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Many people hesitate to try and speak in a foreign language. This might be because they don’t want to feel foolish, are worried about how they will sound, are scared of sounding silly and so on. As a result, they remain resolutely monolingual during any trip abroad, preferring to speak loudly in English. These are the same people who are clever, articulate and never lost for words when speaking in English. The same people who are achievers in other areas of life.

But why? It may be because many people stop learning (or never start) languages when leaving school and when they travel abroad have only haunting memories of having to learn lists of words or conjugate verbs. It could also be because many foreign language courses are detailed, promise a lot and require too much time.

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. Who has the time or inclination to spend months learning Spanish / French / German or any other language when planning a three day visit?

Well, maybe things have moved on or maybe not as regards language learning when still at school. I don’t know, but I do know that it is fun and possible to learn some basic language for when you travel.

By basic, I mean basic. How to start? Learn a few key words. For example, ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘please’, ‘thank you’. These are words that you will hear all the time and be able to use all the time. Learn them and say them as often as possible. It is a great confidence booster to do this, and once you can do this you have cleared the first hurdle.

I’m suggesting that it is always worth learning these key words because you will almost certainly have a better holiday. Try them out. Taxi drivers and waiters are great and will almost always respond positively. The moment you attempt to speak in another language you stop being a number to them and become a human being.

Almost always you will receive a positive reaction. In some cases, especially with shop-keepers it takes longer, (a few days) but most will crack eventually and reward you with some recognition that you are not just another tourist.

So, here we are, you can now speak ten or so words fluently. A good start but perhaps it might be fun to learn a few more and so how about some numbers. Start with ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’. Remember that the goal is not fluency, or obsessing about finishing what you start (like having to count to ten) but to have a little fun and communicate.

Everyone buys drinks on holiday. This is an ideal occasion to use the numbers you know. It doesn’t matter if you ask for the drinks in English. The important thing is to use the opportunity to ask for the number of drinks in the foreign language, or to confirm the number of drinks ordered.

Feeling inspired move onto a few phrases. A good one is ‘that was delicious’, assuming of course that you have chosen a good restaurant, and it is amazing how appreciative and surprised the owners will be.

Decide in advance what you are going to say. If you are getting a bus or if you are going to take a taxi learn ‘one ticket’ or whatever you will need, but keep it simple.

Start with the simplest phrase you can imagine. A common mistake is to make sentences in a foreign language more complicated than necessary. For example, instead of saying ‘could you tell me where the beach is?’, it is easier to say ‘where is the beach?’. In other words skip out the non-essential.

So, don’t be shy, learn ten, twenty or thirty words and a few phrases and make sure you use them.

For people who speak Hindi as a second language.

Learning a second language can be a very stressful and arduous task if you let it. Somehow, the words you learn in the books don’t seem to apply very well to real life situations. Those small and seemingly un-important elements that show a person to be in command of not only the language, but the culture of the people who speak it cannot be adequately expressed by words on paper.

So, how do you learn these little secrets of mastering the ability to articulate yourself in another language?

Here are 5 proven techniques that will help you improve your Hindi without even trying, if you are learning to speak Hindi as a second language.  You’ll find it to be a fun, exciting, and painless way to learn both the language and the  genuine accent, facial expressions, hand gestures, sighs, moans, groans, laughter, smirks, and other things that go along with everyday conversation.

1. Watch Movies!

Watching movies is always a fun thing to do. In order to get the most out of your movie watching experience, if your vocabulary is limited, watch a movie in Hindi that you are very familiar with in your own language so you always know what’s going on. Try not to translate as you go, because you lose blocks of conversation this way. Instead, watch the picture and listen. Hear all the words, but determine what’s going on by the pictures you see and the words you’re hearing that you already know. Believe it or not, other words will sink in too, and so will the accent and everything else that went with what you saw and heard.

As your vocabulary grows, expand your movie selections to other movies you’d like to see but are only available in Hindi. Try to be able to see the film more than once if possible.

According to the location and type of film you intend to view, you will be able to experience different accents, and other cultural expressions of the Hindi language. Pick and choose the things that you think will suit you best. If it doesn’t work out, pick and try something else! Have fun with yourself and your efforts.

