Building Mutual Understanding Through Languages

Tara Giangrande studied Hindi in Jaipur through the Critical Language Scholarship Program. (Photograph courtesy Tara Giangrande)

Tara Giangrande, the program manager of the South Asian Studies Council at Yale University, is excited about the opportunities her role offers to collaborate with faculty and students focused on South Asia and being able to utilize her Hindi knowledge more frequently.

Giangrande began studying Hindi when she was working in a full-time administrative role at the University of Pennsylvania. While studying for a master’s degree in sociological anthropology at Columbia University in New York City, she took intermediate and advanced Hindi classes with Rakesh Ranjan, coordinator of the Hindi Urdu program at the university. During this period, Giangrande engaged in Hindi studies three times with the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) over the summer. She first enrolled in the AIIS online program, followed by participation in the online Critical Language Studies (CLS) Program, and then finally, in Jaipur, through the offline CLS Program. “I also studied Urdu through the Heritage Urdu program at Columbia, which really helped to expand my knowledge of the relationship between Hindi and Urdu,” says Giangrande.

Before beginning her current role at Yale, she worked at the Asia Society in New York City, raising money for arts and policy programming from both foundation and government donors. “I really enjoyed this work, especially the opportunities it provided to learn more about art traditions and policy issues in the broader Asian region,” she says.

Excerpts from an interview with Giangrande.

What inspired you to study Hindi?

I was motivated to study Hindi by my academic interest in the politics of contemporary popular culture and religion in India. I was also interested in studying Hindi because of India’s growing influence in the world and the large number of people who speak Hindi. I believe that for fostering mutual understanding, it is crucial for a larger global audience to learn Hindi.

Tell us about your experiences while learning Hindi. Was it easy or difficult?

I think there are certain things about Hindi that make it very difficult and certain things that make it easier to study than other languages. One thing that helps a lot is the high number of English words that have either been fully incorporated into Hindi or are used very often by native speakers. The ability to integrate English words into Hindi verb and sentence structures helped me to develop conversational confidence early on. This is very different from my experience with other languages.

I think one of the most difficult aspects of learning Hindi is the complexity of verb tenses, coupled with the nuances of gender differentiation. These are often the first things I forget if I haven’t practiced in a while, as English lacks similar structures.

What were some of the most rewarding or enjoyable moments you experienced while learning Hindi?

Some of my favorite moments were discussing my research interests and projects with faculty at AIIS and elsewhere. I was able to get feedback on my attempts to translate Hindi music videos and contemporary fiction, which was immensely helpful because these materials often contain a lot of slang and expressions, I would not have fully understood otherwise.

In terms of using the language, my best moments were when I was studying at AIIS in Jaipur. Many times, when I spoke Hindi with local people, they were instantly delighted that I had at least some knowledge of the language and were very curious about why and where I had learned it. I was able to connect much more deeply with people and navigate difficult situations more easily, especially in instances where local residents did not know English.

How do language courses influence individuals? Do you think learning Hindi is important for gaining a better understanding of India?

These courses play an important role in equipping students with the necessary skill to enhance their experiences when traveling and studying in India. I think having knowledge of Hindi, including its history and development, is immensely important for understanding India because so much of contemporary popular culture, such as movies and music, is written in Hindi.

Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and being able to communicate in such an important language can open so many doors for mutual understanding between cultures and I hope more students will continue to benefit from AIIS programs.

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