Why Is Learning Hindi Not Popular?



For a language that had descended from one of the oldest in the world, Hindi has also other credentials to make it to the top. It is spoken by more than half a billion people in the world (and growing). It is the dominant language used in dialogues and songs in Bollywood movies. Why then is learning Hindi not that popular?

Lack of resources

The world’s major publishers of language tutorial programs (Assimil, Pimsleur, Linguaphone) have managed to produce only the first level of Hindi language programs.
So far, there are only few universities in the U.S. offering Hindi language classes.

Some people feel this is caused by a lack of either resources or interest from the point of view of economic benefit. Even as India’s economy is picking up today, there seems to be no rush in learning Hindi, except for the normal steady growth of the number of students at language centers.

One pertinent reason given is that since English is the second official language in India, and that many Indians speak fluent English, there is no need for English speakers (including those from other countries) to learn Hindi.

Lack of incentives

When China’s economy grew, so did the influx of people from other countries wanting to learn Mandarin and do business in China. This is not replicated in India when the economy perked up.

Aside from the fact that not every Indian speaks Hindi (and many Indians having no desire whatsoever to learn Hindi), the country gets by with English, the second official language sanctioned by the Indian constitution.

In India, serious business is usually done in English. However, Hindi is the official language of the most backward of Indian states (Bihar, Rajastran, MP) where there is a large number of illiterates.

In the more advanced states of Gujarat,. Maharasthra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu, Hindi is not spoken. In Maharasthra, which is the center of Bollywood movies, Hindi is more associated with the movies and with vendors and street people.

Lack of interest

As of last count, there are at least 30 Pimsleur lessons for Vietnamese and only 10 for Hindi. Some pundits feel that the lack of interest in Hindi is not much on the economic factor but leans more onto the cultural aspect as well.

Current attitude also plays a good part in this apathy for Hindi. There had been anecdotes of Indian fathers discouraging their children to focus on Hindi as a language to learn.

Another consideration is that Hindi speakers are not so keen on defining their language and their culture through Hindi. Unlike most nations and other ethnic groups, Hindi speakers would rather revert to English if all else fails in their business negotiations, in the clarity of their speech and in other related communication processes.

Lastly, Hindi is alive and well yet it is not seen as the kind of key to India and its people like Mandarin to the Chinese or English to Americans and French to France.

Perhaps, there should be a review on why this cultural aspect of the language has been stagnant, even among its very people. As in any other language, to learn Hindi is to know the soul of India and its people.









Comments

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


My Articles

Why Is Learning Hindi Not Popular?
Learning Hindi – An Overview
Learn Hindi For Free
Learn Hindi Fast
Learn Behind Hindi Basics
Learn Hindi Through Phonology
Why Learn Hindi?
Learn From A Hindi Relative
Learn The Hindi Script
The US Supports Initiatives For People To Learn Hindi
Learn Hindi To Enjoy More Bollywood Movies
Learn Hindi From Its Counterpart
Learn Your Hindi
Before You Learn Hindi
Learn The Hindi Lit
Practical Tips That Could Help You Learn Hindi
Why Learn Hindi? Here Are The Reasons
How You Could Learn Hindi Effectively
Learn Hindi While Doing Usual Activities
Hindi Songs To Learn
Learn Behind The Hindi Silverscreen
Learn The Hindi Controversy
Some Inconveniences In Learning Hindi
Online Games That Could Help You Learn Hindi





   Related Sites

My Articles


Learn Hindi Fast Before getting into any initiatives to learn Hindi, you should set..


Practical Tips That Could Help You Learn Hindi Do you plan to learn Hindi? If it is not your native language, you would..


Learn Your Hindi Global solidarity may be a very idealistic concept but its..


Why Is Learning Hindi Not Popular? For a language that had descended from one of the oldest in the world, Hindi..



Related Products:

Related News:

 
No item elements found in rss feed.