David H
09:45 07 May 19
I have completed two Hindi intensives at Zabaan and I have to say that this school is amazing. The knowledge of Hindi grammar, sentence structure, script, tenses, etc. from every teacher is impeccable. They are truly grammartarians. The progressive order of learning grammar sets a solid foundation for understanding the language. My reading, writing, spelling, and speaking has vastly improved. It is very apparent that the teachers are well experienced not only in grammar knowledge but being able to effectively teach it. The way that they drill on speaking while teaching the grammar stretches you to learn and solidify the information. They cannot be stumped by a question. They balance answering questions and moving through the content beautifully. The professionalism is top notch, the facilities are some of the best I have seen in Delhi, and the hand cooked lunches and chai/coffee are so good. I highly recommend Zabaan for anyone serious about learning languages. David H.read more
Pia Heikkila
09:04 29 Apr 19
Zabaan is a professionally run school for language lovers. Having studied both Hindi and Urdu at Zabaan for over two years, I have nothing but praise for the hard work all the staff puts in to make learning interesting, inspiring and efficient. Teachers are well trained, friendly and understand the difficulties students face with a new language and/or script. Extra points for the online booking system. Shabash Zabaan!read more
Glorian Gray
07:14 08 Apr 19
Very professional centre, good teachers, lovely lunch provided, highly recommend. I did the intensive elementary Hindi course.read more
Ronica Wahi
15:21 11 Mar 19
Intense, focused, and fun-filled is how I define the Teachers’ Training Program at Zabaan. Observing the students effectively pick up Hindi in a fast-paced manner highlighted the efficacy of the teaching methodology while enabling all of us trainees to think in a very structured way about the language we have been using since our childhoods. The observation sessions were followed every day by doubt-clearing and presentation sessions that have prepared us through absolute conceptual clarity and practical experience respectively for the teaching journey ahead. Excited to start applying my learning!read more
Thomas Talhelm
08:19 26 Jan 19
I highly recommend Zabaan. I've taken classes at Zabaan during two trips to India, and I will be back. I have a decently large comparison set, having studied languages at universities and private language schools in the US, China, and India. In my experience, Zabaan stands out for its combination of teachers who know Hindi in depth but also have an incredibly profound and helpful meta-understanding of the language--things like grammar, syntax, and tone/context. The intro class has several teachers who rotate, which I found was a fantastic combination of native speakers (with obvious benefits as teachers) and non-native learners who have the unique insights that only outsiders can bring. For example, I was struggling with how to pronounce two of the t's in Hindi. Then one day, an Australian teacher taught me the difference between the two in a single insightful moment. Added bonus: The home-cooked lunches and chai are also fantastic. Highly recommend.read more
Shivina Harjani
07:36 12 Oct 18
I've been taking online Hindi classes at Zabaan for nearly two years now. I really enjoy the one-on-one sessions. The teachers are excellent and the teaching methods are fun. Equipped with the necessary course material, it's very easy to learn online with them. I highly recommend their online classes.read more
Clare Richardson
08:25 05 Oct 18
Great language school conveniently near the metro. The teachers are all really nice and very knowledgeable. You have a choice of group or private classes and can do online classes too. Highly recommended.read more
Tseng James
16:44 21 Aug 18
Here are some reasons why I decided to learn Hindi. First of all, I grew up in a Buddhist family; the customs and systems of thought in Buddhism has had deep influence on me. At first I thought learning Sanskrit would give me a key directly to the Sutras; however I soon realized that learning Sanskrit with absolutely no prior knowledge would be an intellectual feat. I found out that both Sanskrit and Hindi use the Devanagari script as its alphabet and many words in Hindi have their origin from Sanskrit, so I decided it would be a good idea to start off with Hindi.
Secondly, I chose to learn Hindi because I wanted to give myself a challenge. After learning Italian and a little bit of French I realized that the European languages would have much in common with one another. To learn a language with a totally different alphabet and writing system would be much more difficult than learning another European language. This huge linguistic gap between Hindi and the languages which I already would give me a broader horizon of the world. Moreover, as I have a keen interest in linguistics, learning Hindi would give me more references to examine what I have learned in my linguistics courses.
