An Introduction to

For further information 
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures is located on the 3
rd
floor of 
the Barker Center, 12 Quincy St., telephone [phone], e-mail: 
[e-mail]
. You are invited to stop by, call, or email the department 
with any questions. For questions about language you may wish to contact Dr. 
Steven Clancy, Director of the Slavic Language Program (office: Barker 325; e-
mail: 
[e-mail]
). For literature or combining a Slavic language 
with other subjects see the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Daria 
Khitrova (office: Barker 322; e-mail: 
[e-mail]
; phone: (617) 
495-5808). 
The 
Slavic 
Department 
website 
can 
be 
found 
at: 
http://slavic.fas.harvard.edu
. 
 
 

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32 
South Asian Studies 
The Department of South Asian Studies offers regular instruction in a variety of 
South Asian languages including Hindi-Urdu, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Tibetan.
Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Nepali, Pali, and Thai are also offered through our 
language tutorial program. As South Asia emerges as a global cultural, 
economic, and political power, the study of South Asian languages is becoming 
increasingly important for understanding our contemporary world. A study of 
these languages is also essential for developing a critical understanding of the 
diverse cultures, histories, and literatures of South Asia. Our language courses 
take place in small, exciting sections that are infused with a spirit of cooperation. 
No prior exposure to a South Asian language is expected and most of our 
students are true beginners. 
Hindi-Urdu  
The Hindi-Urdu Language Program offers comprehensive instruction in Hindi 
and Urdu together from the beginner’s level. Hindi, written in the Devanagari 
script, is the official language of the Republic of India. Urdu, written in a 
modified form of the Perso-Arabic script called Nastaliq, is the official language 
of Pakistan. In their most basic spoken form, Hindi and Urdu are mutually 
intelligible, particularly in urban centers in north India. Learning both Hindi and 
Urdu together ultimately gives students the ability to interact with close to 500 
million people in South Asia as well as the opportunity to explore both secular 
and devotional literary traditions that go back to at least the sixteenth century, 
and even enjoy modern media such as Bollywood movies and television soap 
operas, which form an important part of the lives of many in contemporary India 
and Pakistan.
Students who complete at least one year of study in Hindi-Urdu may apply to 
the intensive summer language programs run by the American Institute of 
Indian Studies in Lucknow (Urdu) and Jaipur (Hindi). Additionally, the South 
Asia Institute offers summer grants for students wishing to undertake research 
or internships in India.