How to Help Your Kids Learn Hindi Urdu

Introduction

Parents who work or live in another langua-cultural world may also have the desire for their kids to be able to engage with speakers of the local language of that place. But there are certainly challenges to seeing this actualized.

The degree to which children are able to be immersed in the language and culture of a new environment can certainly play a huge role in their success of learning to understand and speak that language. However, immersion is not as easy as it sounds to actually achieve and is affected by many factors including: the age of the children, the amount of exposure to the new language, the personal motivation of the child to learn as well as the support the child receives in this endeavor.

For Hindi/Urdu especially- if the parents are living in a larger city, it is more likely that schools, clubs, and other kids activities will have local parents and students who are fluent in or wanting to learn English. If kids are in a more remote environment, it may be more likely for locals to use Hindi/Urdu with them.

Launch India Partners and Learns with Parents

We at Launch India are constantly seeking to understand the desires and pain points of parents who want their kids to grow to understand and speak Hindi Urdu. Parents know their kids best and what works for one family is not always what works for the next.

We have interviewed multiple families who have persevered through the challenges of helping their kids learn Hindi/Urdu and are happy to share their words of wisdom here with you! We hope it inspires you to try some things that may help your family be multi-lingual if that is a desire you have for your home!

We also recommend you check out this online course: Building a Multilingual Home. Multiple of the families we interviewed said their approach to cross-cultural living as a family was largely shaped by this course.

Key Components to Help Kids Be Successful in Language Learning (According to the multi-lingual families we interviewed)

1) Parental Ownership of the Process

If kids do not see their parents learning the local language and culture, it is unlikely that they will be motivated to learn. On the other hand, parents being comfortable living a multi-lingual life sets the initial tone required for kids to feel safe and motivated to embrace this lifestyle.

Parents must also own the learning process for their children. No one else is protecting this time for our kids and there will always be competing values for both their time and ours. Naturally, kids will hit rough patches in their learning and will not enjoy it the whole time. While parents should not aim to pressure their kids, they should seek to keep this learning a priority for them and protect the time. This provides their children with a foundation of language learning upon which they can build when they are older and have the ability to own the process themselves.

2) Shorter Segments Daily is Better Than Long Periods Less Frequently

Habits, routines, and regularity help kids learn more than attending infrequent "intensives." Hindi Urdu Kids Camps or Intensives can increase some motivation for kids to learn but ultimately if kids are not regularly interacting with people in Hindi/Urdu they will not make long-term progress.

Many parents who homeschool their children have found that in order to really see their kids grow in Hindi Urdu they have needed to create a space in their homeschooling schedule for language learning to have a daily spot. Other parents have looked at scheduling shorter 30 minute sessions after school to keep the interaction frequent.

It is also helpful to make sure that your kids get some interaction with speakers of their target language in their everyday life. This provides the positive reinforcement necessary to keep them motivated to learn.

3) Fun, Safe Learning Environment

This can mean different things to different kids, but overall, do the children relate well with their Nurturer? Having the right Nurturer and kids having a good relationship with this Nurturer is key for all learners but especially for kids. Not all Nurturers who work well with adults also work well with kids. It does take more energy for a Nurturer to do kids classes effectively as they must have extra levels of patience and must be willing to engage in an especially child-like and fun way.

Parents must also discern whether online learning or in person sessions or a hybrid of the two will be best for their children. Can your kids manage their own device and handle internet access appropriately? Can they handle being in a group class together or will they fight too much? These are questions that parents know best for their unique kids and will need to wrestle through as they consider which set-up is best in providing a safe and fun learning environment.

4) Something Is Better Than Nothing

It can be tempting to throw in the towel when parent efforts to set their kids up for success in language learning fall short of the ideals. One parent shared that it has always been helpful to keep in mind that continuing with something is better than doing nothing in these cases. Even if the something comes down to parents passing on the little broken Hindi Urdu they know to their kids, this is still better than giving them no exposure at all.

Parental Challenges in Finding and Training a Nurturer For Kids:

Many parents prefer in-person language learning opportunities for their children as it both prevents some of the temptations that come with using technology and it increases the relational and hopefully fun aspects of learning.

