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.
1) Online Classes
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.
Popular sites for Online Hindi Classes
Price
$6+ per hour (varies between teachers)
Time commitment
30 minute or 1 hour lessons
An intro video from one of Italki's Hindi teachers.
Summary:
Italki is an online market place that connects language learners with language teachers for one-on-one language classes via video or audio chat.
You can connect with language speakers from around the world and practice your speaking skills. There are around 30 Hindi teachers on Italki. It's one of the few sites out there which provides one on one lessons with professional Hindi teachers!
*with a purchase of $20 or more. After your first purchased lesson a credit of $10 will be added to your account
Price
$6+ per hour (varies between teachers)
Time commitment
30 minute or 1 hour lessons
Summary:
Verbling is an online platform for one on one language lessons via video chat similar to Italki. However, Verbling has a few core differences.
For one Verbling requires that all teachers have at least some teaching experience before teaching through their site. This means that generally there is a slightly higher quality of teachers (though often for a slightly higher price).
Also Verbling features an in site video lesson system that allows teachers and students to share materials and notes. There's no need for an outside video chat system like Skype or Google Hangouts.
Verbling doesn't quite have the selection of teachers that Italki does, but they do feature some Hindi teachers that are worth checking out.
2) Online Courses
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:
Rocket Hindi
Price
$150
Time commitment
20+ minutes a day
Summary:
Rocket Hindi is built around recorded audio in the form of dialogues. The dialogues have English explanations and usually teach the language in "chunks" or phrases versus individual words (this is great for conversational Hindi).
The course also emphasizes all four aspects of the Hindi language, including a wide selection of special lessons dedicated to the Devanagari script.
In addition to conversational phrases and the written script, Rocket Hindi also teaches learners the explicit grammar behind Hindi phrases. Throw in the program's voice recognition and recording software, and you have one of the most comprehensive and well rounded courses for learning Hindi!
Price
From $4+ per month
Time commitment
15+ minutes a day
Summary:
Hindipod101 features audio lessons in a podcast format. Lessons are great for grammar and vocabulary. Each lesson is designed around a Hindi conversation between native speakers, and the teachers do a great job of keeping things engaging.
While it's not as structured as Rocket Hindi Hindipod101 is still a substantial Hindi learning tool (it's also much cheaper too). The site features transcripts (written in Hindi and English), an in-site flashcard system, and many other useful features.
3) Youtube channels
Another great way to learn Hindi over net is to use Youtube. Here some Hindi learning Channels worth checking out:
Hindipod101 (Youtube channel)
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.
Pebbles Language
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.
Conclusion
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!
