This Hindi Divas, A Hindi Teacher Spoke To Us About Teaching Hindi In An Increasingly Angrezi Medium World

This Hindi Divas, A Hindi Teacher Spoke To Us About Teaching Hindi In An Increasingly Angrezi Medium World

I remember that back when I was in school, I used to fear Hindi as a subject. With all the different types of matras and the barakhadi, I was always falling behind in the subject as most of my marks would be eaten up by spelling errors. However, my overall love for literature and stories held my attention during the lectures. We all meme about our Hindi teacher experiences with the general consensus being that all of us have at least one negative Hindi teacher experience. But then, with the lack of value students (ad even many educational institutes) have for Hindi, can we completely blame them? 

In today’s day and age of westernisation, English is a universal language which results in regional languages being underestimated and sidelined. People go as far as thinking that if you don’t speak English well, you are inherently dumb. Hence, on this Hindi Divas, I spoke to Veena Manchanda, a Hindi Teacher at Thakur Vidya Mandir High School & Junior College. She has 35 years of teaching experience under her belt and a Masters in Hindi literature. Ms Manchanda agreed to speak to me about how to experience teaching Hindi in this era of extreme westernisation.

 

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A post shared by Veena Manchanda (@veena.manchanda_)

1. In today’s Day and age of westernization, do you see a shift in how you perceived Hindi as a subject when you were a student and how your students do? 

As students, we were as keen as eager beavers to learn Hindi as we were attached to our culture and heritage. But today’s students simply ape the West and have lost touch with their roots which is evident in the classroom. 

2. In a society where English is given top priority, do you face any challenges in getting students to be interested in Hindi? 

Yes, of course! We face numerous problems while promoting Hindi to our students while teaching, the concepts of reading, listening, writing and speaking. Many times, even their handwriting is illegible.

 

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A post shared by Veena Manchanda (@veena.manchanda_)

Also Read: Hindi Diwas: From Mahadevi Verma To Munshi Premchand, 5 Hindi Language Authors You Need To Read At Least Once In Your Lifetime

3. What inspired you to study Hindi literature and teach it?

Poetry touches my heart and I feel that Hindi is a poetic language. It touches the very core of my being and resonates with my love for this language.

4. Do you think there is a difference in the way Hindi and English are perceived by society? 

In today’s society, a person’s status is judged by their ability to communicate ideas in a foreign language. Unfortunately, Hindi is given stepmotherly treatment and looked down upon by people of higher class.

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5. What are some ways you’ve tried to instil a love for the Hindi language within your students?

Inspiration is the key to instilling a love for Hindi. While travelogues add a new dimension to Hindi, poems transport you to a world of fantasy and novels by great authors add depth and human touch to depth and expand our विज़न.

 

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A post shared by Veena Manchanda (@veena.manchanda_)

6. Which are some authors and books you’d recommend to get today’s youth interested in Hindi literature?

Godaan by Samarat Munishi Premchand is an all-time favourite among students of Hindi Literature. Madhushala by Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan is simply out of this world. I would highly recommend these books.

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