At this moment I am in the middle of my courses and after looking back I think it really required a lot of effort to reach this stage. At the beginning the main difficulty was matching each Devanagari letter with its pronunciation. After having managed that, the next thing was to endow these sounds and letter combinations with meaning. At the point where I am right now, the main task is to consolidate different grammar rules and keep learning new words. I want to thank the Zabaan team for giving me positive pressure and enlightening guidance throughout the learning process. This is my third week in New Delhi and I can already use simple colloquial language on the streets to express myself and avoid hassle.read more
Fabian Schrenk
10:43 09 Aug 18
Just the best place to learn Hindi (or other languages). Highly professional, perfectly organised and a very welcoming atmosphere. I learnt a good deal of Hindi within just 2 months of intensive classes. Highly recommended.read more
D F
10:55 10 Jul 18
Can't recommend highly enough. I took three weeks of a four week elementary Hindi intensive, and was in a small group of three students. Classes ran in the mornings Monday to Friday, leaving plenty of time for revision and other activities.
Three teachers shared the classes, and each was in their own way very sensitive to the task of teaching foundational Hindi from English, with enough of the kind of hooks/sidenotes/nods to complexity that keep you engaged.
The school itself is a fun place, there's a bit of an infectious love of language learning ... and its very very close to a metro station!read more
Rasika Chopra
05:49 25 Mar 18
I joined Zabaan for the Urdu script course to learn how to read and write Urdu. My experience here has been absolutely wonderful and I'm glad I chose to go here. The pace and the structure of the course is very well-planned and I was delighted to find that I had begun reading Urdu after only three classes. The staff at Zabaan is extremely helpful and accommodating. I exchanged many emails with them before joining and they promptly responded to each of my queries. Ali is an amazing teacher to learn from. He's very patient and encouraging, and his passion for the language is easily reflected in his knowledge and teaching. I've immensely enjoyed each of his classes and would recommend anyone considering learning Urdu to join Zabaan without a second thought.read more
Vipin Krishna
20:54 08 Mar 18
Zabaan was such a great place to learn languages. I got trained in Sanskrit, Farsi, and Hindi at Zabaan, and my training in all three at the institute cemented my understanding of both the grammar and the usage. Despite the fact that learning three languages can get complicated, my teachers at Zabaan were more than stellar in their ability to connect and compare ideas. I would recommend Zabaan to anyone thinking of taking up the study of languages at both a beginner's, as well as at advanced levels.read more
Assa Doron
06:32 01 Sep 16
I have been working with Zabaan for over a year now, studying and translating a variety of Hindi texts. The teachers are professional, knowledgeable and most important, patient. Their excellent methods of teaching are well calibrated to the individual student at his/her level. I strongly recommend Zabaan for anyone interested in studying Hindi and Urdu and more generally about Indian culture and society.read more
Mubarik Arshad
14:12 31 Jul 16
I have been learning Urdu for about 3 months online. My experiences have been very positive so far. Although I wasn't a beginner when I started, my language acquisition has improved greatly. I knew about great literature of the subcontinent, I just hadn't been exposed to it before. It was a great pleasure to read the afsaneh (short stories) of Manto. The literature selection was diverse and I liked the mixture of magazine articles, conversations, short stories, etc. Raza is a good teacher and it is nice to have the entire class in Urdu. Onwards to the poetry!read more
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18:23 14 Jul 16
About one year has passed since I started my individual Urdu classes with Ali at Zabaan. I am a Japanese PhD student researching the history of India, and learning Urdu is necessary for my research. When I knocked on the door of Zabaan for the first time, I possessed an inferiority complex about learning foreign languages, especially about Hindi and Urdu: When I was in Japan, I had attended Hindi class for three and half years, and I had been practicing my Urdu by reading historical Urdu newspapers with a specialist’s help for three years, but I could not acquire a good command of Hindi or Urdu at all. So, even after I came to India, I used to talk to Indian people only in English and never used to use Hindi or Urdu I learned. I had been supposing that I was poor at Hindi and Urdu (and English also) because I was not serious, or that there were some defects in my brain, but as my Urdu class