LEARN HINDI THROUGH ENGLISH MEDIUM

by Ratnakar Narale

READERS' COMMENTS

(1) Dr. Carl Saiphoo, University of Toronto, Canada :

To : Dr. Ratnakar Narale, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.,
Principal, Hindu Institute of Learning,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Dear Dr. Narale,

I have been a formal student for at least 28 years, a teacher of elementary school-children, and subsequently a teacher of undergraduate and post-graduate students for 35 years. English is my only spoken language. I have studied French and Latin in college and university.

For the past few weeks I have been using your new and basic “Learn Hindi Through English Medium” and after having studied one half of it I would like to make a few comments about why I have enjoyed every lesson. The following approaches which you used make this book unique and ideal for me.

1. The 20 Step by Step outline of the Hindi course states clearly what material is to be covered in each step. Each lesson does, indeed, teach me patiently and superbly the details of what was outlined. My expectations were fulfilled and with each lesson, the Hindi learned was reviewed again and again. Hindi was consolidated with each section. The extensive use of transliteration and translation helped with pronunciation. I wondered whether you were the ‘English-only’ student.

2. You have made easy the writing, pronouncing and reading the consonants, vowels, sandhi and commonly used words and symbols in Hindi. I personally would feel more comfortable with the Hindi pronunciation by listening to an accompanying CD/tape made of your book by someone who speaks both Hindi and English and who is aware of the weaknesses and flaws we inherently have when we are learning to speak Hindi properly.

3. Your Hindi book shows me how to make my own simple sentences using pronouns, nouns, verbs and numerals. These sentences were often original ... my very own! Your numerous examples with answers were extremely helpful especially when you also provide the transliteration and Hindi, of questions and answers both. As I learn more and more vocabulary I am sure that there will be less ‘Hinglish’ spoken.

4. I am getting more comfortable with the present, past and future tenses when speaking Hindi. Your outstanding methodical lessons promise to further teach me the practical usage of the perfect tense, conditional mood, interrogate mood, adverbs, conjugations, prepositions and variety of suffixes. Surprisingly, in only a few weeks I am able to make my own simple sentences and I am able to speak Hindi! Schools and learners of all ages would really appreciate this book!

5. Your unique comprehensive Tables and Tests are extremely helpful in understanding and reviewing and consolidating what has been learned to the present.

Thank you Dr. Narale, for providing English-speaking people like me with the opportunity to learn to read, write and speak Hindi. I look forward to conversing and communicating with others locally, in Trinidad, in Guyana and India, hopefully in Hindi, and without a loss of words.

Dr. Carl Saiphoo
Asstt. Prof. of Medicine,
University of Toronto

(2) Jonathan Young, Toronto :

Ratnakar ji, when I look at the sections on 'Brain Surgery of Hindi Grammar' and 'the X-Ray Vision' in your book "Learn Hindi through English Medium," I think it is truly a work of a genious.

(3) Sherriff Charles, Toronto :

I was most pleased with the Hindi classes and learned far more than I had expected. At the start of the classes I knew about five to six words in Hindi, words like dal, bhart, bhagee, ghos and who could forget aloo. Everything else was new to me. Here's wishing you the best of the season and a healthy and prosperous new year.
Sincerely,
Sherriff Charles.