FALL 2015 
                  HINDI 1501                           BEGINNING HINDI I 
                  
                 Time: M W 4-6:30 PM   
                 Venue: M102 
                 Instructor: Dr. Bhavya Tiwari 
                 E-mail: btiwari@central.uh.edu 
                 Office Hours: M W 11:30-1 and by appointment at 260c McElhinney Hall 
                  
                 Required Textbook Package: 
                 • Rupert Snell’s Complete Hindi: A Teach Yourself Guide, Edition 2nd 
                 • Rupert Snell’s Read and Write Hindi Scripts, Edition 2nd 
                 Recommended: 
                 * Jain, Usha. Introduction to Hindi Grammar. Berkeley, CA: Centers for South and South-
                 east Asia Studies, University of California, 1995.  
                 Supplemental Materials: 
                 

                 Students are strongly encouraged to review the many traditional and web resources listed on 
                 the comprehensive website below:  
                 http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/hu_hindi.html 
                 http://www.ncsu.edu/project/hindi_lessons/; “A Door into Hindi,” is another site that will be 
                 used for homework and class work.  
                 Introduction to Hindi writing http://www.open-of-course.org/courses/course/view.php?id=15  
                 (Hindi for Beginners) http://courses.washington.edu/hindi31x/resources.html (a listing of 
                 useful links for beginners)  
                 http://www.avashy.com/hindibhasha/index.asp  
                 http://hindiurduflagship.org/resources/learning-teaching/1st-year-hindi-textbooks/  
                 http://www.hindigym.com/ (contains fun worksheets) 
                 http://www.uni.edu/becker/hindi.html (a portal to games, periodicals and more)  
                 www.lrc.columbia.edu/hi/hi10002 
                 HINSI 1501 Fall 2015             !1
              

              www.avashy.com/hindiscripttutor.htm (Hindi script tutor)  
              ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/hindi (Alphabet practice)  
              http://livetvchannelsin.com/hindiradio.html (streaming Hindi radio stations)  
                                           
              COURSE DESCRIPTION: 
              LEARNING OBJECTIVES: This class is designed to develop speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills 
              in basic Hindi. After completing Hindi 1501 students will be able to converse with ease and confidence when 
              dealing with most routine tasks and social situations that require an exchange of basic information related to 
              work, school, recreation, particular interests and areas of competence. 
              You can expect to encounter and to work on mastering basic communication skills in Hindi and to acquire an 
              understanding of the Indian culture where Hindi is spoken. This is a communicative, student-centered course, 
              which means that you will interact a great deal with your classmates. Acquiring a foreign language requires 
              much practice and repetition.  
              ACTIVE PARTICIPATION: Careful preparation of all assignments and active participation in class are 
              crucial for mastering all four language skills: reading, writing, listening comprehension and speaking. 
              Homework assignments will cover new vocabulary and grammatical structures, while class periods focus on 
              communicative interaction in Hindi. It is crucial that you complete all assignments before you come to class. 
              The material covered in class will be based on what you have already studied at home. Communicative learn-
              ing and group work are essential aspects of this course. Coming to class unprepared not only puts you at a dis-
              advantage, it is also unfair to your group work partners.  
                   
              ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is mandatory for this class. In case of medical or other emergencies, con-
              tact me as soon as possible and be prepared to provide appropriate documentation, such as a written state-
              ment from your doctor. Tardiness may be counted as absence.  
              ELECTRONICS: 
              No use of cell phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, or similar devices in class. 
                
              All cell phones and other communication devices will be turned OFF during class time (not just placed in 
              silent mode). No messaging will be allowed.   
              Failure to comply with these class rules may result in the violating student being instructed to leave the class-
              room. Students who continue to violate these rules may be sanctioned with disciplinary action, which may 
              affect their course performance and success. In extreme cases, repetitive non-compliance could potentially 
              result in withdrawal from the course. 
              ASSIGNMENTS: 
              All class and homework assignments must be completed and submitted on time. 
                        EMAILED AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! 
              Attention: There will be Language Acquisition Center orientation scheduled during the second week of 
              instruction.  
                   
