Veteran linguist Dr. Bharat Singh to launch Hindi academy for foreigners
Having taught Hindi to over 12,000 foreigners, the veteran linguist sets his sights on empowering more, especially Japanese and Korean learners in India at his Dr. Bharat Singh Hindi Sansthan.
NEW DELHI: India’s well known Hindi linguist Dr. Bharat Singh whose illustrious 45-year career in Applied Hindi Linguistics is marked by his profound contributions to Hindi language teaching, research, and global promotion, has decided to play the second inning of his life. At the age of 74, the retired professor of India’s apex Hindi institution Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, he now aims to reach out to more Hindi language enthusiasts and set up a Hindi academy by the name of Dr. Bharat Singh Hindi Sansthan.
Over the course of his career, he taught Hindi to more than 12,000 foreigners, with a majority of his students being Japanese, followed by Korean, and marginally Chinese learners besides nationalities from Europe and other parts of the world. Additionally, he played a significant role in training Indian Administrative Services (IAS) candidates, enhancing their linguistic and cultural proficiency.
“Now I am more inclined to teach Hindi language primarily to Japanese and Korean nationals staying and working in India. For this, I plan to setup my academy Dr. Bharat Singh Hindi Sansthan in Delhi NCR that has majority concentration of foreign nationals from Japan and South Korea. Many of my pupils from these countries now hold very high ranking positions in government as well as private sector institutions across the world including India,” Dr. Singh said.
As a professor at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, he was instrumental in developing innovative teaching methodologies and training educators across India. He along with Japanese linguist Keisuke Kato, authored impactful instructional materials like Aao Hindi Sikhen (in 2 volumes) and Hindi grammar textbooks, advancing Hindi language education.
When asked, he said that majority of the Hindi professionals have adopted Hindi teaching as a professional career. “Teaching language is more than a profession, and it is more a passion which should be very intuitive to the person being who is teaching it. Also language alone cannot be taught without the knowledge of the culture of the concerned country. Language is a carrier or a tool to understand the culture of a nationality,” Dr. Singh added.
Dr. Singh held prominent administrative roles, including Director Incharge at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra, and Regional Director at the Delhi Centre, contributing to institutional growth and academic excellence. Internationally, he served as a visiting professor at Zagreb University, Croatia, fostering cultural and linguistic exchange. Additionally, his participation in India’s Language Policy Committee and editorial work for Gaveshana research magazine highlights his commitment to policy development and scholarly discourse.
A guiding force in Hindi linguistics, Dr. Singh’s legacy reflects his dedication to advancing Hindi as a global language and empowering learners from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
Who is Dr. Bharat Singh?: Dr. Bharat Singh, a distinguished academic, has made significant contributions to the teaching, research, and promotion of Hindi as a global language. A retired professor from the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Delhi Kendra, Dr. Singh’s career reflects a profound dedication to linguistics, pedagogy, and cultural exchange.
Born on March 11, 1952, Dr. Singh pursued his education with excellence, obtaining a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Agra University in 1985. His doctoral research, focusing on “Bhasha Sammishran evam Code parivartan ke Sandarbh main Maha Nagriya Bhasha Vyavhar ka Swaroop,” delved into the dynamics of language mixing and code-switching in urban linguistic behavior. He also holds advanced diplomas in Applied Hindi Linguistics, complementing his M.A. in Hindi from Delhi University.
Dr. Singh has specialized in teaching Hindi as a foreign language and has guided numerous students through innovative programs and projects. His teaching career spans over three decades, encompassing foundational and advanced Hindi courses for foreign students, professional development programs for educators, and higher education courses such as B.Ed., M.Ed., and post-M.A. diplomas in linguistics and translation. His expertise also extended to conducting refresher courses for in-service teachers in regions like Assam, Punjab, and Jammu.
Throughout his career, Dr. Singh held several leadership positions, including Director Incharge of Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra, and Regional Director at the Delhi Centre. He was also the Head of Departments for International Hindi Teaching, Translation, and Research & Language Development. As an editor of the research magazine Gaveshana, he contributed to advancing scholarly discourse in Hindi studies.
Dr. Singh’s academic influence reached international shores when he served as a visiting professor at Zagreb University, Croatia, from September 2012 to July 2015 under a cultural exchange program. During this tenure, he participated in various cultural and social initiatives, promoting Hindi and Indian culture globally.
He also authored Hindi grammar textbooks for school students and contributed to the linguistic policy framework as a member of the Hindi Language Policy Committee under India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development.
About the Hindi Manual “Aao Hindi Sikhen”:
An accomplished author, Dr. Singh has co-authored Aao Hindi Sikhen, a manual with an accompanying audio CD designed for learning The book combines the knowledge of Hindi phonetics and Devanagari (Hindi) script in a scientific manner and within a practical Context so that the student soon learns the language: its sounds, its script and also about the Hindi speaking society. The Dvanagari Script has been taught in a step by step manner beginning with the practice of strokes and the sounds have been also taught through scientific techniques.
