There is a severe lack of quality in Hindi courses and programs in the language learning world. In this post we look at what is probably the most popular Hindi course around: Rosetta Stone. 

We'll look at some of the unique pros and cons of the course, and how they relate to learning the Hindi language. 

If you want a more in depth review on the Rosetta Stone method of language learning you can check out our Ultimate Rosetta Stone Review. 

If you have next to no knowledge of Hindi, little language learning experience, and want to get your feet wet in the language...then this course is might be a notable option. 

As we will explain in more detail later on, Rosetta Stone doesn't give fair treatment to the Hindi writing system. If you want to read and write in Hindi you might want to look elsewhere. 

The company's faux immersion approach also helps keep these new words etched in you memory, as using the words in context is more effective than trying to memorize them by rote. 

The biggest shortcoming of Rosetta Stone Hindi is that it doesn't really teach the Devanagari script (used in written Hindi). In the actual program Hindi words are shown written in Devanagari, but the course never gives students any information on how to read it. 

This is a huge problem. For those who don't know the Devanagari script doesn't use a alphabet system like English or many other Indo-European languages. 

Instead written Hindi uses what is called an abugida. In an abugida system small groups of consonants and vowels are written together as symbols or "units" (in a traditional alphabet system each consonant and vowel has its own letter). 

With little or no explanations given to help users make sense of this new script, this particular Rosetta Stone program does a major disservice to Hindi learners. 

In some older editions users have even reported that Hindi words in the higher course levels are actually spelled incorrectly. 

As mentioned before, the method behind Rosetta Stone works well in the beginning phases of learning Hindi. However once you move on to more complex sentences it becomes harder and harder to infer the meaning. 

The rules and nuances of Hindi grammar start to get mirky without the help of explicit English explanations. 

If you're a beginner with no experience in Hindi, and you're not too concerned with learning how to read or write the language, then Rosetta Stone could prove helpful.

Otherwise, you're probably better off using a different Hindi course or program. Rosetta Stone simply doesn't do justice to more complex Hindi grammar or to the Devanagari script. 

If you're anything like me, your language learning dreams are to be like the guy in the above video: effortlessly conversing with native speakers on the streets of a foreign country. 

In you're on this page chances are that the language you want to learn is Hindi. I can't blame you. There are a plethora of reasons to learn Hindi:  the exotic and vibrant colors of Indian culture, the friendliness of locals, the high number of native speakers, or even the beauty of the Devanagari script.

But unless you live in or around the Hindi speaking part of the world, learning the language can seem like a daunting task. There are a peculiar lack of resources available on the subject. You also may find some local speakers in your local city, but you also may not. 

This leads many students of Hindi to take their search for learning onto the web. In this article we'll look at some of the best ways you can learn Hindi online, whether its from the comfort of your own home or from the palm of your hand. 

My favorite online resource for learning a foreign language is always online classes. 

Online language classes work the same way as traditional classes with a personal Hindi teacher or totur. Instead of finding a local teacher and having them come to your house or workplace to teach you, you connect with your teacher via Skype or some other video chat tool. 

A real life example of an online Hindi class

Online classes can be informal tutoring sessions or formal classes. In an informal session you set the direction for the class and your teacher helps you with whatever you want to work on.

If you and the teacher agree to a more formal approach, the teacher will lead you through an organized and systematic approach while learning the language. This often involves exercises, activities, structured lessons, and review materials. 

Outside of speaking with natives in the real world, I think online classes are one of the best options for learning any language. This is because it gives you the real time feedback and experience of talking with a native speaker.

While online classes way be the most effective way to start learning Hindi, online courses are the most popular. 

Courses can differ widely in their method and which aspects of the language they teach. An ideal course will help you practice all four aspects of Hindi (reading, listening, reading, and speaking), in a way that helps you build your conversational ability AND teaches you the ins and outs of Hindi grammar. 

Hindi doesn't have the selection of online courses that more popular foreign languages do. That being said, there are still viable options out there for students of the language. Here are a few of the most recommended online courses:

Another great way to learn Hindi over net is to use Youtube. Here some Hindi learning Channels worth checking out:

The folks behind the popular online app also have a Hindi learning channel on Youtube. As far as Hindi learning videos goes, this is your go to channel. 

They feature videos on everything from useful phrases, grammar, to listening exercises. 

The people behind the Pebbles language channel feature a slew of videos on language learning, and this includes a wide selection of Hindi videos. 

Their videos are great for learning conversational phrases and picking up Hindi grammar. 

Online classes, courses, and Youtube channels are among the three most common and effective ways to learn Hindi on the internet. Different strokes work with different folks, so feel free to  try your hand at each one!

There's no reason you can't use all of them!

The dream of every Hindi learner

We've search the net far and wide to find the best Hindi resources we could. In this post we'll take a look at some of the best courses and programs for students of the language.

But before we begin, we should probably talk a little about what exactly to expect from a quality Hindi course...

Because Hindi isn't as popular of a foreign language, many lagnuage learning companies overlook the language entirely. When a Hindi course does come out, many times it's a lackluster modification from a Spanish or French language course. 

While Hindi is more closely related to English and other Western European languages than say Japanese or Arabic, it still has some unique differences that should be addressed in every course. 

To the native English speaker Hindi has its share of grammatical quirks. Some examples include: a lack of definite articles ("the" or "a"), a subject-object-verb word order (as opposed to the English word order of subject-verb-object), and the lack of "do" as an auxiliary verb ("When you get new car?" vs "When did you get a new car?")  

Compared to some other foreign languages which are further from English, the grammatical differences in Hindi aren't all that bad. 

Still, when taken together, a lot of little differences can cause confusion for new students. A good program should acknowledge these differences and help students bridge the gap between the two languages. 

