This introductory proficiency-based course in Hindi and Urdu allows students to acquire linguistic skills in culturally authentic contexts. Students will learn to communicate in a variety of everyday situations. Hindi and Urdu share a basic grammar and core vocabulary but differ in terms of scripts and some cultural markers. There will be equal emphasis on both scripts and cultures; parallel written materials will be provided in both scripts. Students are expected to develop proficiency in one script of their choice, and are encouraged to learn both. Classes will be interactive.

This course continues training in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will learn to read and understand texts in Hindi on familiar topics, to speak confidently and effectively in a wide range of common situations, to write concise texts expressing their thoughts and views, and to acquire general familiarity with the cultural context in which Hindi is used. Students will engage in interactive and collaborative task-based activities in the classroom.

We will explore representations of place and environment across a range of time periods, genres, and perspectives in Hindi and Urdu literature. Our sources will include short stories, poems, essays, and excerpts from novels, travelogues, and diaries. Questions and themes such as human-animal connections; urbanization, industrialization, and ecological degradation; and intersections of culture, timescale, affect and place, will be among some of the prevailing issues addressed. Students will engage in close critical reflection on issues and perspectives.