"Hindi" is Getting Hotter as a Medium of Communication in India

In a fast-shrinking world, being multilingual definitely gives you an edge over others. A large number of people today like to read, write and communicate in Hindi.

In the marketing sector, hindi acts as an important medium to attract consumers for example, Coca-Cola has a stylish campaign in ‘Thanda matlab Coca-Cola’ (Cool means Coca–Cola), making it amply evident that if you want to catch the India’s attention, you’d better use Hindi.

In a field like radio jockeying, words are what make or break you. It’s not just any words, you have to have a grip over the language of your listeners for that vital connect. “FM is a local medium. You have to cater to the local audience,” says Khurafati Nitin. Apart from the local idiom, “you need to understand the culture, beliefs, and traditions of the place.” That’s where the study of literature, combined with the gift of the gab, can groom you for a career like his.

Even America is witnessing a dramatic revolution with respect to Hindi & Urdu languages post 9/11. More and more American students are showing a keen interest in these languages, joining classes in the university level and the South Asian culture in particular.  

Warsi, who belongs to Barra village under Kusheshwarsthan block in Darbhanga district and has been living in the US for five years, said that in each university, a department of South Asian Languages has been created to enrich this linguistic programme. Warsi was in USA to attend a seminar.

"Since only 9% Americans are multi-lingual, the US administration needs more and more well-versed people in South Asian and Middle-East languages, including foreign language experts and translators," Warsi said. Scholarships are also available to students learning Hindi and Urdu, he added.

At the university level since it is mandatory to learn a foreign language most students prefer hindi or urdu in America.

“Knowledge of any language will help; it’ll come in handy," says this English literature graduate from Kirori Mal College, Delhi. However, he adds, you don’t have to know the language inside out. While proud of being good at and using the rashtrabhasha, he says one wouldn’t usually offload on the audience nouns like kanth langot for a necktie and loh path gamini for a train.

All universities have Hindi honours as a prominent course.

In the University of Delhi, the course contains 12 main papers and five interdisciplinary ones. Poetics help students develop a critical aptitude for poetry and prose.

They also study modern medieval and ancient poetry, essays, novels, biographies, stories, drama, history of Hindi literature and linguistics etc.

First and second-year students also have other papers such as English or another Indian language, interdisciplinary courses such as human rights, environmental issues in India, reading Gandhi, nationalism and literature.

Third-year students have options for skill development in a special field such as poetry, functional Hindi, media studies, linguistics, theatre, and translation. These could also help them in competitive examinations and get jobs in academics or media studies, as translators and scriptwriters. Some colleges also offer a vocational course in Hindi under the BA programme, called functional Hindi. It offers Hindi computer (typing), Hindi shorthand, media writing, advertisement translation, and creative writing.

The course is also fast becoming a pre-requisite for a successful career in electronic  journalism.

Hindi can take students to universities in SAARC countries, south-east Asia, Europe and America.

Hindi departments over there are not only teaching Hindi as a language but also conducting research. Many foreign students now take a keen interest in this subject.

Exchange programmes have also been effective in promoting Hindi in these countries.

HIGH FIVE for HINDI