Hindi teaching resources - summary

Thu Nov 13 01:27:58 UTC 2003

VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
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Dear Vyakaran subscribers: 

In response to several requests, I am sending this compendium of answers to my query about materials suitable for elementary and intermediate Hindi.  Thanks to the following colleagues for providing information: Richard Barz, Tej Bhatia, Clancy Clements, Seema Khurana, Tatiana Oranskaia, Harold Schiffman, Ruth L. Schmidt, Ghanshyam Sharma, Ariann Stern.  [ Hope I haven’t missed anyone :) ] 

N.B. This is certainly not a complete list of what's available. 

I have have tried to standardize references, but haven't checked them all.  I've anonymously quoted "..." or summarized [...] comments on individual titles.  

Regards 

Ian Smith 
York University 

TEXTS: 

Barz, Richard K and Y.K. Yadav. 2000. An Introduction to Hindi and Urdu. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi:2000. ISBN 81 215 0605 0 

Barz, Richard K and Y.K. Yadav. 1994. Hindi Exercise Manual.  Canberra: available through South and West Asia Centre, Australian National University [ANU], Canberra 0200) with set of audio cassettes ISBN 0 646 22395 X (book) and 0 646 22394 1 (cassettes). 

Bhatia, Tej K. 1996 Colloquial Hindi: the complete course for beginners (book+tapes). London/New York: Routledge. 
“NOT good” 

Bhatia, Tej K. and Ashok Koul. 1996. Colloquial Urdu: the complete course for beginners (book+tapes). London/New York: Routledge. 

Caldwell Smith, R. and S.C.R. Weightman and the principal and Teachers of the Landour Language School, Mussorie. 2003.  Introductory Hindi Course with companion CD, New edition.  Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal 
“[good] for texts” 

Gambhir, Surendra K.  1983.  Spoken Hindi-Urdu: With Emphasis on Intonation in Natural Conversation.  Madison:  Department of South Asian Studies: Universities of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.  ISBN 091002328X. 

Hook, Peter Edwin.  1979.  Hindi Structures: Intermediate Level with Drills, Exercises and Key.  Ann Arbor:  Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies.  

Jagannathan, Vii. Raa. 1991. SvayaM Hindi SiikhEN, in 2 parts, with audiocassets. Delhi: JANEPA 1991 
“good for texts, but they should be radically reorganised.” 

Jain, Usha.  1995.  Introduction to Hindi Grammar.  Berkeley:  Center for South Asia Studies.  ISBN 094461325X. 

Jain, Usha.  1999.  Intermediate Hindi Reader.  Berkeley:  Center for South Asia Studies.  ISBN 087725351X. 

McGregor, R.S.  1992.  Urdu Study Materials.  Delhi:  Oxford UP.   [This has information for Hindi, too.] 

McGregor, R. S. ca. 2000 Outline of Hindi Grammar, with exercises. Delhi: OUP 
“a good grammar.” 
[use for grammar in combination with Shapiro 1989, and Caldwell Smith et. al 2003 for texts] 

Shapiro, Michael  A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi. 1989 [reprint 1994] New Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass. 
“…without any Hindi text. It is very rich and well written but without any key to exercises” 
“very good and the most accurate in terms of scope and depth of grammatical explanations.” 

Snell Rupert and S. Wheightman. 2000. Teach yourself Hindi, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books; (Book and Cassette edition available) 
“doesn't like it very much.  Some exercises are useful.  The gramm. explanations are often wanting.” 
“first edition … quite useful, but the second edition … is full of errors, 
both grammatical and semantic. 
“have been using for many years along with [Jain 1995]” 
“supplemented by Michael Shapiro's books” 

Snell, Rupert.  2000.  Beginner’s Hindi Script.  Lincolnwood, IL:  NTC/Contemporary Publishing.  0658009109 

WEB-BASED RESOURCES: 

Barz, Richard K et al.  [Australian National University Supplementary Hindi material]. http://asianstudies.anu.edu.au/hindi/ 

Pritchett, Frances. Some useful sources on Hindi/Urdu language and literature  http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp/urduhindilinks.html#hindi 

Shankar, Jishnu. Feb. 2003. Materials and URL's for Hindi http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/salrc/hindi/hindiurls.html 

South Asia Language Resource Center, HINDI WORKSHOP: Pedagogical Materials Project http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/salrc/hindi/HWORKSHOP.htm 

Triangle Consortium. Door into Hindi. http://www.ncsu.edu/project/hindi_lessons/ 

UCLA Language Materials Project, www.lmp.ucla.edu. 

University of Pennsylvania Hindi Program: Web based Hindi Materials http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/hindi/ 