Usha R. Jain
Senior Lecturer, South and Southeast Asian Studies

Usha R. Jain has taught Hindi at Berkeley for thirty years, and is the leading South Asian language instructor in the United States. Her books Introduction to Hindi Grammar and Basic Vocabulary for Hindi and Urdu, and a CD-ROM, Intermediate Hindi Multimedia Reader, are used extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. A former student recalls that her "classroom was one of rigor, meticulous detail, and most notably, infinite patience." Jain received her B.A. from Agra University, India, and her M.A. from Berkeley.

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

In the course of my 30 years as a lecturer in Hindi, I have found that exposing my students to the cultural aspects of the Hindi-speaking world has become integral to my primary goal of teaching language and literature. Students take my courses for a variety of reasons and, in the process, learn how to understand and express themselves in Hindi; but it is having this cultural context which deepens language acquisition.

Last semester, for example, I organized a symposium on non-violence to mark Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Students presented panel discussions—entirely in Hindi—on topics such as domestic violence, religious conflict, media representations of violence. Students were surprised that they could "think on their feet" in Hindi. By using their intellectual faculties to focus on relevant social issues, they were almost able to "forget" that they were speaking in Hindi. I believe it is these experiences which eventually lead to a measure of fluency in a foreign tongue.

In language classes in particular, each hour must be organized and planned so as to present the variety of language skills to be learned anew, as well as those that must be reviewed, and to keep students actively involved. For me this is the daily science of teaching, and creating and maintaining this balance is something I find deeply satisfying.

Central to my philosophy of teaching is to create a stimulating yet non-competitive and non-intimidating environment in the classroom. I feel that the enthusiasm I bring to the classroom helps to create an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. I firmly believe that it is only this kind of environment which enables students to use their newly acquired language skills with as little hesitation as possible. Since I do have very high expectations of my students, I feel it is my responsibility to inspire them to want to achieve their maximum potential.

I have been fortunate to have many students who have risen to the challenges I have set out for them. This includes graduate student instructors who work with me at the introductory and intermediate levels of Hindi. I have been able to assist them in their process of learning both the particulars of language pedagogy as well as the subtle techniques of teaching in general. This experience has been particularly rewarding to me since I have always recognized how much I have been influenced by my own teachers. I feel honored to mentor and serve as a role model for these graduate students as well as many of my other students. To have the opportunity to have a positive influence on them and to be able to expose them to a new culture and literature is a reward in and of itself for me.