How to Learn Hindi: Apps Guide

The traditional way of learning languages has gone. From rote learning from a textbook and a teacher giving a lecture on how to use grammar to apps on your phone, learning foreign languages have changed drastically since the Internet and smartphone technology. If you want to learn one of the main languages of India – Hindi – here are some pros and cons of some of the leading language apps.

Duolingo

One of the most popular language apps out there, Duolingo works in two separate ways. If you have no knowledge of Hindi you can start with the basics, and if you know the basics, you can choose the latter option. The app requires you to do 15 minutes a day on doing one of their “classes”. Similar to other apps out there, there is a sense of playing a “game” with learning a language. The app is free and is on for Apple and Android phones.

uTalk – Learn Hindi

Setting you back $12.99 on the AppStore, Learn Hindi or uTalk, works in a similar way to Duolingo. Learn how to read, pronounce and listen to core words used in Hindi. If you can learn basic words of languages through games and daily lessons and can invest in an app, try uTalk. However, unlike Duolingo which recommends at least 5-15mins, uTalk states that

“It’s crammed full of useful, everyday words and phrases which are divided into topics. Each topic will take roughly two to three hours to complete but you can dip in for five minutes or more at a time. Learn when you want, at your own pace. And with 60+ topics, that’s a total of up to 180 hours of learning in each language.”

Learn Hindi ™

The app tries to differentiate from the rest where it promotes the idea that the app is developed with the help of linguists. However, similar to the other apps, it follows a similar pattern. Although free, it dives into different topics depending on what topic you want to learn first. It prides itself on learning words that aren’t common when going to India. As the team at Learn Hindi ™ say, “we believe that a language is an audio-visual dynamic environment of images.” The team behind the app surely proves that the saying goes true.

Learn and Write Hindi Alphabets with Bheem

Directed mainly at children, this free app still can help you read Hindi alphabets. While the other apps are more targeting on listening and speaking Hindi, this app provides another alternative to understanding one of the main languages in India. It makes you practice your writing skills by drawing over Hindi script and also teaches you the meaning behind each script.

Learn Hindi – WordPower

This $14.99 app prides itself on 5 minutes of strict learning time with each lesson per day. There are different levels for the individual to complete and there is over 2,000+ vocabulary to learn. The app doubles as a mini guide for you to learn cultural insights about India along with practical Hindi phrases. According to their description, “A vocabulary of 1,500 words is enough to comfortably participate in everyday conversations.”

Each app provides its pros and cons on price, what you want to learn and get out of an app and also what other features you wish to invest in. Some of the apps lack grammar or syntax required for learning a foreign language, while others just focus on one of the four features of language learning. However, if you dig the technology behind induced language learning, these are some of the most well-known apps to help you learn Hindi.