Introduction:

Hindi or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in India. Hindi has been described as a standardized and Sanskritised register of the Hindustani language, which itself is based primarily on the Khariboli dialect of Delhi and neighboring areas of Northern India. Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, is one of the two official languages of the Government of India, along with the English language. It is an official language in 9 States and 3 Union Territories and an additional official language in 3 other States. Hindi is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of the Republic of India. 

Learning a language like Hindi is an amazing process, and every stage of it can be very fulfilling. But time is money, and although we would all love to have limitless time to improve our language skills, the truth is that our personal and professional life leave little time to learn a language. And let’s face it: whether it be for an upcoming vacation to Delhi or a business trip to Mumbai, you want to be fluent in conversational Hindi as fast as possible.

• Your Previous Language Learning Experiences

If you already speak a foreign language or were raised bilingual, you may save yourself some time as you learn Hindi. Bilinguals find it easier to learn a third language, as several linguistic studies have proven. This is because they are naturally more accustomed to being exposed to different languages. Fluency and skills in one language aid fluency and skills in another.

Just being exposed to different languages–especially when one of those languages is the language you wish to learn–can make language learning faster.

• The Language You Are Learning

As a general rule, languages that have similar roots are easier and take less time to learn. The Hindi language has Sanskrit roots. Sanskrit comes from the Indo-European group of languages, which caters to a whole range of language groups: Slavic, Iranian, Germanic, Baltic, etc. Sanskrit gave birth to a lot of other Indian languages other than Hindi.

Even though Hindi has completely different roots, there are still a lot of English words that remain the same as Hindi. These words can save you time when learning some Hindi vocabulary.

Let’s take a look at some of them:

• Loot – लूट
• Shampoo – शैम्पू
• Thug – ठग
• Chutney – चटनी
• Jungle – जंगल
• Khaki – खाकी

These words are definitely your friends and can make learning some Hindi vocabulary much easier and faster.  

• How You Are Learning

Your learning methods also play an important role in how fast you learn Hindi. If your language learning is limited to a classroom setting, then it will probably take you a little longer to learn.

If, however, you also are exposed to Hindi outside of classes, then you can cut down the time needed to learn it. Learning through online apps, Reading, listening to the radio or eBooks, speaking, watching Hindi movies, and traveling to India can all help to speed up your learning process.

We also recommend taking advantage of today’s technology to spice your daily life up with some Hindi elements! 

• The Time Dedicated to Learning

Naturally, how long it takes you to learn Hindi also depends on how much time you plan to dedicate to language learning daily, weekly, or monthly. Studies have proven that learners who are willing to dedicate an hour a day to language learning–whether that be by studying grammar, memorizing vocabulary, watching a movie, or reading a book–learn significantly faster than those who just attend a weekly class.

• Your Attitude

Your attitude also plays a huge role in how fast you learn Hindi. If you approach language learning with a positive attitude and see it as a fun and fascinating opportunity to broaden your horizons, you’ll be more open to learning.  

• Your Motivation

It’s no secret that staying motivated is key to learning a new language. There have been so many studies proving the importance of motivation in language learning. Staying motivated is the number one reason why many people have language success, and also the number one reason why some fail.

Reminding yourself why you want to learn Hindi, how it will improve your life, and everything good that can come from learning it can help you to stay motivated and, therefore, speed up the time necessary to learn it.

According to the FSI, the closer a language is to your native language, the faster you will learn that language. It will take you around 1,100 hours to learn it.

Hindi may be one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn, but that makes it all the more rewarding!

Apart from this, It really depends on your situation and your purpose in learning the language. Do you want to learn it because you want to work as a language translator you might want to consider a proper course in the language? However, if you want to learn the language for day-to-day use it is much easier.

Considering all the factors that are very much essential and many key factors, it is estimated that a person requires 1-2 hours of daily practice at least for six months. Well, depending on your requirement and current level it could also be that you require three months. Some may even take a year.

• Factors that decide the duration

Commitment: dedication is of utmost importance. Only if you do your work religiously, is when you see the output. The results work in your favor. Now you would ask that, if you do it with the desired dedication, then how much time will it take? Well, the answer would still depend on many different factors. We will discuss that.

The duration also depends on your level. If you know nothing about Hindi and want to learn to speak fluently it would take a good amount of time. At least six months. But there is no single factor to it. Along with this factor, there has to be a combination of effort, dedication, daily practice and revision.

Also, consider these tips while learning to speak fluently.

Do not lose hope: You may at one point feel like giving up because it’s too difficult or things don’t go into your head. But you need to keep ongoing. Take a break if you want but do not give up.

Motivate yourself daily: This is a bright way of going on. Read or listen to motivational speakers. Listen to stories of people who don’t give up. Learn from their experiences.

Revise: It will take a long period to achieve fluency, but in this long journey, don’t forget to revise. As you move ahead you may tend to forget what you have already learned. Revising will help you maintain the basics you have already attained.

Increase the number of hours: Eventually, you will have to increase the number of hours you have dedicated. Because as you learn more and more things about the language, you will also have to revise. So learn and revise.

If you already know the basics of the  Hindi language, still the major and important part of speaking fluently is left. This is the part that requires a lot of hard work and consistency. It will still require 3-4 months.

If you know the language well, it would require at least two months.

Speaking requires a lot of continuous effort and dedication. This data given doesn’t guarantee you to become fluent in this time period. I repeat it all varies from person to person and the amount of hard work and effort.

So don’t lose hope. Start learning!!! All the best