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Language Challenge: Hindi

Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
So, I've been learning Hindi for about a year and a half now using a variety of techniques including online skype lessons and self study. My biggest set back has been confidence and worry over looking like an idiot. So while I've covered a lot in my studies, I don't speak well yet.

So I'm taking this language challenge to try and break down that fear. It's being organized by a guy known as Benny the Irish Polyglot. The first step was to record just a few short phrases as an introduction, film it and then show the whole darn judgy world!

Well, here it is. I'm going to try and post regular updates to see if that lights a fire under my ***.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCR..._comment_id=z13jdvfqwuuyedmsr22gz1ajjr3dif31t

:camp:
 
Poeticus

Poeticus

| abhyAvartin |
Fireside_Hindu said:
So, I've been learning Hindi for about a year and a half now using a variety of techniques including online skype lessons and self study. My biggest set back has been confidence and worry over looking like an idiot. So while I've covered a lot in my studies, I don't speak well yet.

So I'm taking this language challenge to try and break down that fear. It's being organized by a guy known as Benny the Irish Polyglot. The first step was to record just a few short phrases as an introduction, film it and then show the whole darn judgy world!

Well, here it is. I'm going to try and post regular updates to see if that lights a fire under my ***.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCR..._comment_id=z13jdvfqwuuyedmsr22gz1ajjr3dif31t

:camp:
Click to expand...

Pronunciation is on point. Very, very, very well done, Ashley. Very well down. I am utterly humbled. Touché, homie.
icon14.gif
 
Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
Poeticus said:
Pronunciation is on point. Very, very, very well done, Ashley. Very well down. I am utterly humbled. Touché, homie.
icon14.gif
Click to expand...

See, I need to hear this stuff, because the sounds are so strange coming from my mouth that I'm almost certain I'm doing it wrong. I appreciate your feedback. I'mma keep working on it.)(

So far though I get the IFSA (Indian Friend Stamp of Approval):D

:camp:
 
ShivaFan

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
Namaste

Very strange (to me) that you look so familiar in the video. Have you ever been to California and which temples by chance? I know you have been to India, hmmm... Doesn't matter, just you look like someone I have seen for sure.

Anyway, I really like your video and it made me feel like I was hearing one of my Indian relatives, very nice!

I have a niece who sounds like your tone. She is like a bird when she speaks to me no matter what tongue, but I wish more English girls could do that voice. Nevermind the Hindi per say, just as important is that female Hindi dove or bird quality in tone. You approximate that birdness and sweetness. The sweet bird sound of female Hindi is very important to be upper class Hindi female. Very nice, it is that tone, now add just a bit pinch more of sweet and you got it 100 percent.

Om Namah Sivaya
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
Vah kya baat hai!

Very good, I'm impressed. Watch Bollywood if you can it sure helps, that's how I learned some spanish with telenovellas. There are some decent movies out there. The old ones have very 'shudh' hindi, the newer ones are more so Hinglish. If you need any help feel free to ask.
 
Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
ShivaFan said:
Very nice, it is that tone, now add just a bit pinch more of sweet and you got it 100 percent.

Om Namah Sivaya
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement. I think that extra sweetness will come with confidence, and confidence will come with practice. There is a great quote that I love- "People don't learn languages, they just get used to them."

Unfortunately I have never been to India - not in this life anyway.;) I plan to go next year though. I have been to California when I was 9-10. Going back to camp in the Red wood forests is on my list.

:camp:
 
Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
shahz said:
Vah kya baat hai!

Very good, I'm impressed. Watch Bollywood if you can it sure helps, that's how I learned some spanish with telenovellas. There are some decent movies out there. The old ones have very 'shudh' hindi, the newer ones are more so Hinglish. If you need any help feel free to ask.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the compliment. I'm workin' on it. Actually can you recommend some older Bollywood movies? I've been told the Hindi is, well, "more pure" in the older one's and just listening to newer ones without subtitles I hear it peppered with English and slang. I guess ultimately I'll be speaking that way to younger native speakers, but I'd like to learn the "proper" way first. Thanks for offering to help!

:camp:
 
Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
Hello everyone!

I'm going to be posting a new video update soon but at the moment I need some advice/encouragement/cheerleading etc...

This weekend I'll be volunteering for the first time at a new Temple. I have an assignment from my Hindi teacher to speak Hindi with anyone there who speaks it. I'm just going to whig out for a moment...

How can I possibly do this without looking like an idiot? What do I say? Will the sky fall when I don't conjugate a verb correctly?

Ahhhh!

*deep breath*

Okay. I'm better now. I just needed to voice my anxieties. I'll let everyone know how it went on Monday.

:camp:
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
You can tell people in Hindi/English you've been practicing Hindi and would like to practice speaking it to get better at it. Most people will welcome you warmly. Good luck!
 
