Hindi

This is a page about Heathu learning Hindi from Urfi….or trying to learn Hindi….It’s a place where Heathu can talk about the difficulties of being a student:

Heathu:

I

Urfi is teaching me how to pronounce the Hindi alphabet…some of the letters are hard to pronounce like ट and ठ, but I’m trying hard to say it correctly. I guess I could be trying harder, but it’s really difficult. Some letters sound the same and I can’t tell the difference between the sounds. I haven’t gotten into any grammar, but I’m excited to start that! Urfi just needs to finish teaching me the whole alphabet first! Here’s a picture of the alphabet that we’re using:

II

Ok, ok – so I haven’t really been studying Hindi all that much…..Urfi and I had a Hindi lesson today…..and I sorta forget like all the letters…I spent the whole time going over them again. That was good though since I really needed it…unfortunately. Did I tell you guys that Urfi is such a strict teacher? He makes me pronounce the letters over and over again….I know it’s good since I really need to get these letters down, but I wish we would have some more fun with it. Today, Urfi kinda gave me a lecture about how you aren’t supposed to have fun while learning (and I totally disagree because I think it’s best if you have fun)….He said that if I didn’t study more I was going to get a scolding….yup, he really said scolding…..Oh man, I almost forgot to tell you guys, but while I was working really hard to say these foreign sounds correctly Urfi was busy playing a game on his cell phone!! He was only half listening to me. Can you guys believe that? I guess it does get kinda boring hearing someone say the same letters over and over again, but still…..On the plus side (if there is a plus side), I can remember like all the letters of the alphabet — save for the 8 that Urfi hasn’t taught me, but with the rate of his game playing during lessons I might have to teach myself…if you know what I mean. I guess someone needs a good scolding…….

Here’s an awesome website to learn/review the Devanagari script (the script that Hindi’s written in): Hindi Script Tutor

III

I finally finished the whole alphabet! YAY! The other day Urfi taught me how to combine consonants and vowels which is a little hard since the combinations look really similar. I know it will just take some time, but I really want to get these combinations down….Oh yeah, I’m trying to find a good textbook that Urfi and I can use (I want a little structure), but it’s proving harder than I expected since there aren’t too many books out there for Hindi. I think we will end up using Hindi: A Complete Course for Beginners by Living Language or Teach Yourself Hindi by Rupert Snell. I know this is a little ambitious, but I want to start learning grammar and vocabulary soon :)

IV

I totally stopped learning Hindi….Urfi and I thought we should pick it back up since he always wanted to teach me, and I thought it would be a great idea to actually know what was going on during Bollywoods…haha! I think he is going to make me a lesson soon. I asked if he could do an audio for me so I can take it with me where ever I go…cross your fingers on that one guys since Urfi is a bit lazy these days….come to think of it I’m a bit lazy these days too. I hate  it! I say I want to do something, and I really want to, but in the end I never end up doing that. Well, this has give me some boost, and now I’m determined to learn Hindi again. I really only learned the alphabet, but I know I will learn more now. Urfi is a hard teacher, but that is good for me since I’m kind of a relaxed student. I mean, I don’t want some super strict schoolhouse feeling here….but I don’t need something so relaxed that I won’t feel like learning, you know? I still have all those PDF books we could use….oh yeah, I also got a copy of Pimsleur Hindi 1 from my library a while back that I can use now. I think I will talk to Urfi and see what he wants to use.

V

Urfi was supposed to make me a Hindi lesson the other day, but I’m going to stay with him in the UK so he has decided to teach me in person instead. I still wanted my Hindi lesson, but he told me teaching in person is better and he would rather do that….am I ever going to get my Hindi lesson?