual benefit, and thinking outside of academia and our own cultural habits in order to challenge ourselves to be better students both in and out of class. These are the best and most important things a professor can really give, and for that I believe Dr. Tiwari has changed my college experience for the better."

---

Hindi Table at KU
Every Tuesday
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Kansas Union (sitting area at the main entrance from JayHawk Blvd on the 4th floor)

This is an opportunity to come and get a chance to practice listening and speaking Hindi with other people including some native speakers, Hindi students and others who are interested. I encourage native Hindi speakers to come so that you can help with conversations in Hindi.

You can use this time to do Hindi homework too if you wish as a group and get to practice saying things aloud. You are also welcome to eat lunch there with others at the Hindi Table.

 

---

 

Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world, after Chinese and English. It is the major language of India, home of the Indus Valley Civilization and now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Learning Hindi opens a vast and new horizon to one of the oldest, richest and vibrant cultures and philosophies in the world.

Born out of Sanskrit, one of the most grammatically systematic languages ever created, Hindi has distinct advantages in being one of the easiest languages to present and learn. Hindi is the vernacular language indigenous to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and the capital State of Delhi. With the exception of the four southernmost states, where Dravidian languages are spoken, a person with background in Hindi can barely manage in all other reaches of India. This is because languages such as Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi and Bengali also bear relations to Sanskrit and share similarities with the Devanagari script, the script for Sanskrit and Hindi. India has an ancient and rich literary tradition, and most literary works authored in regional Indian languages are translated into Hindi. Outside of India, Hindi is spoken in Nepal and Pakistan, as well as in diaspora communities of Fiji, Mauritius, Surinam, Trinidad, Tobago, and Guyana.

Left: Colors on sale on a roadside for 'Holi' - the festival of colors in spring. Right: Lecturer's mother preparing "samosas," a traditional spicy and crispy snack very popular in India.

   

India is a land of diversity in terms of geography, people, cultures, cuisines and languages. Twenty nine languages are spoken by several million native speakers each in India, yet most of these speakers also speak Hindi, the official language of India.

Although in big Indian cities one can manage with English alone, the true gateway to India can only come through knowledge of the local languages, most of which are closely related to Hindi. Hindi is the best path for gaining an in-depth understanding of Indian history, culture, politics, spirituality, art, music and psyche. Through knowledge of Hindi a reader can reach the original sources of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, all of which were born in India.

 

Career Opportunities

As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with a global dominance of software professionals, India is now attracting numerous international businesses from all over the globe.

T.N. Ninan, the editor of Business Standard, a financial daily that sells 184,000 copies daily, says, "The last few years have seen a rapid growth of Hindi newspaper readership." India is also becoming a magnet for international research centers and universities for research focused on India. Both these influxes are expected to generate job opportunities for bilingual and bicultural people capable of understanding and working within Indian conditions.

 

Objectives of Teaching Hindi

       
In addition to developing basic language skills, Elementary and Intermediate Hindi classes will be very interactive that seek to instill, an understanding of Indian culture, geography, peoples, family life, wildlife, philosophy, music, and yoga, through use of visuals, related media and personal stories by the lecturer.

 

About the Lecturer

"Geetanjali Tiwari has a Ph.D. in anthropology and a master's degree in wildlife ecology. She was born and raised mostly in India and has worked on various research projects in India, including ecotourism, wildlife filming, illegal trade in wildlife, herpetology, and large mammal conservation. Her current research focus is on social and economic explanations for polyandry [when a woman has multiple husbands] in Kinnaur, a high-altitude Himalayan community in India. Although she is also a full-time mother of two, she remains in continuous contact with Kinnaur and returns regularly to conduct field research." -- As quoted in: Intimacies: Love and Sex Across Cultures. Edited by W.R. Jankowiak, Columbia University Press, 2008.

 

Other Resources

"The Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center (EGARC) at KU houses numerous movies from India including several award winning movies by well known directors. EGARC also has documentary movies related to South Asia. Each year new movies are added to the collection. Students can check the digital catalogue and availability of these movies online.

Study Abroad Programs to India

New Hindi Immersion Study Abroad Program to India in Summer 2012 (July 1 to August 11, 2012). This new Study Abroad program will allow students experience the country and its cultures first hand. Students will live with chosen Indian families and learn to talk, cook, garden, sing and dance, do yoga or any other activity with locals. Along with daily Hindi language classes students will be taken to several several temples, archeological sites, performing arts events and places of natural beauty each week.

For more information go to: http://india.ku.edu/hindiimmersion/index.shtml OR contact gtiwari@ku.edu

Apply Now

Other currently existing study abroad programs to India by Dr. Geetanjali Tiwari: http://india.ku.edu/index.shtml