Hindi at U of T
Hindi, the national language of India is widely spoken in South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan) and spoken in other countries outside Asia (Mauritius, Trinidad, Fiji, Surinam, Guyana, South Africa). It has a remarkable presence in USA, UK, UAE, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany and other countries. More than 600 million people speak Hindi worldwide. It is among the three most widely spoken languages of the world.
Hindi is a Sanskrit based language and uses Devanagari script. It has 11 vowels and 33 consonants. Each letter consists of a basic form topped by a horizontal line. It has a number of combinations of consonants and each of them need to be defined in the font for a complete representation. Another characteristic of Sanskrit based language is the use of post-consonantal forms of the vowels. Unlike the Roman script, a vowel used after a consonant changes form and gets attached to the consonant which is called maatraa.
Urdu, Persian and English have influenced Hindi language. There are five sounds used in modern Hindi that had no symbols in the Devanagari script. These sounds were incorporated by placing a dot under the symbols and used for the phonetically related sounds. These symbols are used in Hindi to reproduce Persian, Arabic or English sounds.
Indian culture is one of the oldest cultures and very rich in traditional and modern Art & Architecture. Languages and Literature contribute to a great degree of its diversity with integrity. Preserving this uniqueness with its ancient heritage from the Indus Valley Civilization, India is also the birthplace of several great religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Because of Islamic and the European occupation Persian, Arabic and English cultures have influenced India. Almost every state has its own distinct cultural background, dances & music, prayers, rituals, languages and dialects.
Knowledge of Hindi gives a deeper understanding of the long history of Indian culture, people, literature, philosophy, and much more. Learning Hindi is a key to enjoy Bollywood movies, music, songs, and dances. With growing strong economy, India has opened the doors for many opportunities. There are many professionals wishing to connect to India and work there. Knowledge of Hindi language plays another role to get success in dealing business with India.
Courses:
NEW 212Y1
Introduction to Hindi
Monday and Wednesday 3:00 to 5:00
Course Description: Intensive introduction to phonology, grammar, and syntax of the modern Hindi language, emphasis on basic writing and reading. Students will learn to read and write Hindi in Devanagari script with basic rules of Hindi grammar.
NEW 312Y1
Readings in Hindi Literature
Monday and Wednesday 5:00 to 7:00 PM
Course Description: Readings from selected authors of modern Hindi prose and poetry; introduction to samples of pre-modern Hindi texts.
Is Hindi difficult to learn?
Languages are always challenging to learn. Any language has its own difficult aspects to acquire. Devanagari script, which is also used for Sanskrit, Nepali and Marathi, is relatively easy to learn because it represents the sounds of Hindi with remarkable consistency, enabling the student to accurately pronounce most Hindi words written in it. The study of phonetics was very advanced in ancient India therefore all the alphabets are arranged on a scientific basis. Vowels and consonants are pronounced according to their place and manner of articulation in the mouth that makes learning process much easier and faster.
