Learn Urdu
The Urdu language is written in the Arabic script and in this differs from Hindi which uses the Devanagari script. Urdu is a descendant of the great literary and religious language Sanskrit. It is distantly related to Greek, Latin and most of the European languages. As such, it has some characteristics of European languages which may be familiar to native English speakers, or those who have studied a European language. This is where the similarities end, however. The pronunciation and sounds of Urdu are very different from European languages, given its thousands of years in close contact with other South Asian languages. Combined with the different writing system, and much of its vocabulary coming from Arabic, learning Urdu makes for an interesting challenge. And unlike the major European languages, or the other major languages of Asia, there are
relatively few resources to learn Urdu.
Teach Yourself Urdu The longstanding Teach Yourself series has always had a wide variety of languages. They are the only major publisher with a book and audio course for Urdu. This coursebook and 2 audio cds introduces the beginner to the sounds, basic grammar and writing of Urdu. It is an excellent beginning course. You can get the Lite version of BYKI for free (see the link above), but if you upgrade to BYKI Deluxe, you get a whole lot more, especially with the newly updated version! More than 1000 words and phrases spoken by native speakers, some with pictures, games and other activities, mp3/iPod feature, and the ability to create your own lists and even add your own audio and pictures! Software/Inexpensive Talk Now! Learn Urdu - Beginning Level This CD-Rom mostly uses games and interactive exercises to develop a beginning understanding of the language. There is also a more Intermediate level program after this one. For some this would make a good supplement to a more comprehensive written course, and add a little fun to the learning process.
- L. W. Lockhart
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