Ready to register? Complete the Orientation Tutorial and the Application. The application process is designed to make sure the course is a good fit for you for the upcoming semester. Questions? Email fclrc@hfa.umass.edu, call 413-542-5264 or attend a drop-in information session. 

Looking for summer Hindi courses? Click here.

Hindi language study is available to all Five College students at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Courses are offered in both the fall and spring terms. Students can start the study of Hindi in either the fall or the spring semester.

Hindi courses are offered in a special “Mentored” format that has the flexibility to serve students on all five campuses. Course sessions are in the form of small group conversation sessions and individual one-on-one tutorial sessions. Homework is structured by a series of detailed study guides providing step-by-step preparation instructions for the week. The courses cover all four primary language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. 

The small group conversation sessions (often only two to three students per group) allow ample opportunity for students to practice using the language. The sessions emphasize using in the language in ways a student might encounter when living or studying in India. The one-on-one tutorial sessions allow time to discuss grammatical questions, get feedback and help with written homework, and can be geared to meet the specific language learning needs of each student.  

The individual tutorial sessions are conducted by Ms. Barkha Dwivedi, the Five College Hindi Mentor. Ms. Dwivedi joined the Five Colleges as a full-time Hindi mentor in Fall 2013. She also served as a Hindi mentor for the Five Colleges while a visiting Fulbright scholar and Five College Foreign Language Teaching Assistant in 2008-2010. She conducts individual tutorial sessions on all five campuses each week. Each student will be scheduled for tutorial time on his/her own campus as long as space remains available. Students submit schedule information for tutorial scheduling after pre-registration ends or as part of the admissions process for students who apply after pre-registration. Students may request to be scheduled on a different campus. Time blocks for Spring 2014 individual tutorials by campus:

 Time blocks for Spring 2014 individual tutorials by campus:
    Amherst – Monday and Friday afternoons;
    Hampshire – Wednesday afternoons;
    Mount Holyoke-Wednesday and Friday mornings;
    Smith – Tuesday and Thursday mornings;
    UMass- Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Conversation sessions also meet on all five campuses. Beginning level students have a wide variety of times and locations from which to choose. Most sessions for students above the elementary level are individually scheduled based on schedule information submitted by each student. Conversation sessions are conducted by visiting Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants or by Five College international students who are native speakers of the language.

Full Courses and Half Courses

Students have the option of choosing a full course or a half course at all levels of study. 

Full courses run at the same pace as a standard classroom language course on the college campuses. . Students enrolling in a full course have two 30-minute individual tutorials each week and two 60-minute small group conversation sessions. Students should plan on two hours per day of individual work outside of sessions. The work load is similar to elementary classroom courses that meet five days per week and require two hours of homework per class.  At this pace, it takes two semesters to complete the elementary Hindi course sequence: Hindi I-II and Hindi III-IV. Both Hindi I-II and III-IV are offered every semester. Hindi II-III may also be available. Intermediate and advanced courses may also be taken as full courses. Credit for full courses:  Amherst - 1 full course; Hampshire - 2 courses; Mount Holyoke - 4 credits; Smith - 4 credits; UMass - 3 credits.

Half courses are less intensive and serve the needs of students who need to fit language study into a busy schedule. Students in half courses have one 30-minute individual tutorial per week and one 60-minute small group conversation session. Students in half courses should plan on one hour a day of individual work outside of sessions. It takes four semesters to complete the four-course elementary sequence at the half course pace: Hindi I, II, III, and IV.  Half course students can switch to a full course format in later semesters and students who complete full courses may move to a half course pace in future semesters.  Credit for half courses: Amherst  – half course; Hampshire – 1 course; Mount Holyoke – 2 credits; Smith – 2 credits and at the elementary level two courses or the equivalent are required to receive credit; UMass – 1.5 credits.

