The Most Unusual Yet Efficient Way To Learn Hindi!

I hate to admit it, but I am addicted to my phone.

Even though I’m training myself to detect when I start “doom-scrolling” on reels or shorts, it’s not always easy.

But if you think I’m distracted now, you should have seen me with a comic book as a kid! Comic books were my best friends — not just through school but even in college. Nerd alert, much? Also, these comics weren’t the usual Marvel, DC or Phantom comics. My first love for the written word came from RAJ COMICS.

I didn’t know it back then, but this gave me an unfair advantage for life — a love for languages! Specifically, the Hindi language.

I was born and raised near the geographical centre of India, which makes the name of my birth state quite apt — “Madhya Pradesh” (मध्य प्रदेश). The name roughly translates to “central region” and people there predominantly speak Hindi, the most spoken language in the country. But it was never my first language.

Mumble Beginnings

Although born in Madhya Pradesh, I grew up just south of its border, in Maharashtra where the primary language is Marathi.

Although Hindi wasn’t completely foreign, it certainly wasn’t the first choice for conversations at home. I could speak well enough to get by, but my summer vacations were a different story. My family would travel to my Nanihaal (ननिहाल) i.e. my grandparents’ home which is across the border, in Madhya Pradesh. My broken Hindi mixed with Marathi words would often make for a good laughing stock, and yet, as a great upside, I would always return home with a much stronger Hindi vocab!

Thanks to smartphones not being invented yet, all kids passed travel time the same way — call dibs on the window seat and try to count the gazillion trees that crossed us. Or the bridges. Or the tunnels.

But then one day, I found Chacha Choudhary!

A New World in Comics

My introduction to Hindi comic books was serendipitous.

Chacha Chaudhary is an old man (Chacha = uncle) whose brain runs faster than a computer! Through silly word plays and cleverly laid out puzzling stories, the author Pran did an excellent job of helping kids exercise their curiosity muscle. It was fun, but I soon grew out of them. Enter, Raj Comics.

This one hit me like a train — in that it picked me up and sped up my Hindi learning by tenfold!

Admittedly inspired by the comic book phenomenon happening across the globe during the 70s, 80s and even prior, these books were localised extremely well, making them very relevant as well as gripping to the readers. These comic books taught me stuff about science, space and foreign countries that I wouldn’t venture out to learn through library books.

And all of that was in Hindi! A language no one spoke at school or home!

Your Surroundings Matter

I should clarify that both my parents speak Hindi very well since they grew up bilingual just like me.

But as I try to raise my family in Hinglish (Hindi + English), my focus remains on Hindi rather than English. English is the primary language where I live, so my kids are already quite well-surrounded with resources on the English language.

Besides, all the libraries, bookstores and even YouTube are ripe with material on the English language in every fun way imaginable. I still don’t see a lot in Hindi, but that’s a whole other blog post.

Immersion in Language

Anyway, back to my books! As I dove deeper into comic books, my collection grew bigger. Champak, Chandamama, Raj Comics, I had them all!

Later, during my high school years, we had Hindi as a subject. But textbooks are often focused on grammar and are generally drab. These comic books were a breath of fresh air! Each story was a tapestry of dialogues, narrative boxes, and exclamations that painted vivid images in my mind. Characters spoke in colloquial Hindi, filled with idioms, cultural references, and expressions overlooked by academic books.

I began to understand phrases in the context of a storyline, which made them easier to remember.

An Explosion of Vocabulary

My Hindi vocabulary expanded in leaps and bounds, not with academic stiffness but with the vivacity of real, spoken Hindi.

Words and phrases I’d never encountered in school became part of my lexicon. I could engage in conversations that once flew over my head. The language transformed from a subject to study into a living entity I could interact with and enjoy.

All this from a hobby I picked up in the summer? Sign me up for another!

The Power of Stories

Looking back on those summers, I realize that comic books were more than just a pastime.

They were an educational tool, a linguistic bridge connecting me to my cultural heritage in an unorthodox but effective way. They taught me the language of daily life, filled with stories, jokes, and wisdom. The organic learning process is always in stark contrast with the rote memorization typical of classrooms.

Comic books provided lessons that were engaging and unforgettable.

An Advice for Learners

If you or a loved one is looking to enhance their Hindi or any language, consider this unconventional method.

Seek out comic books in the target language and dive into the stories. Let the context guide your understanding, and watch as your vocabulary grows organically. It’s a journey filled with fun, colour, and an unparalleled depth of understanding.

Comic books are more potent than they appear, teaching not just language but culture, idiom, and context.

Conclusion

I’d like to stress that the symbiotic relationship between comic books and language acquisition is powerful!

For me, those summer bus journeys engrossed in tales of valour and humour laid the foundation for fluency and a lifelong love for the Hindi language. Comic books offered an educational adventure that no traditional method could match. It’s an excellent companion for kids to not only learn Hindi but also stay off their devices.

So, grab a comic book, start reading, spread them around and let the stories teach you in the most enjoyable way possible.