Added: 11/24/2005 |
Learn Indian languages around the globeThe twenty-first century has been called the "Pacific Century," demonstrating how vital Asian and Pacific communities have contributed to the health of international economy and world peace. One can learn Indian languages in India which are as varied there as its people. Officially, there are 14 languages in India. But luckily, communication has never been a big problem either in Chennai or in Kolkata because many people speak English and are always willing to help. In Chennai, Tamil is as commonly spoken as English. Not many people speak Hindi in Tamil Nadu. In Kolkata and in the rural areas of the West Bengal state Bengali is the official language. Hindi is also widely spoken.
You always can find there some appropriate Hindi language courses to study Hindi or other institutions to learn Indian languages successfully.
Organisations like SIT Study Abroad help you understand the cultures that inhabit Asia and the Pacific by providing you the opportunity to interact with people in cities and villages. Your knowledge of the culture and human relationships improves along with your language skills when you learn Indian languages in India. Your host country is brought to life through first-person experience, complemented by rigorous classroom work, indepth analysis, and personal experience of the mentors and peers.
The opportunity to learn Indian languages in such a diverse culture lets you broaden your knowledgeof the most populous and geographically dispersed region in the world. Your semester abroad helps you focus your undergraduate studies, develop effective research and intercultural skills, and prepare for graduate school or future international work.
You also have the possibility to learn Indian languages around the globe.
The University of Pennsylvania, for instance, is the first institution in the United States to offer language instruction in Hindi and other South Asian languages. The program currently offers several levels of learning Hindi: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Accelerated.
The Accelerated course is especially designed to meet the needs of the so called 'semi-native speakers' who have developed proficiency in the target language due to their exposure in limited domains. Such students can be considere Intermediate or Advanced learners concerning their oral-aural skills and they are novices regarding their literacy skills. The Penn was the first to recognize the special instructional needs of the 'semi-native learners' and start a separate track for such learners.
There is a reading course in Hindi and an independent study for those graduate students who demonstrate a keen interest in the language and do not fit into the available courses. The reading exercises selection is based on the learner's needs and interests. At Penn, they continue to make a special effort to create a dialogue between language faculty and social scientists to discuss the needs of the social sciences, in order to enhance the use of Indian languages in their research. In addition to courses for language development, the Department also offers courses in Hindi literature. The program has motivated many students to go to India for advanced study-abroad language courses.
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