              ❖ Hand-in assignments: Some assignments are to be handed in to me as a hardcopy. You don’t have to type 
                those but please write clearly, double-space and use letter size paper. Don’t forget to add your name on 
                top of each page. I will correct these assignments and return them to you. 
              HINSI 1501 Fall 2015      !2
                  STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS AND HELPFUL STUDY HINTS: 
                  Use the computers and audio/recording equipment in the LAC (Language Acquisition Center in AH-217) to 
                  complete your homework and practice writing, listening, and speaking. This is an invaluable opportunity to 
                  improve your performance skills in Hindi. The LAC also has a huge selection of Hindi movies and documen-
                  taries. Please also make use of YouTube and Netflix to watch Hindi movies and documentaries. 
                  Learn each lesson by going over the drills mentally, reviewing carefully the material covered in class before 
                  writing a homework assignment. Reading aloud at home can be very profitable as it reinforces important 
                  points such as sentence structure, pronunciation, and “sentence melody” (intonation). 
                  Listening strategies that will help you complete listening comprehension activities successfully:  
                   •  first look at the introductory remarks in the textbook: what is the situation? what do you expect the   
                              dialogue to be about? what type of vocabulary would you expect to be used in that situation? 
                   •  listen to the recording – don’t expect to understand every  word; concentrate on  the main points and   
                              key words (who is speaking? what is discussed?) 
                   •  listen to the recording at least one more time and try to fill in the details you missed the first time 
                   •  proceed to work on the written assignment 
                  Blackboard Learn: Additional course materials will be made available through Blackboard Learn. I will also 
                  post the course syllabus and other materials in the course of the semester.  
                  Note: Announcements, reminders or changes regarding homework, quizzes, or exams will be posted via 
                  blackboard. 
                  TESTING: 
                  QUIZZES: Short surprise weekly quizzes cover the class and homework material of that week. These frequent 
                  quizzes will help you to track your progress in this course and to evaluate your learning strategies. You will not 
                  be able to take any make-up quizzes should you have to miss one! However, the lowest quiz grade will be 
                  dropped at the end of the semester. 
                  MIDTERM and FINAL: The midterm and final will be held in your assigned classroom. I will announce the 
                  chapters on which you will be covered.  
                  Students’ grades will be based on the following:  
                  

                    ·  10 Weekly journal entries: 10%  
                    ·  Midterm 20% & final exams: 20% 
                    ·  11 surprise Quizzes: 20%  
                    ·  10 In-class assignments: 10% 

                    ·  10 Home assignments: 15% 

                    ·  Class participation: 5% 

                        

                  JOURNAL: Students will submit journal entries per week using primarily Hindi. The instructor will use these 
                  and other assessment tools to chart each student‟s daily progress (i.e., weekly progress reports). Initial entries 
                  could take the form of reflections regarding noteworthy differences between English and Hindi and individual 
                  HINSI 1501 Fall 2015               !3
              consonant and vowel practice and sound blending, as well as word lists and Devanagari and Romanized Hindi 
              script (which students can use as a bridge to Devanagari in the first two weeks).  
              Note: Attendance does not guarantee a good participation grade. Students should always speak Hindi in class!  
              Homework policy: Students are expected to do the readings and the tasks assigned for each day before coming 
              to class. Please note that all written assignments should be copied out on notebook paper, not torn from the 
              workbook. Students must always copy complete exercises, not just words that go in blanks. Late homework is 
              not acceptable. 
              Participation grade: Your participation grade is assessed according to your efforts to use the language in class 
              and according to your progress. Students who repeatedly use English in class or who come to class unprepared 
              should expect a poor participation grade. For a good participation grade, students should consistently use Hindi 
              in class, should come to class prepared, and should volunteer to answer questions and to participate in skits. 
              Physical and mental presence are, of course, required.  
              Make-up policy: There will be no make-ups  
              Classroom Etiquette: Tardiness, cell-phone use and walking in and out of the room while class is in session are 
              considered disruptive behaviors and will not be allowed. Students are expected to behave in a courteous man-
              ner towards each other and towards the instructor. Anyone who disregards these policies will be asked to leave 
              the class.  
              Supplementary activities for the journal entry: Students are required to participate in two supplementary lan-
              guage- enhancement activities during the semester. These could be meeting Hindi-speaking people or visiting 
              Indian restaurants, grocery stores or area mundirs/temple (i.e., multipurpose community centers) accompanied 
              by a 1-page outline of your observations and words and expressions heard and/or learned. Use mostly Hindi in 
              your write-up.  
              Grading scale: 
              A    93-100        B+  87-89                     C+  77-79            D+  67-69          F  Below 60 
              A-   90-92          B    83-86                     C    73-76            D    63-66 
                                         B-  80-82                      C-  70-72            D-   60-62 
              IMPORTANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: 
              Academic Honesty: Students are expected to be familiar with the UH Academic Honesty Policy - any viola-
              tions will be duly processed. The use of software to check grammar and spelling is allowed and not considered 
              a violation of these rules.  However, it is not acceptable to solicit help from others or to copy material without 
              following the proper procedure for quoting and for documenting sources. For more information on academic 
              honesty policies and procedures, see the University’s Student Conduct Policies at http://www.uh.edu/dos/pdf/
              codeofconduct.pdf. 
              Class Participation: 
              Students may not use any electronic devices during class time! Be aware that disruptive behavior, including 
              arriving late, leaving early, and using cell phones, will result in lower participation grades. To review 
              university regulations, consult the Student Handbook. 
              Remember: Your unexcused absences may not exceed five class hours!  
              Disability Notice: 
              The University of Houston is committed to providing equal education opportunities for all students, and will 
              make reasonable academic accommodations for students identified as disabled under the law. For more infor-
              mation, contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at 713-743-5400, or see their online explanation of 
              policies and procedures at http://www.uh.edu/csd/. 
              HINSI 1501 Fall 2015      !4