with Ali went on, my mind changed about this. I noticed that I had forgotten the joy of communication, which Ali reminded me of in the class. Ali is like Lionel Logue, a character in my favorite movie “The King’s Speech”. In the story of that movie, the Duke of York, who was later to become King George VI, had been suffering from stammering and had been scared of making a speech. The Duke visited Lionel Logue, who is a unique speech therapist, and Lionel made the Duke recover his confidence. Like Lionel, Ali has talked with me on an equal footing, and removed my fear of using Urdu. Ali’s way of teaching is very professional – it is logical, clear and quick. He chooses a task which is suited to the situation of a student, as if he were a good doctor who prescribes efficient medicines for a patient. One year ago, I was reviewing grammatical rules with a textbook, and nowadays, in addition to doing regular exercises, I summarize and memorize every main story of the textbook and recite it back to him. Additionally, I have kept a diary in Urdu for the past five months and Ali has gladly checked it in every class. He has welcomed and enjoyed every independent effort I have made in addition to the course work he assigns. This open attitude encourages me to take on further challenges. Almost one year has passed at Zabaan and my world has totally changed. I have started to speak in Hindi and Urdu in my daily life here. When I would speak in English to Indian people, they would look tense, but now when I speak to them in Hindi and Urdu they are cheerful, which makes me both happy and surprised. Indian people and I have started to accept each other’s existence through talking in their language. I have started learn about the lives and histories of rickshaw drivers, shopkeepers, security guards, basically everyone I speak to. I heartily thank Ali. I highly recommend Zabaan to all who are curious about learning foreign languages.read more
Stephen Hubbard
15:17 16 Jun 16
My learning curve is not typical; it is more like a stroll across the Indo-Gangetic Plain than a hike up Everest. No matter. I am retired. I am a slow learner and I don't always do my homework. I have come back to Zabaan to improve my Hindi because their system works for me. The tutors have continued to accompany me on my slow stroll along the path of language learning; guiding, encouraging and teaching. They show professionalism and are adaptable; easily able to accommodate my individual learning style. Along the way, they have been open to discussion about making changes to our agreed plan. Before coming to India from Scotland I took Skype lessons with Zabaan and gained good experience of the materials and teaching methods used. The Institute is always reviewing available teaching materials, which I find helpful. Tuition has been consistent as I take small steps toward my goal of fluency in all three aspects of the Hindi language; reading, writing and speaking. Tutors at Zabaan have the commitment, resources and enthusiasm to help me reach this goal. Their depth of knowledge and ability to share it in an understandable way has been most helpful. Classes have been fun, challenging and always engaging. When I struggle in understanding some point of grammar or piece of text, tutors patiently make clear the points of difficulty, even if we have been over them many times before. Initially, I took part in an intensive group for beginners and received a very good grounding in the basics of Hindi. Later, I continued with individual sessions at the Institute while getting general conversation practice in my daily life. My classes have been with different tutors ... A mixture of reading, translation, grammar and conversation.. Having classes with different tutors has been especially helpful in understanding spoken Hindi. Meeting and interacting with students from other cultures is another important aspect of Zabaan for me ... A truly multicultural learning environment. Fees are moderate and offer extremely good value. The quality of teaching continues to be exceptional and the positive philosophy that underpins the Institute very supportive. Zabaan is helping me attain my goal ... ???? ???? ??????? June 2016read more
Alexander Hunt
10:53 21 Oct 15
After a ton of research about different language schools in India and a year of private lessons at Zabaan, I can easily say that this is among the best in the country, if not the top option. Everything is high quality, from their teachers and teaching methods all the way down to their scheduling system and customer service...even their purified air. With more than 20 years of experience studying almost a dozen foreign languages, I have found Zabaan to be the most effective and enjoyable. They catered their lessons specifically to my needs and focused on improving my skills where there was room for improvement. I would recommend this institute to anyone interested in studying foreign languages in Delhi.read more