Is it worth taking 3 Sanskrit classes?
Sanskrit retraces its linguistic ancestry as proto-Indo-Iranian and eventually as proto-Indo-European, so the people who spoke Indo-Iranian and called Arian as well as Indo-European languages are historically traceable, as well as the families of several hundred related languages and dialects. It is estimated that 46% of human beings speak an Indo-European language today. English, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian are the most widely spoken Indo-European languages, each spoken with more than 100 million speakers.
Sanskrit is a difficult language no doubt.
And it demands a lot of time and effort. With its growing popularity amongst the masses more and more people are flocking the quiet hamlets of Mattur and the Hosahalli, also known as the last surviving places or flag bearers of Sankrit in the world. These hamlets situated in Karnataka India have managed to keep the Sanskrit language alive so far. You would see Sanskrit being spoken by a milkman, vegetable vendor, toddler playing on the road to even people driving bikes talking on cellphones in Sanskrit. Sanskrit was primarily the language of the elite but ever since a call by a village priest to all, to adopt the language, it was graciously taken as a way of life by all residents alike.
If you wish to study Sanskrit the best way is a travel immersion where you can travel to India and spend few days amongst locals at Mattur and Hosahalli, enrol yourself in a Sanskrit language school there and learn the language as its spoken.
Alternatively, you could take up one structured online or onsite class with a teacher trainer. In my opinion that is more than enough, however, if you don’t feel confident enough or need more practice, I suggest you log in online to subscribe to supplemental classes. You could log into sites that aid you with pronunciations just as you get stuck in hours when your trainer is not available or read through articles to increase your knowledge and vocabulary. You can also go online to sites that help you test your knowledge by means of assessments and tests!
And that should primarily be about it. Taking 3 different classes will randomize you and you will not be able to meet the target expectations of any, frustrating yourself. Thus I suggest if you wish to take up one mainstream class and addon support classes that lead you to practise thereby contributing to your goal. Never try taking 3 classes at the same time with different teachers as it will discourage you when you aren’t able to manage a clash of information. Each class will have its own curriculum and when learning a new language for the first time ensure you know what you are doing clearly.
Finally,
Sanskrit is a standardised old Indo-Aryan dialect, dating back to 1700–1200 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is considered to have been the general language of the great Indian Subcontinents in ancient times as one of the oldest Indo-European languages for which substantial documentation exists. It is still being used in Hindu religious rituals, Buddhist anthems, songs and texts of Jain. To learn Sanskrit from the best of best trainers I suggest you have a look at Multibhashi classes. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.