Published - Wed, 11 Jan 2023
How Popular is Hindi in the USA
According to the 2016 American Community Survey, Hindi is the 11th most popular foreign language in the United States. The survey revealed that 810,000 people in the USA speak Hindi, making it the most widely spoken Indian language in the country. Hindi is followed by Urdu and Gujarati. Altogether, around 3.6 million people in the U.S. speak various South Asian languages.
Hindi as a Foreign Language in a Global Context
Despite the flourishing Indian American population and the global prominence of Hindi—with 260 million speakers worldwide, ranking it among the most popular second languages globally after Mandarin, Spanish, English, and Arabic—its formal use in the U.S. remains limited.
Teaching Hindi as a Foreign Language in the U.S. Universities
Many American universities offer comprehensive programs teaching Hindi as a foreign language. The University of Chicago provides in-depth Hindi courses focused on language, literature, and culture. The Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington offers courses in medieval and modern Hindi literature for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Other universities with Hindi programs include the University of Pennsylvania, University of California Berkeley, Harvard University, University of Texas, Princeton University, and Yale University. Several also teach other South Asian languages such as Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Telugu, and Tamil, highlighting the growing relevance of Hindi as a foreign language in academia.
Why Hindi Struggles to Become the Most Popular Foreign Language in the U.S.
Although Hindi has gained traction in elite academic spaces, overall enrollments remain modest. The Modern Language Association of America reports a 15% drop in language enrollments (excluding English) between 2009 and 2016. Hindi courses saw a decline from a peak of 2,173 enrollments in 2009 to just 1,426 in 2016.
In contrast, Spanish—the most popular foreign language in the U.S.—had over 712,000 enrollments in 2016. French, American Sign Language, and German followed, each with over 100,000 students. This disparity shows that while Hindi is recognized, it hasn’t yet reached mainstream popularity as one of the most popular second languages in U.S. education.
The Role of Community and Informal Learning
Within the Indian American community, Hindi is often passed down informally. Many children learn Hindi at community centers or temples rather than through formal school systems. However, there is a growing recognition that teaching Hindi as a foreign language in structured, culturally immersive settings could improve fluency and interest among second-generation learners.
Barriers to Making Hindi a More Popular Foreign Language
Several challenges hinder Hindi's rise as one of the most popular second languages in the U.S.:
Many Indian immigrants already speak English fluently and see little career value in learning or promoting Hindi professionally.
Parents often prioritize subjects with direct professional benefits and may not perceive studying Hindi as offering a competitive edge.
The Indian American community is linguistically diverse, making it hard to rally behind Hindi as a unifying language.
Future Scope for Hindi as a Foreign Language
Nonetheless, there is potential. Language centers and cultural organizations have started offering Hindi courses tailored to both beginners and professionals. U.S. intelligence and security agencies increasingly seek Hindi translators, and growing trade ties with South Asia point to future demand.
Dr. Bhavya Tiwari from the University of Houston underscores this:
“Hindi is a global language like Spanish and French. There is a lot of scope for Hindi in the U.S. The language can be used in government and private sectors. It also has a rich literary tradition.”
Conclusion
The potential is there—but so are the hurdles. While teaching Hindi as a foreign language is gaining institutional support, the path to making Hindi one of the most popular foreign languages in the U.S. will require greater community engagement, policy backing, and cultural integration.
For now, Hindi stands strong as a symbol of cultural identity, and its journey in American education is just beginning.
Created by
Geetanjali Dhar
Meet Geetanjali Dhar: a dedicated educationist and the visionary Founder and CEO of
Sanskriti Group. She was inspired to start Sanskriti Group by her deep passion
for the Hindi language and her desire to share it with a global audience. Since
2006, Geetanjali has been passionately refining and customizing Hindi teaching
methods for a global audience. What began as a small initiative driven by her
enthusiasm for popularizing Hindi has now evolved into a cutting-edge, global
educational powerhouse.
Geetanjali’s journey as an educationist has
included realising her vision of creating a curriculum that not only taught the
language but also connected learners with Indian culture. She recognized the need for a more customized
and engaging approach to teaching Hindi, especially for students outside India.
After achieving remarkable success in Hong Kong and Singapore, Geetanjali
expanded her reach globally.
Geetanjali holds a postgraduate degree in
business management from Birla Institute of Management and Technology, a
diploma in hotel management from IHM Srinagar (under NCHMCAT), and is an
accredited educator in Hong Kong. Her outstanding work has been recognized with
numerous awards, including the ‘Woman of Influence Award’ by the
American Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong in 2019, ‘Pioneering Women Leader’
at the World Woman Leadership Congress in Mumbai, and Hong Kong’s Women
Leaders Award in 2018.
Today, Sanskriti’s innovative Hindi
teaching methods are accessible to students worldwide. This incredible growth
has benefited over 12,500 students from various nationalities and age groups.
The curriculum, designed for learners of all ages and stages, helps them
connect with the Indian culture and Hindi language.
As Sanskriti continues to grow, it
transforms future leaders and change-makers into multilingual global citizens.
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