Learn why you should learn Hindi
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| Hi! |
| Welcome to Introduction to Hindi. |
| My name is Alisha and I'm joined by... |
| Hi everyone. |
| I'm Venus! |
| In this series, you'll learn everything you need to know to get started learning Hindi. |
| That's right! |
| And we're here to help guide you through your journey. |
| In this lesson, you'll learn the reasons why you should start learning a new language, why you should specifically learn Hindi, and how to get started. |
| Why should you learn a new language? |
| There are countless reasons, but perhaps the biggest one of all is that it could actually change your life! Learning a new language unlocks new pathways that are off limits to you now. |
| There are certain things that you simply cannot do without having the technical or cultural skills that come from learning a new language. |
| Like working or living in another country! |
| Knowing another language provides you with greater job opportunities. You have the freedom to move to another country halfway around the world and earn a living, or better yet, build a career from it – instead of just being stuck in one place. |
| Language allows you to visit or live in places that you may never even have considered going. Knowing another language simply gives you more options to choose from. |
| And learning a new language also helps you to be more open-minded and see the world from a new perspective. |
| Language and culture go hand in hand. The world is a big place, and by broadening your understanding of other cultures, it allows you to be more empathetic and understanding of the many different ways that people live their lives. With language, you're able to see and experience more, which helps you grow as a person. |
| Learning a new language also improves your memory. |
| Studies have consistently shown that those who study another language have improved memory as opposed to those who didn't. Learning another language also keeps your brain healthy by significantly delaying the onset of Alzheimer's and Dementia. This difference can mean as much as 4 to 5 more years of quality life! |
| And those are just some of the reasons you should learn another language. The list just goes on and on. |
| Now you know the benefits of studying another language, but why should you learn Hindi in particular? |
| Why should you learn Hindi? |
| If your next holiday destination is India, learning a little bit of Hindi can come in quite handy! |
| Yes, Hindi is the main language of India and if you are planning to travel to the country for pleasure or business purposes, a little bit of knowledge of the language can help make things easier for you. |
| India is a country known for its wildlife, its art, its monuments, and its rich culture and traditions. |
| And don't forget the delicious food! |
| Yes, you can enjoy a variety of cuisines as you travel from one region to the other! |
| And don't assume that just because India has a large number of English speakers, you will be able to move around in the country with no knowledge of Hindi. |
| You are absolutely right! Recent surveys have indicated that India has the second largest number of English speakers in the world, second to only the United States of America. But the percentage of English speakers is still quite low at just 12%. |
| This means while you will encounter many people who can easily have a conversation with you in English, you will require some knowledge of Hindi while taking a taxi or an auto-rickshaw or a bus. The knowledge of Hindi will also help when you want to bargain and get the best possible price for the gorgeous saris and stoles or the beautiful artifacts. |
| It could also help you handle an emergency situation easily. |
| Definitely. Hopefully you won't have an emergency, but it is always a good idea to be prepared. If you know the language, you will be able to interact more easily with the locals. Indians open their hearts and their homes to every visitor. |
| Atitthi Devobhava |
| That means "Guests are like God" and large-hearted Indians are known to welcome every guest with delicious foods and drinks, and so much love that you can't help but leave their homes with an experience to remember for a lifetime. |
| So, if India attracts you, get started by learning Hindi. But how can you actually do that? |
| How to get started. |
| It is best to start with a few Hindi words and then build up from there. |
| To begin with, there are many English words that are commonly used in India and by Hindi-speaking natives. |
| Yes, for example, you will see that people are likely to use the English "Please" rather than the Hindi Kripyaa (कृपया) in spoken language. |
| Yes, but in written language, the Hindi word is used and not the English word. But we don't have to worry about the written script as of now. To begin with, we will be using romanization to learn a few Hindi words. Can you give us more examples of English words that are commonly used and understood in Hindi-speaking areas of India? |
| Yes, natives will easily understand a "Thank You" or a "Good-Bye" or a "Good Morning" and "Good Evening". |
| Or even a "train" or a "bus". |
| Or even an "office" or "computer" or "help" or "welcome". |
| So that makes things quite a lot easier for a traveler. But let's get started on some Hindi words that you can easily learn to start with. Let's begin with a greeting. |
| Sure. Like we said, you could easily say a "Hello", but you will love the smile on your host's face when you greet them with folded hands and say namaSTe (नमस्ते) |
| namaSTe (slowly) |
| Now, you try! |
| Fold your hands and say namaSTe. |
| namaSTe (slowly) |
| You can also use namaSTe to say "Good-Bye". |
| Oh, that is so useful! What about "Thank You" in Hindi? |
| You say DHaNyavaaD (धन्यवाद) |
| DHaNyavaaD (slowly) |
| Now, you try! |
| DHaNyavaaD |
| DHaNyavaaD (slowly) |
| So, how about we do a summary of the three words we learned in Hindi? |
| 1. "Hello" - namaSTe (नमस्ते) |
| 2. "Thank You" - DHaNyavaaD (धन्यवाद) |
| 3. "Good- Bye" - namaSTe (नमस्ते) |
| We also learned the Hindi word for "please", although we may not use it while speaking the language. |
| 4. "Please" - kripyaa (कृपया) |
| We learned a lot of things about India and Hindi in this lesson. We learned how learning a new language can help you expand your horizons and meet new people. It can help make travel and business easier for you when in India. We also learned that there are a few English words we can use with the natives too! Of course, we also learned how to say "Hello" and "Thank you" in Hindi. We also learned the Hindi word for "Please", although we know that we should be using the Hindi word for "Please" only in written language and not in spoken language. |
| In the next lesson, we are going to learn a few things about Hindi pronunciation. So, don't forget to join us. |
| See you in the next lesson. Bye~! |
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