Poeticus

Poeticus

| abhyAvartin |
Fireside_Hindu said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou9Nkv3iRoE&feature=youtu.be
Click to expand...

My mind is blown ! Pronunciation is, again, off-da-chain. Awesome work, and great progress ! And I am glad everything went well with the small Hindi project at the mandir.
icon14.gif


EDIT:
Fireside_Hindu said:
Actually can you recommend some older Bollywood movies? I've been told the Hindi is, well, "more pure" in the older one's and just listening to newer ones without subtitles I hear it peppered with English and slang. I guess ultimately I'll be speaking that way to younger native speakers, but I'd like to learn the "proper" way first. Thanks for offering to help!
Click to expand...

The older Bollywood movies have 80% Urdu and 20% Hindustani, on average. In stark contrast, "proper Hindi"/"pure Hindi" is highly Sanskritized. For getting acquainted with "proper Hindi", I'd recommend older re-runs of B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat which can be found on Youtube - legally free. Here are the first six episodes w/ subtitles: Episodes 1-6. It is wonderful to get acquainted with this form of Hindi, but even Desi adults have a tough time understanding it - not just the younger native speakers.

EDIT #2:

Here's something new, aside from the usual Mahabharat TV-show recommendation: Vishwamitra Serial/TV-show - 3 hours long w/ subtitles. This also has the "proper Hindi" in its dialogues/script.
 
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Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
Poeticus said:
My mind is blown ! Pronunciation is, again, off-da-chain. Awesome work, and great progress ! And I am glad everything went well with the small Hindi project at the mandir.
icon14.gif


EDIT:

The older Bollywood movies have 80% Urdu and 20% Hindustani, on average. In stark contrast, "proper Hindi"/"pure Hindi" is highly Sanskritized. For getting acquainted with "proper Hindi", I'd recommend older re-runs of B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat which can be found on Youtube - legally free. Here are the first six episodes w/ subtitles: [youtube]lCrKQqHAVK8[/youtube]
Episodes 1-6. It is wonderful to get acquainted with this form of Hindi, but even Desi adults have a tough time understanding it - not just the younger native speakers.

EDIT #2:

Here's something new, aside from the usual Mahabharat TV-show recommendation: [youtube]KGm8EM0fGK8[/youtube]
Vishwamitra Serial/TV-show - 3 hours long w/ subtitles. This also has the "proper Hindi" in its dialogues/script.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for the references. I will check them out.

I sometimes debate with myself how much "proper Hindi" I should be focusing on. On the one hand I know that the Hindi spoken "on the streets" of major cities in India is mostly mixed Urdu/Hindi/English. But on the other hand, maybe I should start from "proper" and work my way into "improper". My goal is to be able to communicate so I suppose knowing a bunch of proper Hindi words that few other Hindi speakers recognize doesn't really have a point. :shrug: I guess I'm not fluent enough to worry about it right now, and I'm definitely in need of some serials to listen to. Thanks!

:camp:
 
Maya3

Maya3

Well-Known Member
Wow. I don't speak Hindi, but you sure sounded impressive to me.
Good for you! Keep it up, this is great.

Maya
 
Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
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Poeticus

Poeticus

| abhyAvartin |
Fireside_Hindu said:
I sometimes debate with myself how much "proper Hindi" I should be focusing on. On the one hand I know that the Hindi spoken "on the streets" of major cities in India is mostly mixed Urdu/Hindi/English. But on the other hand, maybe I should start from "proper" and work my way into "improper". My goal is to be able to communicate so I suppose knowing a bunch of proper Hindi words that few other Hindi speakers recognize doesn't really have a point. :shrug: I guess I'm not fluent enough to worry about it right now, and I'm definitely in need of some serials to listen to. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Fireside, you shouldn't be focusing too much on "proper Hindi", if the goal is to primarily be able to communicate with anyone that can speak Hindi. Even I don't fully understand it, nor am I able to properly converse in it. It usually comes across as too polished, and is usually acknowledged to exist mostly within the religious scenes (e.g., Hindu-related TV-shows; satsang-s that are very formal in their communications). Outside of those environments, "lay-Hindi", for the lack of a better word, is the more appropriate application. It's wonderful to learn "proper Hindi", but it isn't practical for everyday usage in lay-like terms and situations.

The Hindi that you are speaking in the video, is formal as it is. :D And fluency is getting there. With the rate of your progression, I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to have an advanced conversation in Hindi by the summer of next year. Keep up the awesome work, it is truly humbling.

Aupmanyav said:
Here is Ramananda Sagar's Ramayana: https://www.google.co.in/webhp?sour...=ramanand+sagar's+ramayan&safe=active&tbm=vid
Click to expand...

Pranam, Aup-dada:

Ramananda Sagar's Ramayana is a wonderful recommendation for getting more acquainted with "proper Hindi". Good call.
 
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