Is Urdu A Good Language

Hindi is the official language of the Republic of India (projected to overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2030) and the most widely spoken language in South Asia. It is also the language of a long literary tradition, both in modern prose and poetry, as well as pre-modern secular and devotional poetry. It is also a tremendously important language strategically in South Asia.In their basic form Hindi and Urdu are generally considered to be the same language written in two different scripts. After one year of instruction, you could go to India or Pakistan and talk about yourself, where you were born, where you grew up, what you do, your interests and your attraction to South Asia and South Asian languages. Each lesson builds on previous lessons in a systematic way to allow the absorption of vocabulary words in an organic manner, while reinforcing grammatical structures.

The text is accompanied by a CD as well, and a supplementary text introduces Urdu script quickly and painlessly. Films are also shown occasionally in class to reinforce the structures and idiomatic expressions that are being taught. It is also very closely related to the scripts employed to write Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, and Oriya among others.

Hindi and Urdu are generally considered to be one spoken language with two different literary traditions. That means that Hindi and Urdu speakers who shop in the same markets have no problems understanding each other -- they'd both say yeh kitne kaa hay for 'How much is it? And the Urdu one will be یہ کتنے کا ہے؟ Hindi is written from left to right in the Devanagari script, and is the official language of India, along with English. Urdu, on the other hand, is written from right to left in the Nastaliq script and is the national language of Pakistan.

It's also one of the official languages of the Indian states of Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir. Considered as one, these tongues constitute the second most spoken language in the world, sometimes called Hindustani. In their daily lives, Hindi and Urdu speakers communicate in their 'different' languages without major problems.

Both Hindi and Urdu developed from Classical Sanskrit, which appeared in the Indus Valley at about the start of the Common Era. The first old Hindi poetry was written in the year 769 AD, and by the European Middle Ages it became known as 'Hindvi'. Muslim Turks invaded the Punjab in 1027 and took control of Delhi in 1193.

They paved the way for the Islamic Mughal Empire, which ruled northern India from the 16th century until it was defeated by the British Raj in the mid-19th century. It was at this time that the language of this book began to take form, a mixture of Hindvi grammar with Arabic, Persian and Turkish vocabulary. The Muslim speakers of Hindvi began to write in the Arabic script, creating Urdu, while the Hindu population incorporated the new words but continued to write in Devanagari script. Students at this level are expected to have mastered language mechanics and possess a high intermediate level of proficiency in Urdu. The course is designed to enable students to attain solid, advanced-level proficiency or higher in the various language skills. Readings at this level are extensive and varied in terms of genres and academic interests.

They consist exclusively of authentic materials on various contemporary and classical topics in language, literature, and the social sciences. Chapters from books, novels, and lengthy articles form the backbone of this course. Students analyze the stylistic features of different genres and texts. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the nuances of the language and the use of idiomatic expressions and rhetorical devices. At this level, students also study the basic structures and phonological system of one of the major colloquial dialects. Students are encouraged to adopt the same linguistic medium that intellectual and educated native speakers of Urdu adopt in their conversations on academic topics.

The study of the dialect is uniquely integrated into the general curriculum emphasizing the linguistic realities in Urdu. Langma School of Languages is the best spoken Urdu training institute for the Urdu Language. Although English is the official language and is used in most elite circles, and Punjabi has a plurality of native speakers, Urdu is seen as the one lingua franca that is expected to prevail. In Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh, Urdu has official language status. Urdu, which was often referred to by the British administrators in India as the Hindustani language, was promoted in colonial India by British policies to counter the previous emphasis on Persian.

Urdu replaced Persian as the official language of India in 1837 and was made co-official, along with English. Hindi is the official language of the Republic of India and the most widely spoken language in South Asia. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, one of the official languages of India, and a tremendously important strategic language in South Asia.

With a common vocabulary and grammar, in their basic form, Hindi and Urdu are generally considered to be the same language written in two different scripts. Langma School of Languages' 14-week Elementary course is designed for a beginner where students start to use basic phrases, words, and sentences. Students are taught basic Grammar, Vocabulary suitable to their level, and communication skills. In class, you will be working individually, in pairs, and in small groups, and there will be some homework set to further practice grammar, reading, and writing at home. Langma School of Languages is the best language Institution and this can be seen through our achievements and accreditation.

