Hindi is a standardized version of the Hindustani language, a pluricentric language that also comprises modern Urdu. With 370 million native speakers and 490 million fluent speakers worldwide, Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world, which makes it easy to learn Hindi language given the large number of native speakers.
How to Learn Hindi Online
Although not as many as with other languages, there are plenty online tools to help you learn Hindi. From reading materials to practical exercises or games, every piece of knowledge on the web can be used to your advantage. We gathered the best resources that comprise these methods of how to learn Hindi language to give you an idea about how easy this can be.
If you are determined to give these Hindi lessons a chance, you can find links to all of the courses mentioned in this article at the end of this page.
Learning Hindi Online – Basic Conversation Skills
Basic Hindi knowledge is not a must when traveling to India or when meeting with a potential business partner who is a Hindi native speaker. However, like in many other cultures, knowing at least a few words of your conversation companion’s native language is a sign of respect and will earn their admiration.
Learning conversational Hindi is a relatively quick process if you only stick to pronunciation of the most used words or expressions. However, for a learning experience to be successful it takes perseverance on your side, and an intuitive and natural structure for the platform of your choice. Here are the best online tools to learn Hindi language at conversational level:
Hindi Courses on Loecsen
Loecsen is an online language learning platform created mainly for travelers that want to learn the basics of a new language. It uses illustrations and other visual aids to efficiently underline nuances or words that have no English equivalent, or situations where each expression is suitable. This makes it a relaxed learning environment that can be easily followed by adults and kids.
It comprises Hindi lessons on common expression for communicating with hotel personnel, shopkeepers, or locals in general. The web version and also offers pronunciation audio examples for each expression or word. In addition, .mp3 and .pdf files which contain advanced notions and expressions are available for download. Users can test their knowledge and understanding through quizzes at the end of each section and at the end of the course.
Loecsen’s Hindi courses promises a basic understanding of conversational Hindi, decent pronunciation, and swiftness in choosing the right words and expressions for each situation. It is the best way to learn Hindi language for travelers or those who want to start with the basics and then consider if Hindi learning online is for them.
Avashy’s Hindi Script Tutor
The Hindi Script Tutor by Avashy is a simple tool that’s great for beginners who want to learn Hindi online. It encompasses the Devanagari script and emphasizes differences between consonants that sound similar to non-native Hindi speakers, making it a great tool for learning to read and understand spoken Hindi. It also focuses on writing and shows practical and detailed examples of how each of the 40 characters should be drawn.
If Avashy’s tool to learn Hindi language has a downside, it’s the design. Although user-friendly, many might say it seems old-fashioned and ‘90s-esque. However, it is a thorough way to learn Hindi and understand native speakers.
Learn Advanced Hindi Online
Although Hindi uses the Devanagari alphabet which can be confusing at first, it is actually very similar to English when looking into their grammar and the mechanism words are formed through. If basic conversational skills are not enough for you, check out these effective ways to learn Hindi language at advanced levels:
Rosetta Stone’s Online Hindi Course
Rosetta Stone is a famous language learning platform that offers a complete advanced course to learn Hindi online or offline. Both option promise an intuitive learning process with no translation required by using natural language learning methods (i.e. connecting images with words or feelings). They provide more than 200 hours of interactive content, and pronunciation training assisted by the Rosetta Stone speech recognition feature.
Rosetta Stone’s Hindi course covers basic conversational skills and advanced topics like:
- Health and wellbeing;
- Weight, size, length;
- Cultural notions and concepts;
- Political and economic terms and information;
- Work and study notions.
The downloadable Hindi lessons also includes a smart feature that estimates when certain concepts or notions need to be revised to properly learn them. The software can be downloaded and installed on 2 computers with a maximum of 5 users for each device. This version is meant for those who want to deeply learn Hindi at their own pace.
For those who want to thoroughly learn Hindi quicker, the complete online course with mobile apps is the right choice. Online sessions with specialized tutors are meant to refine knowledge and pronunciation learnt throughout their courses, which students can later use to communicate with other Hindi learners from the Rosetta Stone program. The complete Hindi course seems to be the best choice, however offline learning is not available unless you have an iPhone or iPad.
Lean Advanced Hindi with VerbalPlanet
VerbalPlanet is a flexible and user-friendly language learning platform that connects avid learners in need of tutoring with native speakers. This results in interactive classes which include live conversations in Hindi, feedback from an experienced tutor, and a tailor-made Hindi learning online experience. Unlike language learning software, VerbalPlanet offers one-to-one interaction which makes the process personal and high-quality.
The platform is free to join and each tutor can set their own prices for a lesson or a whole course. Skype is the only software needed to communicate with the tutors, and it’s free. The variety of tutors from different locations makes it easy and convenient to learn Hindi no matter what schedule you have.
If you want to thoroughly learn Hindi language, this is one of the best tools at your disposal. The rating system for tutors allows you to choose the best one for you, taking into account their availability and overall student satisfaction.
When this article was written, Shachi Chotia had a 100% approval rating from the users whom she assisted over time, making her the best Hindi tutor on the web. Like many others, she offers a free 30-minute test lesson to identify a student’s knowledge in Hindi (if any) and to determine the compatibility. You can find a link to her public VerbalPlanet profile at the end of this article.
Click here for a larger version
Learning Hindi is said to be easier than expected. Each course mentioned above and linked below has great reviews from thousands of users, which guarantee they work for many people who take enough interest in them. However, there is no surefire way to learn Hindi. The best one for you is determined by your learning style and your motivation.
Links to the tools mentioned in this article:
- Hindi Courses on Loecsen.
- Avashy’s Hindi Script Tutor.
- Learn Advanced Hindi with VerbalPlanet.
- Shachi Chotia’s tutor profile.
- Rosetta Stone’s Online Hindi Course.
- Bonus reading practice material: BBC in Hindi.
Leave a Reply