| Hindustani, also known as "Hindi-Urdu", is a term | | | | number of Hindustani speakers rises to about 800 |
| covering several closely related dialects in Pakistan | | | | million. |
| and India, especially the vernacular form of the two | | | | - With its rapidly growing economy, India has opened |
| national languages, Standard Hindi and Urdu. Hindi and | | | | the doors for many opportunities. There are many |
| Urdu can be seen as a single linguistic entity, the key | | | | professionals wishing to connect to India and work |
| difference being that Urdu is supplemented with a | | | | there. Knowledge of Hindustani will pave the way to |
| Perso-Arabic vocabulary and Hindi with a Sanskritic | | | | success. |
| vocabulary, especially in their more literary forms. | | | | - Since not many outsiders have yet mastered |
| Besides, the difference is also sociolinguistic. When | | | | Hindustani, early movers command outstanding |
| people speak Hindustani, Muslims will usually say that | | | | employment opportunities. |
| they are speaking Urdu and Hindus will typically refer | | | | - In India almost every state has its own distinct cultural |
| to themselves speaking Hindi, even though they are | | | | background, dances and music, prayers, rituals, |
| speaking essentially the same language. | | | | languages and dialects. With the help of Hindustani you |
| Hindi, the official language of India, is based on the | | | | will be able to unravel this diversity in major parts of |
| Khariboli dialect of the Delhi region and differs from | | | | the country. |
| Urdu in that it is usually written in the indigenous | | | | - Accessing India via English only will give you a heavily |
| Devanagari script of India and exhibits less Persian | | | | distorted picture. For instance, the picture of India |
| influence than Urdu, employing a more sanskritised | | | | depicted by the English-language media is incomplete |
| vocabulary. Devanagari is an alphabet that is written | | | | and needs to be supplemented. |
| from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is | | | | - India is also the birthplace of several great religions |
| recognisable by a characteristic horizontal line running | | | | such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, and |
| along the tops of the letters that links them together. It | | | | other religions such as Islam and Christianity have |
| is also the main script used to write several other | | | | found a new home there. With Hindustani you will get a |
| languages, including Marathi, Nepali, and Sanskrit. | | | | simultaneous exposure to this diverse range of |
| Urdu, having about 80 million native speakers, is the | | | | religious traditions. |
| national language of Pakistan and an officially | | | | - Hindustani is an increasingly international language that |
| recognised regional language of India, being an official | | | | is widely spoken in other South Asian countries |
| language in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, | | | | (Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan) and also in other |
| Jammu and Kashmir, National Capital Territory of Delhi, | | | | countries outside Asia (Mauritius, Trinidad, Fiji, Surinam, |
| and Uttar Pradesh. But Urdu's reach goes far beyond | | | | Guyana, and South Africa). Hindustani language also |
| its number of native speakers. In Pakistan, Urdu is | | | | allows one to communicate with the growing South |
| initially spoken and understood by most people, including | | | | Asian diaspora all over the world. |
| a majority of urban dwellers. Urdu is written using a | | | | - Studying Hindustani will not only increase your |
| variation of the Arabic script. The Arabic script and its | | | | knowledge of South Asian culture, but will also open |
| variants are used in a wide range of languages, | | | | new horizons for you. Whether you want to enjoy |
| including Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Dari, and Kurdish. The | | | | some of the about 1,000 Hindustani/Hindi/Urdu films |
| Perso-Arabic script employed by Urdu is based on the | | | | produced each year or study Hindustani to be able to |
| Arabic alphabet, but was modified to match the | | | | conduct original research in India, we will accompany |
| demands of Urdu by adding several new letters. | | | | you on your way to fluency. Whatever your particular |
| - Depending on definition, Hindustani / Hindi / Urdu is the | | | | objectives, as citizens of a rapidly globalising world you |
| second or third most widely spoken language in the | | | | will undoubtedly benefit from studying Hindustani. |
| world, after Standard Chinese and maybe English. If | | | | Hindustani is the true lingua franca of India. In order to |
| second-language speakers are included, the combined | | | | grasp India, Hindustani is a must! |