Letters Page


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I read the "letters" page on your UKINDIA website and noticed the praise for your Hindi language lessons. Good work!

HOWEVER, please be so kind as to remove the lessons on subjects for which you have had some novice or research person patch together a few pages of so-called lessons. They make you look like a group out to make some money by causing the blind to stumble, so to speak.

Your mathematics lessons are a joke, and your Hebrew lessons are badly flawed. These are the only ones I looked at, so I can't comment on any or the others (lucky for you).

I'm sure this note will never be put on your "letters" page, but I will look for it there anyway. I may be underestimating you, but I don't think so. Yours Truly, Lorenzo

Thank you Lorenzo. The lessons are only meant as an introduction to the alphabets and are corrected with feedback from readers. Currently we are getting 1 million hits every four months . What are your opinions on the Spanish lessons ? French will follow soon. The main aim of these lessons is to introduce the language to the readers in an easy to assimilate manner and not meant for anybody to become an expert. They can always do that with further reading. The Urdu lessons for example are being much appreciated as the Arabic script can be quite difficult to master. We will try to improve the Mathematics and Hebrew lessons. If you can tell us what you think is wrong with them or better still make some yourself and send them to us , it would help .


From: Pawan Kumar
Subject: Urdu learning
I want to congratulate you for creating such an easy to use page for learning Urdu. I have no previous experience in Urdu, and I found it very easy to pick up from this page. Thanks and congratulations once again. From Nick Sater

There is an error in your Russian lessons. The backwards R is not "y". It is "ya." Therefore, to spell "yard" in Russian the extra "a" is not needed, as backwards R gives the "ya" sound in its entirety. Also, you then transliterate "five" as "pyty" which is completely misleading. "Five" is pronounced "pYAt'". The soft sign is not a "y" (like eye or ee or yi) but merely a "softening" of the consonant that it follows.
I found UK India by trying, believe it or not, to find a web page with _Chinese_ character lessons! (I found one eventually.) I know French fairly well, a smattering of Russian and German, knowledge of the Hindi alphabet. And I'm just beginning to study Chinese.
The other pages are all pretty impressive, especially the language lessons. I was utterly baffled by the Tamil and Hebrew scripts - they seem so complicated!
For Chinese You need a frames-capable browser to look at it. http://www.erols.com/eepeter/chtools.html It is a fantastic page: Chinese "flashcards" with pinyin and cantonese plus the English meanings, number of strokes, etc, which you can view in sequential order or randomly; _and_ a searchable character dictionary! There are 999 characters! It's really a top of the line, first rate page. A lot of work went into it. There are other features too.
I'm not a big fan of most Indian movies (except Satyajit [sp?] Ray), so I only glanced at the culture pages. The news and science pages were informative. Everything is set up in an interesting manner. I liked it. All in all, it's a great page. The only improvement I can think of is in the area of the language lessons - the vowel sounds (I'm thinking of the Hindi lessons here) could be explained better, and the English letters you use to explain them should be consistent. For example, if you use aa for the sound like "tAll", then you should stick with that throughout. Or if you use ae for the sound as in "tApe," then a different English cluster should be used for the sound in "Apple" - it doesn't really matter what letters, just that the usage is consistent.
I also have looked at the Ideas page. Fascinating stuff. It's really revealing to see how people other than Americans tackle the problems that all societies share. I like the idea of making criminals fast a day a week. That could never happen here in America, but I sure would like to see it.

Thank you for your informative letter. The Russian mistake has been corrected-its really only a very basic introduction to the alphabet. As for Hindi , the problem is that English is not phonetic for eg Mad should really be written as M-aae-d but most people would then have trouble reading it. The AA sound is a vertical line , the AE as in Ape is a small diagonal stroke above the line and the AAE as in apple is a double diagonal . you should read Hindi the way it is written and use the English translation just as a rough guide.


Namastee, Sat Sri Akaal yaa Asalam Alekum!

