Learning Hindi (9780804857475)

Learn to speak Hindi quickly!

This book teaches you the basics of the Hindi language, including practical daily conversations and vocabulary. It enables you to begin communicating effectively from the very first day. All Hindi words and sentences are given in the native script and romanized words, with English translations.

Useful notes and explanations on pronunciation, the Hindi script, greetings and requests, basic sentence patterns and vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and etiquette dos and don'ts are all included. A useful bi-directional dictionary of commonly-used Hindi words and phrases is provided at the back.

Key features of this book include:

• Carefully constructed lessons designed for beginning adult learners
• Basic sentence patterns and vocabulary used in daily conversations
• Suitable for self-study learners as well as beginner level classes
• Hindi script and romanized versions of all Hindi texts with English translations
• Cultural notes for understanding Indian customs and norms

Free native-speaker audio recordings of the dialogues, vocabulary and exercises are available online teaching the reader to pronounce the Hindi words and phrases in the book correctly. Free printable flash cards are also available for further practice.


About the Author:
Brajesh Samarth is a Senior Lecturer and Language Coordinator in Hindi-Urdu at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, USA. His research examines the processes of identity maintenance through language in the Indian diaspora. He has extensively studied Hindi-Urdu literature and music including South Asian diaspora poetry, Dastangoi (the lost art of Urdu storytelling), storytelling through Phad painting, Sufism, Yoga, and cultural symbolism related to Rajasthani turbans. He holds a Ph.D. in linguistics, and has taught Hindi and Urdu in various language programs such as the School for International Training in Jaipur, Stanford University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.