Hindi Compact

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About The Hindi Language

India is home to a multiplicity of ethnicities, most of whom retain their own particular language. Following India's independence from Great Britain in 1947, the new government was faced with the task of reorganizing itself, which included redrawing state jurisdictions. Some of these new states were formed at the behest of local leaders who demanded separate states defined by their cultural identity; thus, the boundaries between many states became boundaries between languages. Today, the constitution of India recognizes eighteen official languages, and there are many more languages spoken in India that lack official recognition.

Hindi is one of the most important of India's many languages, and it is the mother tongue of more than 150 million speakers. Strongly influenced by Sanskrit, it is a member of the Indo-European language family and therefore is more closely related to English than the languages of its near geographical neighbors like China and Thailand.

There are many local varieties of spoken Hindi, and the differences between them can be significant. Because of these differences, an standardized form of Hindi was developed for official and educational purposes, and it is this standard Hindi that is presented on the Pimsleur Compact Hindi tapes. By imitating the speech of the native speakers on the Pimsleur tapes, you should be able to make yourself understood to Hindi speakers throughout India and elsewhere.

Why The Pimsleur System Works

The late Dr. Paul Pimsleur was much more than a language teacher. He did research on how both children and multi-lingual adults learn languages and discovered key principles that unlocked the mystery of how we learn languages.

The Pimsleur programs provide a method of self-practice with an expert teacher and native speakers in lessons specially designed to work with the way the mind naturally acquires language information. The various components of language -- vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar -- are all learned together without rote memorization and drills. Using a unique method of memory recall developed by renowned linguist, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, the programs teach listeners to combine words and phrases to express themselves the way native speakers do. By listening and responding to thirty minute recorded lessons, students easily and effectively achieve spoken proficiency. » The Pimsleur Method «