What is the best place to learn Hindi in India?
Learning Hindi in India is one of the best decisions you could make, as you benefit from excellent tuition from native speakers and invaluable immersion in the language. But, if you can’t make it to India yet, or want to continue learning when you return, there are also a number of online options for learning Hindi. Most importantly, while all students have the goal of speaking Hindi we all have different preferences of learning, different standards for housing, different reasons for learning Hindi and most importantly different budgets!
By studying Hindi in India, you could immerse yourself fully in a new language. As one of the national languages of India, you could hear Hindi almost anywhere you travel within the country. This could have you testing your new language skills as part of your daily routine. While homework and in-class exercises are helpful, having to speak your new language to order food or chat with your neighbours is a whole different experience. By applying your skills directly to your everyday tasks, you could have the chance to continually practice and develop them. This could be a quick way to become proficient! There are so many reasons why you should learn an Indian language. Whether it’s because of India’s rising economic and geopolitical status, its incredible culture, including Bollywood films and music, or personal connections in India or at home, you have a lot to gain from even a basic understanding of an Indian language such as Hindi.
Learning Hindi is the best place to start, as it’s the most widely spoken Indian language in India and abroad by the Indian diaspora:
Rosemount’s Institute of Languages (Dehradun) – Rosemount is a neat little Hindi school at the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun. It offers full-time courses and they’ll pair you up with other foreigners at the same level as you – else you’ll have one-on-one lessons which are about $125 USD a week (4 hours of class a day Monday to Friday).
Hindi Guru (Panchsheel Park) – The facilities were very basic but the teacher was good and I enjoyed the classes. I was in a group of 8 people taking a beginners Hindi course. The courses are structured and they provide you with course materials. This is the best option if you want to learn in Delhi – just find accommodation near to their locations. The prices are Rs.700 per hour.
Zabaan Language Institute – Zabaan offers high-quality teaching to small groups of between 3 and 10 with the option to do intensive, full-time study or less intensive night classes, depending on your needs. A four week intensive course with sixty hours of classes (two 90-minute classes a day, five days a week) which costs 24,000 rupees.
Landour Language School – The school’s greatest asset is its flexibility and affordability. The ability to choose your own classes, teachers and schedule means that you very literally get out what you put in. The classes are for 50 minutes. Students can be enrolled for as long or short a time as they like (with a minimum of two weeks) so students can take it at their own pace.
with Purple standing for core Hindi belt and Pink referring to 2nd language Hindi speakers
Finally,
Learning Hindi in both online and offline modes can prove to be fun for you. It’s always beneficial to be bilingual. We’ve discussed some offline ways in this blog. If you wish to know about the online ways of learning Hindi, read our other blogs.