We being a nation do not recognize our self as a nation among the modern time nation in the world. We have example of Japan & China who use their identity as a nation and feel comfort to use their own language, instead of the foreign one. It is interesting to know that the Japanese as well as Chinese languages having alphabets more than our Urdu national language. No doubt English has its own importance in its new scientific values but why we feel shame to speak our national language at home?

Roman Urdu has been used since the days of the British Raj, partly as a result of the availability and low cost of Roman movable type for printing presses. The use of Roman Urdu was common in some contexts, such as product labels. It is gaining popularity among users of text-messaging and Internet services — especially the young — and is developing its own style and conventions. This module develops knowledge of several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to develop their skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Successful students will gain the ability to read and write simple texts, and communicate on everyday topics. Emphasis will be placed on good pronunciation and on the social and linguistic conventions of everyday conversation.

Some who are from a non-Urdu background now can read and write only Urdu. With such a large number of people speaking Urdu, the language has acquired a peculiar Pakistani flavour further distinguishing it from the Urdu spoken by native speakers, resulting in more diversity within the language. This is 14 weeks program, in which students are taught carefully selected grammar points in the context of day to day conversation. Students will work on all four language skills ; however, speaking would be prioritized in the classroom.

Students will improve their pronunciation and work on identifying their own mistakes and correcting them. This level helps advanced-high students refine and practice their listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learn how to use and extend their advanced vocabulary, grammar, and communication skills more consciously and effectively. For the past so many years, the view of education has been to provide textbooks, guarantee that they are learnt by rote, and make sure that examination questions provide a platform for regurgitation of knowledge. Today, barely a handful of Pakistani children can claim to be fluent in Urdu or English.

In fact it has become "Urdlish", a mixture of both languages and extremely unnerving to watch and hear when exposed to it on media channels. Urdu is also one of the 22 official languages known in the Constitution of India. Presently, Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and also the official language of five Indian states.

It can be distinguished from Hindi on the basis of its vocabulary and script and one of the official languages of India. There are large numbers of Muslim speakers all around the globe and in the UK; Urdu is considered as a chief cultural language by Muslims from Pakistan and Norther India. This Urdu-English divide is beyond me. it's a pity our policy makers don't get the idea straight that English is a universal language and that we need to adapt to change if we wish to ever prosper. Speaking English or learning English at schools and colleges doesn't mean in any way that we are moving away from our culture; it only means we are keeping pace with change for change is the only thing that's constant in today's world.

I believe all students in Pakistan should be taught English and teachers and educators must be trained to perform their jobs better! Check out our neighboring country for a change...they speak Hindi and English as fluently as anything. That's what progress is....keeping up with the present times. In Pakistan, Urdu is spoken as a mother tongue by a majority of urban dwellers in such cities as Karachi and Hyderabad in the southern province of Sindh. In spite of its status as the national language, however, only 8% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language with about 48% speaking Punjabi as a mother tongue.

It is, however, the language of prestige and all signage, and literacy is compulsory in the Pakistani school system. As time goes by, more and more Pakistanis of Punjabi or other backgrounds are speaking Urdu as a first language. It is evident that the number of native Urdu speakers is increasing quickly in urban centers. Urdu is the sole national, and one of the two official languages of Pakistan .

It is spoken and understood throughout the country, whereas the state-by-state languages are the provincial languages, although only 7.57% of Pakistanis speak Urdu as their first language. Its official status has meant that Urdu is understood and spoken widely throughout Pakistan as a second or third language. It is used in education, literature, office and court business, although in practice, English is used instead of Urdu in the higher echelons of government.

Article 251 of the Pakistani Constitution mandates that Urdu be implemented as the sole language of government, though English continues to be the most widely used language at the higher echelons of Pakistani government. A renowned educationist suggests that those of us who are trained in the western tradition of education are made to think in the "either/or" strain. It is either quality or cost; either service or speed; either academic excellence based on marks and examinations or overall development. This means quality at an affordable cost; service fast; academic excellence with overall development as success comes through character building. It is the same with the language issue where an "either/or" thinking has to stop.

The Urdu or English debate has to stop and an honest approach should be adopted. Learning English as a second language is important in a world of increasing globalisation but as a language of communication and not, perhaps, as a medium of instruction. Does studying mostly in English at university lead to a loss in Arabic literacy and language skills? English is considered to be the main language that is used worldwide; as a result, in order to communicate with people around the world Arabs have to learn how to speak and write in English.

