University will try to make it a regular academic subject.
AB Wire
WASHINGTON, DC: University of Montana (UM) students will have the opportunity to learn the Hindi language next year.
UM’s South & Southeast Asian Studies program was awarded a Fulbright instructor to teach the language during the 2015-16 academic year, according to a press release.
Gaurav Mishra, a native Hindi speaker, will arrive mid-August to teach a two-course sequence of elementary Hindi, beginning in fall semester and finishing in the spring. Mishra is from Uttar Pradesh, and currently teaches English as a second language at a college in India.
“This is a rare honor and a big achievement because only four universities in the nation have been allotted Hindi instructors,” UM liberal studies Professor Ruth Vanita said, in a statement.
Fulbright requires Mishra to serve as a cultural ambassador to the University and the community, which he is enthusiastic about doing. UM faculty, staff and students are welcome to invite him to give guest lectures and to participate in events and discussions.
Hindi, the national language of India, is the third-most common language in the world. It is an Indo-European language, connected through a common ancestor to European languages, including English. The Hindi language is almost completely phonetic, which means it is written almost exactly as it is spoken. Every letter of the alphabet stands for just one sound.
Vanita said the South & Southeast Asian Studies program plans to apply for a Fulbright instructor for the 2016-17 academic year to continue Hindi classes at UM.