Hindi-Urdu at Wake Forest

About Hindi-Urdu

Established in 2018, the Hindi-Urdu program offers language courses for elementary, intermediate, and advanced students. Our courses are designed to help students achieve practical language skills and acquire diverse perspectives on the culture, literature, and society of India and Pakistan. Students have the option of specializing in either the Devanagari (Hindi) or Nastaliq (Urdu) scripts.

In Elementary Hindi-Urdu (HNU 111 & 112) students learn to communicate in Hindi-Urdu for practical, day-to-day tasks and conversations. In Intermediate Hindi-Urdu (HNU 153 & 201) students engage with a variety of authentic texts (both written and spoken) and use these materials to explore South Asian society and culture. We also offer courses to learn the Hindi and Urdu scripts, as well as advanced courses on topics in literature, popular culture, and media

Hindi and Urdu are spoken by more than half a billion people around the globe. Taken together, they rank in the top three languages worldwide by number of speakers. Hindi and Urdu are spoken across India and Pakistan where they serve as languages of government, media, education, business, as well as arts and entertainment. (Many in the US are introduced to Hindi-Urdu through the vibrant world of Bollywood film and music.)

In recent years, South Asia has had a growing impact on international politics, business, health, and the arts. The study of Hindi-Urdu is an ideal choice for students who aim to take advantage of new opportunities emerging in South Asia.

Courses in the Hindi-Urdu program are also core components of the MESAS Minor.