There are different opinions on whether studying in English affects our Arabic literacy and skills. There are some parents who agree that English is affecting the Modern Standard Arabic language. Urdu is not the Pakistani language, nor is Hindi the Indian. Urdu and English are the official languages of Pakistan, but only 8% of the population claim to be native speakers of Urdu. In fact, Punjabi is much more widely spoken across the country. Hindi and English are the official languages of India, but each state and union territory is free to choose their own official language; eight have chosen Urdu.

The classes also teach you about the complex social and cultural worlds in which these languages are used, particularly in regard to social relations and how to address people who occupy different social positions. At higher levels, students are able to read compelling literary works in Hindi-Urdu as well as develop more sophisticated conversational skills. We read poetry and prose, watch Bollywood films and engage in a lively manner with South Asian cultural traditions through our study of Hindi-Urdu.

Mutual intelligibility decreases in literary and specialised contexts that rely on academic or technical vocabulary. In a longer conversation, differences in formal vocabulary and pronunciation of some Urdu phonemes are noticeable, though many native Hindi speakers also pronounce these phonemes. At a phonological level, speakers of both languages are frequently aware of the Perso-Arabic or Sanskrit origins of their word choice, which affects the pronunciation of those words.

Urdu speakers will often insert vowels to break up consonant clusters found in words of Sanskritic origin, but will pronounce them correctly in Arabic and Persian loanwords. As a result of religious nationalism since the partition of British India and continued communal tensions, native speakers of both Hindi and Urdu frequently assert that they are distinct languages. No region in Pakistan uses Urdu as its mother tongue, though it is spoken as the first language of Muslim migrants in Pakistan who left India after independence in 1947. Other communities, most notably the Punjabi elite of Pakistan, have adopted Urdu as a mother tongue and identify with both an Urdu speaker as well as Punjabi identity. Urdu was chosen as a symbol of unity for the new state of Pakistan in 1947, because it had already served as a lingua franca among Muslims in north and northwest British India. It is written, spoken and used in all provinces/territories of Pakistan, and together with English as the main languages of instruction, although the people from differing provinces may have different native languages.

In part because the Pakistani government proclaimed Urdu the national language at Partition, the Indian state and some religious nationalists began to regard Urdu as a 'foreign' language, to be viewed with suspicion. Emphasis is on speaking extemporaneously, use of idioms and special expressions, and identifying intent and emotions by recognizing tone, content, and word usage. An increased focus on reading novels, short stories, and media analysis, along with listening to authentic interviews, debates, and talks, serves as the basis for dynamic oral communicative practice. Students engage in class discussions and have the opportunity to express their opinions about contemporary issues in Urdu. They are to write a research paper and give lengthy presentations.

It has official status in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh where it is used in government administration and as the medium of instruction in primary schools. Throughout India, Urdū is typically spoken by Moslems, whereas Hindi is typically spoken by Hindus. Since 2008, the Punjab Education Assessment System is assessing the standard of government school students in two or three subjects. Their findings reveal that students gain less marks in Urdu language compared to other subjects.

English is not one of the subjects chosen by them to test students on, so the standard of English cannot be gauged. However, the quality of the prescribed textbook for class-1 English in government schools leaves much to be desired and is sure to promote rote learning of English. As for the medium of instruction, the Education Department officials are adamant that only Mathematics and Science subjects will be taught in English.

Want to immerse yourself in the Urdu language and speak at a native level? With Advanced Urdu, you get Urdu-only lessons and learn the all about the country, culture, history, folklore, arts and popular destinations. Along the way, you'll pick up sophisticated expressions and advanced grammar. Probably the most widely read, recited, and memorized genre of contemporary Urdu poetry is na`t - panegyric poetry written in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. Na`t can be of any formal category, but is most commonly in the ghazal form.

The language used in Urdu na`t ranges from the intensely colloquial to highly Persianized formal language. A continuous progression is seen in linguistic development from Sanskrit down to the modern languages of Northern India, though there is a very strong link between the Prakritic language 'Hindvi' of the middle ages and Urdu of today. The works of Amir Khusrau are intelligible to the speakers of Urdu/Hindi even though they were written in the 14th century. It is hypothesized that Urdu is the language developed when a regular and slow stream of Arabic and Persian words were infused into the language Hindvi. Just like when learning any language, when you're learning Urdu, you can find quite a few online resources to help you along your language-learning journey. Podcasts can be an excellent complement to either an in-person or online Urdu course, as they're available any time, anywhere, and can help you brush up on difficult-to-understand concepts, vocabulary words and more.