FAQsWhat is the OSLS Philosophy? Is the OSLS program for me? What is the key to becoming fluent? What benefit does OSLS give me that I can't find by simply learning language on my own, with the help of a few self-study books?
How does the OSLS Program compare to local Language Schools? What is the benefit of the OSLS program vs. hiring a professional Hindi or Urdu teacher? I have already been through a generic course on how to learn a new language. Why should I attend an OSLS camp? Does OSLS offer any programs for other Indian languages? Can I start learning in my home country? When is the next Camp? What is the OSLS Philosophy?
We believe that immersion is the best means by which to learn a new language. This is why we have chosen the name "On-Site Language Services (OSLS)" and the motto "Immerse to Converse." Our resources and services are designed for community-based language learning. Our clients learn their new language in one-on-one sessions with language helpers and out in the community with native speakers. We aim to offer a flexible program with easily-adaptable tools for learning. We recognize that each person has a different learning style, learns at a unique pace, and will constantly be growing through new phases of language ability, as compared to the next person. Also, most of our clients cannot enroll in a full-time language school, nor can they necessarily live for any length of time near our offices. Consequently, we provide curriculum materials which can be used in any locale in which our clients can find native speakers, enabling the client to work at his or her own pace. Language learning for the purpose of communication (which is in turn for building relationships), is a lifelong pursuit. Our aim is to equip our clients with resources and techniques that will enable them to continue learning long after their formal language study is complete.
Our program has been built around cutting edge language-learning theory. We have incorporated the best-proven practices of language acquisition and the unique patterns of North Indian languages. Finally, we believe that language learning has universal relevance, for it is in speaking the heart language of another person that one can connect with the deepest understanding and respect. In a country like India it is possible to get by using only English. However, the mother tongue of most north Indians is Hindi or Urdu. Our clients are not students simply trying to earn a passing grade, but are human beings hoping to master the language so as to communicate at this heart level with fellow human beings. Back to Top Is the OSLS program for me?
Most of our clients come from the English-speaking world. However, the curriculum can be effectively used by those for whom English is a second language. We have helped such clients from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, South Africa, Argentina, Guatemala and many others. Curriculum has been developed for Spanish speakers for both Stage 1 & Stage 2 and is currently under development for Stage 3. Spanish speakers are coming from many countries and are finding the OSLS program to meet their needs.
Our program is designed for:
Businessmen and their families
Tourists
Students
Development workers
Anyone who wants to experience more of Hindi or Urdu language and culture. Back to Top What is the key to becoming fluent?
Modern language-learning theory has identified motivation as the most crucial component for mastery of a new language. An informed and sympathetic outside source is necessary to monitor and promote motivation, as well as to manage the other intangibles (such as culture shock) which profoundly affect one's language-learning process. The second most crucial component for language-learning success is effective management of one's time.
The OSLS Stage 1 Camp discusses different aspects of motivation in-depth. The Stage 2 Camp includes a mini-seminar on time management. For clients at any stage, OSLS strives to give guidance to help clients with both important issues. Back to Top What benefit does OSLS give me that I can't find by simply learning language on my own, with the help of a few self-study books?
We have found that most people do not know how to effectively organize their own language-learning program. They often are unable to identify their specific language-related needs, and are not trained how to go into the host culture to get those needs met. OSLS provides this kind of help. At present, we know of no other systematic program, adaptable to one's unique learning style and living situation, by which a student of Hindi or Urdu can begin each week with the confident assertion, "THIS is what I need to do this week to progress toward fluency." Back to Top How does the OSLS Program compare to local Language Schools?
Even where schools are available, most teach Hindi or Urdu with a different emphasis than OSLS, often focusing on grammar, reading and writing much earlier in a student's experience than does OSLS. Our Stage 1 curriculum (which lasts 3 months) focuses mostly on listening and speaking skills, though of course our clients learn to read and write the Hindi or Urdu alphabet in that time. Through Stage 1, our clients build an "encyclopedia" in their mind of up to 1500 new vocabulary words and sentence patterns which they can recognize in context, even though they may not yet be able to recall such words in order to speak or write. This effect on the brain is similar to what happens to a young child who spends her first 3-4 years of life only listening to her parents and siblings speak, before she actually goes to school and begins to read and write. Then, when our clients begin to work on Stage 2 (a 9-month course), which includes a strong component of studying grammar, they have an experiential reference pool with which to relate the grammar rules and patterns that they learn. Studying grammar without such a reference source available in one's mind is like learning in a vacuum. The brain has no practical experience with which to relate the grammar theory, making it much more difficult to absorb grammar points (let alone utilize them in daily Hindi or Urdu conversation).
Our language consultants advise that during Stage 2, clients should enroll in a language school, if one is available, in order to benefit from the strength of such schools: explaining grammar rules and correcting grammar mistakes in students' speech and writing. OSLS advises clients to limit such classroom instruction to five hours per week. The remaining language-learning time should continue to be spent with local language helpers, while immersed in a Hindi- or Urdu-speaking community. Back to Top What is the benefit of the OSLS program vs. hiring a professional Hindi or Urdu teacher?
While there are many wonderful native-speaking Hindi or Urdu tutors available, only a few are able to bridge the gap between how Indians traditionally teach and how expatriates (particularly westerners) learn. An intermediary is needed to maximize this teaching-learning process. This is where the OSLS program can help you. Note that for part of Stage 2 and Stage 3 we do recommend that you either attend a local language school or that you hire a professional Hindi or Urdu teacher. This is in addition to your language helper, who is a non-professionally-trained native speaker, such as a neighbor down the street. A grammar teacher or a professional tutor will be able to more precisely explain complex grammar points to you. Back to Top I have already been through a generic course on how to learn a new language. Do I need to do the OSLS program?
A seminar on general principles for language learning or actual experience in learning another language can certainly be helpful. However, the uniqueness of OSLS lies in that its programming, resources, and even certain learning methods are specific to Hindi and Urdu. One linguist has said, "While language-learning must be self-directed, it doesn't have to be self-designed." Our team of experienced Hindi and Urdu language consultants have created curriculum filled with practical lesson plans that can enable you to focus your maximum time and energy on actually learning Hindi and Urdu from native speakers. Back to Top Does OSLS offer any programs for other Indian languages? The language-learning principles of OSLS can be applied to other Indian languages, as well. Whether you want to learn Bengali, Malyalam, or Punjabi, our customized seminars equip you to get a solid start in learning any Indian language. Back to Top Can I start learning in my home country?
Yes! The first thing you can do is to familiarize yourself with the Urdu script if you are learning Urdu, or the Devanagri script if you are learning Hindi. (Note to Urdu clients: It will help you if you familiarize yourself with both scripts. The Devanagri script is more straightforward and easier to learn. It will help you function in everyday life in India.) Even in Stage 1 you will be doing some elementary reading and writing. It is not a prerequisite for Stage 1 to know the alphabet, but it will definitely give you a head start. Recommended:
Teach Yourself Beginner's Hindi Script by Rupert Snell Teach Yourself Beginner's Urdu Script by Richard Delacy Back to Top
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