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.