However, there are several challenges parents expressed regarding what it can take to find, hire, train and manage an in-person Nurturer for their kids:

1) Timing and Availability of a Nurturer

It is already difficult to find time in kids' schedules for regular language learning, but this often additionally needs to fit around when a Nurturer is available. Finding a good Nurturer who also has availability and will come consistently at that time is a major challenge.

2) Training Hindi Urdu Nurturers to Use GPA is Hard

Most local Hindi Urdu speakers will think of grammar, reading-heavy, textbook, or other locally traditional methods of teaching when you initially ask them to help your kids learn these languages. The Growing Participator Approach (GPA) is often not something with which they are familiar and until they personally see its effectiveness, they may often be quite skeptical to adopt the approach. Parents therefore will need to take the time to explain the method, demonstrate it and reinforce the approach while all along assessing if this person is a good fit for their children. This is no easy feat- linguistically, culturally or relationally!

3) Kids Are Less Resilient to Try New Nurturers

Even if parents are willing to go through the immense effort to find and train the right Nurturer for their kids, children are often less resilient to persevere through these transitions and changes. Ideally, kids would know what to expect from day one in terms of timing and Nurturer personality. But parents who are trying to really find someone who will be a good fit for their kids may need to try multiple Nurturers and see how they interact with their kids before finalizing an arrangement. Kids must obviously then be present and interact with multiple people which can be an extra challenge and decrease their overall motivation to learn Hindi Urdu as they wade with you through this process.

4) Cultural Barriers and Challenges

Culturally, not every local Hindi Urdu speaker will feel comfortable coming to a foreigner's home regularly until trust has been established. It can take time to generate this type of mutual-trusting relationship and manage expectations and cultural norms in your home and with your kids so that they will feel comfortable working with you.

5) Not All Nurturers Are Able to Manage Kids Well

It takes a unique Nurturer to feel confident managing a Kids Class on their own. It is more likely that they will feel confident if Mom/Dad are also present in the room to help manage the kids. But of course, it is best to hire someone who will also feel personally confident to manage the time without the parent present, directing everything. These soft skills are especially difficult for parents to teach cross-culturally so that their kids feel safe but also challenged and motivated to learn.

Tips For Maximizing GPA With Kids

1) Phase 1

The purpose of Phase 1 whether for adult learners or kids is to connect to Hindi Urdu speaking people by gaining exposure to 1000+ words by working through various game-like activities using toys and pictures. If children are able to do this in person, it is great to supplement activities with coloring sheets that can serve as a reminder of the words they learned that day, local songs related to the vocabulary and games that get kids up and moving to review the words.

We at Launch India have had dozens of kids work through our Phase 1 curriculum online. They often enjoy the interactive design of our Miro version of Phase 1. Other parents have elected to use our simplified Phase 1 design with Google Slides which just eliminates some of the technological skills required especially for younger kids. One family chose to do a hybrid model of Phase 1 where they used their own physical materials as much as possible in their home, connected with our Nurturers virtually and only used Miro when necessary.

Which method is helping your kids stay engaged and motivated to connect with their Nurturer and others around them in Hindi Urdu? That is the method we are happy to support you using!

2) Phase 2

Phase 2 of GPA uses wordless picture books as the content for learning new words and forming sentences. Some parents have found that by this stage, it was necessary to break their kids into smaller groups so that they have more time to focus and more attention from the Nurturer when they start speaking. Other parents have been able to keep all three of their kids together in one group for the entirety of this phase.

3) Phases 3, 4, and 5

Honestly, it is pretty rare for us to see children reach these phases. Any time we have seen it, the parents had reached these phases or further themselves, and they had made learning Hindi Urdu a regular part of their homeschooling curriculum and schedule for their kids.

It is possible! And the level to which these families were able to engage together in Hindi Urdu speaking relationships is inspiring! But it requires a lot of sacrifice and a deep commitment to being a multi-lingual home in this way.

Conclusion

For families just starting out, determine how committed you are to being a multi-lingual home. If this is something you really want, then start learning how others in your network have been successful in helping their whole family reach these goals. We at Launch India would be happy to connect you with some of these successful multi-lingual families! From what we hear, it will not be easy but it will be worth it!

Let Launch India help you! - Every family and every child is unique. We are constantly developing new resources to help families move towards their goals and thrive in a Hindi Urdu environment. Reach out today to let us know what you are hoping for and we would love to dream about how we can help your family grow!