How to Teach Hindi to Kids – 11 Effective Ways

Hindi is one of the most common languages spoken in India. The entire northern part of the country thrives while speaking in Hindi and thanks to the growing influence of Bollywood, the language has managed to seal its presence in the Western, Eastern and Southern states too. According to the language census released in 2011, approximately 44% of people stated their mother tongue was Hindi. Over 120 million citizens also used Hindi, but as a second language. Hindi is also one of the seven languages used to create web addresses on the Internet. Learning Hindi is definitely an advantage, especially when your children live in India. Read on to learn some effective ways of teaching Hindi to your child.

Importance of Hindi Language in India

An ancient language that derives its origin from Sanskrit, Hindi has had a tremendous impact on world history and is recognized as a meaningful language across several parts of the world. The growing Indian diaspora in the world has contributed to the awareness of Hindi as a language associated with the Indian subcontinent amongst the Westerners.

Hindi Diwas, celebrated annually on 14th September is a day earmarked to signify the importance of the language in India and the rest of the world. Celebrating the day reminds citizens of the linguistic importance the Hindi language holds in our country.

Schools, colleges and other institutions in the country organize various events like debates, competitions, elocutions, quizzes to commemorate the language and its significance. Learning an additional language will only enrich their knowledge levels and learning Hindi will go a long way in helping the growth of the nation.

11 Effective Ways of Teaching Hindi to Children

If you have decided to teach Hindi to your kids and are on the crossroad on how to begin, then look no further. Hindi teaching for kids may seem an easy task but with the ways suggested below your child is sure to pick up the threads. Just tickle the curiosity and the interest levels of your child, and you are on the road to progress.

1. Structured Approach

Start with having a discussion with your child about Hindi as a language and its importance. Gather information that would be interesting and pique the curiosity of your child. Once you have achieved that, set aside a certain time of the day to dedicate to learning the language. Ensure that you stick to the routine as it would become a habit and your child will automatically tune themselves for learning. Plan the lessons on a task basis. Chalk out what needs to be covered on a daily basis and limit the amount of information. For example, if you are teaching the Hindi alphabets, start with saying it all at once and then pick a few alphabets a day to iterate and reinforce learning. Follow it with a revision the next day before you move to the next set to learn. Make gradual progress from one stage to another so that your child does not feel the burden and enjoys learning.

2. Practice Sessions

Apart from setting time for lessons, incorporate practising sessions during other times. Don’t make it seem like a formal tutorial, but just practice what they learn when they are having fun. For example, ask a few questions while driving, or at the dinner table, or while dropping them off at school or even while giving them a bath. Do not overdo it and just limit it to a few questions for them to be on top of the game and feel motivated.

3. Experiential Learning

Hindi for kids to learn may get boring if they are taught in the regular board and book format. Try and make the session experiential with an element of fun and surprise. There are a lot of resources available in the market to make learning exciting. Use flash cards to get kids to answer loudly and reward them for their good performance. Try and use VCD’s or computer applications that work on interactive learning procedures. Kids today are adept at using technology and learn faster. The market is flooded with games in Hindi and purchase a few to play with your kids. It serves many purposes- you get to spend quality time with them, they have fun and learn too!

4. Rewards

Rewards could be the best answer to “How to teach Hindi to child”. Put up a reward chart and explain the way it works to your child. Rewarding in any form is a motivation to learn. Set target goals and achievement levels and track the progress and any exceptional behaviour with a star or sticker to let your child know that he or she will be rewarded on a continuous basis. If your child wants a toy, get them to complete a task in their endeavour to learn Hindi to earn it.

5. Audio Visual Entertainment

Try to lay your hands on an audio and visual medium of entertainment to expose your child to the language. Play cartoons, serials, stories and rhymes in Hindi for your child to see and enjoy. Watching programs in Hindi will tap into their latent talent and maximize their potential to learn.

6. Books

It is definitely not possible for a child at the learning stage to read a book in Hindi. However, if you are reasonably fluent in reading the language, then invest in a few good books which could engage your child. Remember that a child can absorb a lot of information by listening too. Read aloud and explain as you speak.

7. Regular Conversations

If you have friends or relatives who speak Hindi as their mother tongue, encourage your child to speak to them in Hindi. If you are fluent in the language ensure that all your conversations are in Hindi so that your child will hear and pick up the same.

8. Asking Questions

Whenever you ask questions about something, try and get your child to respond in Hindi. Frame your questions in Hindi and elicit a response from them even if it is wrong. By trying to respond, they will frame their words and sentences and eventually master the language.

9. Participation In Events

Encourage your child to participate in events at school or any community functions where they can display their Hindi speaking skills. Reassure them that it is not winning that matters but participation alone is a great way of learning and winning. If your child is interested in theatre, you could get them enrolled in a Hindi theatre group. Enacting plays and memorising dialogues can be a great way to build on language skills.

10. Showtime

Bollywood films are a great way to learn Hindi. Try to rent an age-specific movie once a month regularly so that children develop an interest in learning the language. Going to Hindi plays can also be a helpful way to learn the language. Since plays don’t sound as exciting as movies, you may stick to those made especially for children. Find out which ones are being shown nearby and take your children for a unique experience that will them improve their Hindi.

11. Games

After trying all the suggestions given above and when you see some improvement, you can add some fun in learning with some games.

• Rapid Fire – You can play the rapid-fire game wherein you ask questions and your children answer them immediately but in Hindi.
• Name, Place, Animal, Thing Game in Hindi – You say a Hindi letter out loud and the children have to think of a name, a place, an animal and a thing starting with that letter.  If your child is not as advanced in Hindi, you may choose just one category, for example, just names.
• Treasure hunt with riddles in Hindi – For this game, you have to prepare cues that lead to a treasure, which could be anything, some chocolates, a dessert, or a toy. Every level will have a riddle or a question from the syllabus in Hindi and the kids will have to give the right answer (in Hindi only) to move to the next level.

Teaching children is always fun as long as you are able to think and work at their level. Hindi is a sweet language with a soothing tone and diction. With some participation and innovative ideas, you can help your child understand, learn and even ace the language.

Also Read: Language Development In Kids