I felt I had to write to thank you for the wonderful course that you have taken time to write and make as comprehensive as possible. Until now, I did not believe that such a course existed - one that provided the information needed in an easy to understand fashion! I have and still am taking time to perfect what you have taught, and in time, will hopefully be able to read Hindi as well as I do my own native language. (Well, that's debatable!)

Please, if you have any other useful tips that you may have overlooked, I would be delighted to see a continuation of this programme - dare I say it - a lesson 16 onwards...
Keep up the good work, and Thaanya Vaat!
Kindest Regards
Susan Grasekamp
grasekamp@msn.com

There are 20 Hindi lessons so far. You can download them all at once by a link from the front page


This site is very educational and I learn a lot about the various lang. of India. I would like to make a request for putting sound files on the true pronunciation of the letters. Also a lesson on showing the comparision Hindi sounds for Urdu sounds.
Thank you.
niz@netcom.ca

Hindi and Urdu words are pronounced the same. Sound files take up a lot of space but the idea is very good . If somebody can send us a sample of the words pronouced in the lessons we may be able to put it on. A female voice is transmitted more clearly.


The hindi script is helpful but u have alot of spelling error for ex in lesson 17 u spell hotel incorrectly... and u claim there is not importance for the conjunct t+t but it is used a lot from my experience...and i havent seen P+R yet...and im already upto lesson 17...shouldnt it be with the other conjuncts..if it is..then i apologize...
Saira Naqui
ps. im taking first semester of elementary hindi and was using ur script to study for my final...to recap on the basics...

The lessons contain the closest English pronouciations, Later on in the vocabulary section the usual Hindi spelling will be written.


Dear Folks,
Well, I went and viewed your site and rather liked it. Anyway, the main thing that i was about to ask you was, that maybe could you send me the details of the essay competition. Well, i'm a 16 year old living in bombay and am really keen on entering this competition.So please mail me the details as soon as possible cause i wasn't really able to read them at your site.
Thanx a lot
Aneesh Sheth
The topic is 'What I love about my country ' , less than 500 words. First prize is $100 , two other prizes of $50

I did all 20 lessons. There was no difficulty. Everything was very clear. I like the fact that you realte Hindi to English. This makes the script less foreign.
janom@spectra.net
Hi, I am starting your course today. I am a brzilian who intend to go to India next september and I want to learn at least the basics of Hindi
-- []s, Julio
                     
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Subject: urdu lessons web pages
Excellent web page.
regards,
vineet mathur
STUART NELSON.POLICE CONSTABLE

I would like to commend you on a job well done. I am taking Hindi at a private school, and I must say that when I found your web site, I was thrilled. My Hindi has improved with both my private lesson and your web site. I started the class a little late in the session, so I was behind in my reading, but your web page has brought me to the same if not further level then the rest of the class. Keep up the good work.


Hey, keep up the good work! I like what you are doing.
I will give you my comments/inputs in the near future once I finish going through your lessons 1 to 14. By the way, I can not read or write or speak Hindi.
Good luck on your "learn to read Hindi" project/lesson.
yours, rajesh patel
From S.H. Mardikar

I frequently visit the ukindia web-page. It is certainly a very good site for the following reasons.

1. It serves as a base and has several links to other useful sites.
2. It is often quicker to link through the ukindia links than directly linking a particular site. Don't know why!
However I wish the updates be quicker as the science articles/ jokes/ matrimonials become too stale after a week! But it is certainly a site which I would recommend my friends and colleagues to start off...

From S. Mardik


From 'agent 007'
l Update your zee tv film listings. I used to rely on it as it was the best informant of films to come on zee tv. Also can you give just a little more detail about each film; like the actors in them and the year of making of the film. I'll pray for you if you do!
From Safeen Din

HERE ARE MY COMMENTS:-

The pages are good but I think they need to be more informative. The information on them is limited and so I feel they lack the umph!! for any reader to carry on reading.