Every human language (at least the written ones) can be broken down into four parts: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It's highly beneficial to you as a learner if you can learn these four aspects together. 

Many programs and courses tend to focus on one or two skills (like reading and listening), while not giving enough attention to the others. 

This can result in a sort of lopsided learning approach. If you learn Hindi holistically you will find that each aspect of the language will reinforce and develop your skills in the other three areas. 

A closer look at the history behind Hindi's writing system

A program worth its salt should expose you to reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Hindi. 

Hindi uses the Devanagari script. This script groups vowel and consonants together in units. Each unit is founded on a consonant, meaning that vowels have a sort of secondary status to consonants. 

Also, the script itself is beautiful to look at (in my opinion at least). If you can try to use a program that incorporate the Hindi writing system. You'll be glad you did!

Intro to Hindi Alphabet

Regrettably Hindi learners don't get the pick of the litter when it comes to learning resources. Even though Hindi is a widely spoken language, it isn't popular as a foreign language, thus not many programs are made for it. 

In this article we picked out the top three best learning resources for learning Hindi. If you're serious about learning the language don't be afraid to look over each program and decide which is right for you!

Pimsleur language courses sometimes seem to have a bittersweet reputation. On one hand many say the courses are effective, efficient, and one of the best audio courses for learning a foreign language.

On the other hand others have claimed that Pimsleur teaches a limited vocabulary and overly formal language.

Overall the Pimsleur brand has stood the test of time ( a few decades at least). You can read more about the ins and outs of the Pimsleur method and courses in our Ultimate Pimsleur Review.

Here in this post we’re only going to talk about Pimsleur’s Hindi courses and how well they help Hindi learners speak Hindi.

Summary of Pimsleur Method

(all languages)

Is Hindipod101 right for you?

Hindipod is best for beginners in Hindi. There simply isn’t as much content for higher level students. The higher your ability in the language the less likely you are to get much out of the podcasts.

That being said, Hindipod101 is good way to get some practice listening to native speakers. The content is mostly audio and each podcast involves a scripted conversation between two speakers. You can use the lesson scripts and slow playback options to tune your ear and pronunciation to the language.

Hindipod also functions well as a mobile app, if you’re looking for a way to study on the go. The site offers their app for Android, Iphone, and Ipad. All the lessons on the site are also available there.

Features​

Podcast episodes

Hindipod101 is above all things an audio podcast. Episodes last anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes (respectively), and feature a short Hindi dialogue. The dialogue emphasizes the use of a particular aspect of grammar, a cultural insight, or simply a useful Hindi phrase.  

Lifelike situations

Each Hindi conversation takes place in the context of a real world situation. Like other 101 courses Hindipod101 tries to incorporate Hindi that you can actually use around native speakers.

​Tools & Resources

Hindipod101 also offers an assorted collection of study aids and tools to go along with their podcast episodes.

Some are pretty generic and can be found on other sites (like the grammar helps, word lists, dictionary, etc), but it can be nice to have all the tools in one place.

There are 3 features that standout from the rest: the slow playback, flashcards, and lesson transcriptions. 

Playback feature

Hindipod101 lets you pick any word from a lesson and playback at a normal or slow speed. This is great for concentrating on the sounds of spoken Hindi and tuning your ear. It’s also nice for getting a handle on Hindi pronunciation.

Basic 

Premium

Next on the list is premium. Premium will run you $25 a month for a single month. On the premium option you’ll get all the episodes and all the tools and resources (like those precious transcripts). This level isn’t a bad purchase if you think you’ll make use of the tools. Otherwise, stick with basic.

Premium plus

Finally we have the premium plus level. A single month of premium plus costs $47 for a single month. You get access to the tools and resources like in the premium level. 

The added “plus” is that you also receive personal recommendations and advice for an actual Hindi teacher. At such a high price point this level provides the least value. If you want a Hindi teacher get the basic plan and book a few lessons on Italki. It will probably cost the same as a premium plus subscription or maybe even less 

The more you pay the more you save

The more months you purchase at once the less your monthly rate. For instance, the basic level costs $8 for a single month, but if you purchase 24 months the monthly rate drops down to $4 per month.

The limits of Hindipod101

No speaking required​

Hindipod101 can be a useful tool, but it can’t make up the importance of speaking Hindi with others. If you decide to use the podcast be sure to make it a point to use what you learn. 

Consistent quality​

Not all lessons are made equal on the site. There are a fair amount of older episodes that could use some updating, though the newer ones do show improvement.

More content for advanced learners

Hindi primarily caters to beginners. It would be great to see them add more advanced episodes to their repertoire.

Best way to use Hindipod101​

Study & review

While not a full fledge course, Hindipod101 will work well as a supplementary source. Think of it as a Hindi learning bonus activity. An episode or more a day will go far in helping your Hindi improve. It’s not a bad idea to set aside 15 minutes or so everyday to work through an episode of the podcast and review a few flashcards. 

Listening & pronunciation​

The first time I heard spoken Hindi I felt lost. You can use Hindipod101’s lesson transcripts and slow playback to create your own step by step guide through the sounds of the spoken language. Taking the sounds of a word one by one is an effective way to improve your listening and pronunciation. 

Practice Hindi anywhere

With its mobile app Hindipod101 becomes a sort of pocket Hindi teacher that you can take out and practice with anytime you have 10 or so free minutes. 

Conclusion

Truth be told Hindipod101 could be better. But even with its flaws it can still be an effective resource for learning Hindi (especially for beginners). If you’re looking to improve your Hindi accent, and pick up some grammar and vocabulary on way, Hindipod101 is worth checking out.

 The site offers a 1 week free trial (no credit card needed), so it’s best to log on to the site and try it out for yourself.