Hindi Course Schedule for Spring 2014 

Ready to register? Complete the Orientation Tutorial and the Application. The application process is designed to make sure the course is a good fit for you for the upcoming semester. Questions? Email fclrc@hfa.umass.edu, call 413-542-5264 or attend a drop-in information session. 

Hindi I-II (full course)

Schedule: Students enrolling in Hindi I-II have three different conversation groups from which to choose. Conversation sessions meet for two 60-minute sessions per week. Students will be individually scheduled for two 30-minute tutorials per week based on schedule information submitted by each student. A student will be assigned a home campus tutorial time as long as space compatible with the student’s schedule remains available. 

Hindi I-II conversation session options for Spring 2014. Choose one section: 

Amherst College Section
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:10-6:10 pm plus two 30-minute individual tutorials

Mt.Holyoke College Section - SECTION CANCELLED AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED based on pre-registration enrollments. A Mount Holyoke student interested in taking Hindi I-II in the Spring should contact fclrc@hfa.umass.edu for alternative scheduling options at Mt. Holyoke and/or other campuses.

Smith College Section
Wednesdays 4:10-5:10 pm and Fridays 2:45-3:45 pm plus two 30-minute individual tutorials

Hindi I (half course)

Schedule: Students enrolling in Hindi I have three different conversation groups from which to choose. Conversation sessions meet once per week for 60-minutes. Students will be individually scheduled for one 30-minute tutorial time per week based on schedule information submitted by each student. A student will be assigned a home campus tutorial time as long as space compatible with the student’s schedule remains available. 

Hindi I conversation session options for Spring 2014. Choose one section:

Hampshire College Section: SECTION CANCELLED based on pre-registration enrollments

Smith College Section:Wednesdays 6:20-7:20 pm plus a 30-minute individual tutorial

UMass Amherst Section: Thursdays 7:00-8:00 pm plus a 30-minute individual tutorial

Hindi for Hindi-Urdu Speakers I (half course) This course is for speakers of Hindi or Urdu who want to learn to read and write in Hindi. A placement interview is required. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi II (half course) This course is the second course in the four-course elementary Hindi sequence. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi for Hindi-Urdu Speakers II (half course)  Prerequisite: Hindi for Hindi-Urdu Speakers I. This course is for speakers of Hindi or Urdu who want to learn to read and write in Hindi. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi II-III (full course) This course covers parts two and three of the four-course elementary Hindi sequence. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi III (half course) This course is the third course in the four-course elementary Hindi i sequence. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi III-IV (full course) This course covers the final two parts of the four-course elementary Hindi sequence. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi IV (half course) This course is the final course in the four-course elementary Hindi sequence. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi V (half course) This course is the first course of the four-course intermediate Hindi sequence. It may be combined with Hindi VI to make a full course. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi VI (half course) This is the second course of the four-course intermediate Hindi sequence. It may be combined with Hindi VII to make a full course. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi VII (half course) This is the third course of the four-course intermediate Hindi sequence. It may be combined with Hindi VIII to make a full course. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi VIII (half course) This is the final course of the four-course intermediate Hindi sequence. Schedule: To be assigned based on the schedules of enrolled students.

Hindi Film (half course) This is an upper-intermediate to advanced conversation course based on watching and discussing classic Hindi films The course includes both oral and written assignments. One 90-minute conversation session per week plus film viewing sessions; no tutorials. Open to students in Hindi VI and above. 

Hindi Composition I (half course) A course in composition and grammar for students with advanced fluency in both spoken and written Hindi. Prerequisite: HIndi VIII or the equivalent. One hour individual tutorial per week, no conversation sessions.

Hindi Composition II (half course) A course in composition and grammar for students with advanced fluency in both spoken and written Hindi. Prerequisite: Hindi Composition I or the equivalent. One hour individual tutorial per week, no conversation sessions. 

Hindi Senior Research Independent study for advanced Hindi students who are working with primary sources in Hindi as part of senior thesis or project.