I now regularly check the ukindia pages to see if any new information is on them - but I have to be honest and say that on numerous occassions I have been disappointed in that they are still carrying the same old information.

The information is good but not updated regulary and I cant stress enough that people want to know all the latest on everything - be it music, films clothing, general gossip or even the 'most happening' - place in town.

But I feel you can improve on the pages by telling the reader of what is happening in the neighbouring counties like - Derby, Leicester, Loughborough. ButIi also feel thatthe best places where you know that more asian events are taking place are those places where there is a large asian population (ie) London, Birmingham, Bradford, Southall etc

Although these places are far from nottingham, if the events are good then people are more than willing to travel - don't you think? These pages are for all Asian people - so Asian people want to know what other Asian people are doing.

More events in this county and neighbouring counties should be covered - asian businesses should be more made aware of. (ie) Beauty Clinics within the county - i know of some people and places that are well established within the county.

There are some very good shop (clothing, jewellery, food etc) in Nottingham that you have failed to mention - and as you know there are some great places in Leicester and London also.

Asain magazines should also be mentioned - Stardust, Movie, Cineblitz are magazines about the Indian Film industry - Asian people are always ready to read about the stars - again you could mention other sporting magazines that feature our great sporting celebs - are where such magazines could be obtained.

The film & songs pages could be kept more up-to-date because everyone wants to know that the latest releases are - your pages don't show these - maybe more gossip about the stars would be good also.

Also you could find out when famous Asian artists are touring. I know that VITAL SIGNS are touring egland this year - but i have seen no mention of them on these pages.

Just a few ideas and thought on the pages - hope they will help and not offend anyone and hope they are of use to you.

The pages are great and the team is doing brilliantly - well done. keep up the good work

SAFREEN CUNSER DIN

Reply

That letter was really very very helpful . It told us what we should be aiming at in order to keep readers interested and serve the Indian and Pakistani communites and others interested in affairs of the subcontinent.

The cinema page has not been updated because it is hard to follow the announcer on the hotline ! She speaks so fast ! It would be easier for you to dial the number given yourself. If somebody posts us Vital Signs tour information we will put it on.
We are taking some comments from rec.arts.movies.indian to tell readers about the latest reviews and there is a link to the newsgroup. We shall try to follow up your other comments .Most sevice providers give free pages so if there are any people in the towns you mention who can update events in their town on their own web page we will put a link to their web page from ukindia .
Remember the pages are updated weekly and to always read whats new.


26 April 96
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SUBJECT: Re: Read Hindi

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
The Read Hindi lessons are very friendly and easy to follow. I was able to finish all 8 at one sitting and remember most of the letters the next time through.
You are correct - I'm Chinese, from Beijing, China. I went to school in New York and had a roommate from India. That's how I got interested in Indian languages.
On Sundays I work in an Indian grocery store where I live(Boca Raton, Florida) and I get to meet people from all parts of India.
Sorry I haven't browsed other parts of ukindia. If I do I'll be sure to tell you what I think.
Cheng Zuo


From: MoinA@aol.com Date: Sat, 3 Feb 1996 11:09:18 -0500 To: ukindia@innotts.co.uk
Subject: Saw our articles. Got the moola THANKS

UK-India Aadaab:

Looking at your web settled our argument....wooosh ..... Saba won, and now I can live in my home with her (she even served me dinner)....”yaar yeh daiseee beewian Amreeka mai~n bohot nakhra karteee hai~n”.

Anyway we got the $45 and when I say "we" I mean Saba....THANKS A BUNCH...NOW SHE CAN TREAT ME ON VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!!!!!CAN I ENTER the next competition since "I" (as in "ME") did not actually win anything last time.

"We" will be sending you some "shers"...(not the lion variety) but the Faiz Ahmad Faiz kind.

Anyway UK-India...take care. Liked you web page. Will visit it again and again. Downloading was quick.

BYE
(with Moin writing (typing) AND SABA looking over my shoulder

Moin