2. Watch TV Soap Operas

The place where extreme expression and limited vocabulary meet! This is such a fascinating way to learn a foreign language. Every accessory that goes with the expression of a word is demonstrated on a soap opera. “Outrage” expressed with a word, facial expression or two, and perhaps even a subsequent face slap, all of that being understandable in any language. “Love”, another universal subject, or violence, good versus evil can all be discerned quickly and easily on a soap opera. Plus, soap operas are naturally designed to allow anyone just tuning in to pick up the story quickly. The characters are easily loveable and deliciously “hate-able” so you turn to it again and again to see what’s going on, and not only improve your Hindi each time, but reinforce what you’ve already learned.

3. Read the Comics/Funny Papers

Very non-stressful! Pictures with words, or words with pictures, however you want to look at it, it’s a great way to learn! For each thought presented there are words that match a picture, and vice versa. It doesn’t matter if you read comic books, or the comics in the newspaper, read whatever will make you laugh and cause you to enjoy learning at the same time.

4. Read Children’s books

If you know any little kids between the ages of 5-8, try reading one of their books to them. Usually little kids know their favorite books by heart, so if you stumble a little, they’ll be able to help you.

If you enjoy this method of improving your Hindi, and you find yourself to be pretty good at it, then try reading a few poems. The rhyming will challenge you, but once you master it, your pronunciation of Hindi, and your delivery will have been considerably refined and improved.

5. Learn these two sentences and you’ll be set for life . . . seriously!

“How do you say (blank)”, in Hindi , and “What is that called?” (Point if you have to, and smile too). Smiling is a universal language. Once you’ve learned how to ask these two questions,  you’re on your way to being conversant in Hindi language.

You could use your limited vocabulary to ask the question and then when you get your answer you could repeat it a few times to make sure you’re saying it correctly, and you’ve  a new vocabulary word. And, because you asked your question to the best of your ability in the native tongue, the natives would realize your sincere desire to learn, and help you!

What happens if you make a mistake?

Nothing. The world won‘t come to an end, and you haven’t embarrassed yourself to the point where you can’t show your face again. Just apologize if that’s what’s called for, or laugh at yourself, make the correction, and count it as a learning experience.

Recently I came across some FREE Hindi language learning materials at BBC-Hindi site.

This information is available to you at BBC site. Check the links below to see the actual content.

• 10 Facts about Hindi language 10 things to know about the Hindi language.
• The Hindi Alphabets Learn the letters of the Hindi alphabet
• Hindi Key Phrases Take these phrases with you on your mp3 player and as a print-out.

I find  it will definitely be useful for beginners.

You may use it in addition to free lessons that you get at our own site.

Hindilearner.com website has a new interface designed for a better user experience.

Look into it and let me know your views.

New Interface : HindiLearner Site

Should you have ever wondered about how you can understand to speak Hindi, here are a couple of suggestions that you can use to assist you out.

If you really feel that you would find out very best on your own, you might want to make a little investment into a great language program that can have the ability to guide you with understanding the fundamentals of the language. To be able to get the very best outcomes out of this solution, you should pick a language program which can provide you with audio clip examples of how words ought to sound once they are pronounced. Employing these programs will provide you with a good understanding of what the language ought to ideally sound like when you are speaking it.

Other people may found that it really is simpler for them to discover a foreign language if they’re in a languages courses setting. Based on your learning style, this educational setting can make learning a language considerably less complicated than in the event you had been teaching yourself. Although many classes aren’t in a position to fit into a crowded schedule, it will allow you to be capable of ask for assist from an instructor in the event you are getting problems or need some clarification.

Although your schedule could be too busy to allow your involvement having a class, you might wish to attempt out a study group. The use of a tutor or a study group can be a great way for you to function on understanding Hindi and further your understanding. Although pricing for tutoring services usually often differ, you’ll be able to often discover a superb study group if you are searching to discover while coping with a spending budget.

The use of other educational supplements can be an excellent help to you throughout your studies. Contemplate locating grammar or language books which can further help you practice your sentence structure. By practicing with numerous quizzes provided or even listening to audio books, it is possible to challenge your self together with your present information of the language and continue learning.

Taking an interest in Hindi films or music can also help people who need to discover. You will find many different films which not just have fascinating storylines but also support the viewer by giving them far more of a grasp of the Hindi language. In case you watch films that have subtitles, you will be in a position to gain a better understanding of how words and sentences perform together in the language and could even increase your vocabulary.

Selecting to learn one more language might be of great value to you in the course of your lifetime. This selection will enable you to turn out to be more familiar with several various choices and opportunities that other culture is going to be able to supply to you when you have a full understanding of their language.