If you’ve ever studied a language independently, then there’s a good chance that you’ve come across the “Teach Yourself” series. As a staple learning material for self-taught language learning, the “Teach Yourself” books have developed a system that seems to work. And it’s not just for learning how to speak a language – there are entire books dedicated to just learning a particular aspect of a language. One such book is Beginner’s Hindi Script which focuses entirely on reading and writing Devanagri.
The name itself is misleading and irritating – there is no such thing as “Hindi script” – however, it’s probably named as such to market to students who are yet to know the word “Devanagri”. You’ll learn all of this very early on in the section “Languages and scripts in India” which gives a brief history of the written word in the subcontinent.
As the name suggests, however, the book focuses entirely on the written form of the language. Unit topics include things such as “Introducing Devanagari”, “The Devanagari syllabary”, “Consonants”, “Vowels” and so on. In total, there are eight units to help you master the written word.
"This kind of book is for someone who truly wants to learn the ins and outs of the written language, perhaps a linguist in the making."
A book like this is not for your average Hindi language student. This kind of book is for someone who truly wants to learn the ins and outs of the written language, perhaps a linguist in the making. If you simply want to learn Hindi on more general terms, then devoting this much time to perfecting the written word may not be the most effective use of your time. If, however, you have a desire to spend years in India or simply want to master the art of writing, then this book is thorough and it will surely help you advance your written skills.
Although the book is part of a series known as the “Teach Yourself” series, there is no reason why it cannot be used in conjunction with a teacher or tutor. While it is not ideal for a full classroom setting, it is very possible to use this book as part of a tutoring session. If you are a Hindi teacher, then you might use this book with your students who are trying to achieve a total literacy in Hindi.
Like all of the “Teach Yourself” series, this book does a great job of guiding students to reach their overall language objectives. The “Teach Yourself” series is a brand you can trust and Beginner’s Hindi Script lives up to the legacy.
