Rich, K. R. (2010). Dreaming in Hindi: Coming awake in another language. Boston, MA: Mariner Books. 384 pages, paperback.

Katherine Russell Rich's Dreaming in Hindi: Coming Awake in Another Language is an account of the author's year spent in India and the experiences she had learning Hindi while living there. Rich decided to dive into the language study program in the city of Udaipur. She describes her interactions with her teachers and classmates, her thoughts of her changing identity while learning a new language, and her perception of India and politics through the lens of a Hindi language learner. In addition, she delves into the world of linguistics and the science of language learning, quoting numerous individuals in the field and discussing the ways in which humans learn (or fail to learn) new tongues.

Much of the book is devoted to the social relationships and identities of the teachers, students, and host families. A recurrent theme in Dreaming in Hindi is developing a new identity through a new language: “We are how we speak” (p. 72).

There are subthemes, such as the way language expresses thoughts and values through its vocabulary. In Hindi, there are no words for privacy, to own, or to wonder. “If you can’t express something to anyone around you, doesn’t it exist only in your mind?” (p. 69) Later in her time in India, Rich looks at words that have no direct translation into English and is pained by the things she will lose in reverting to English. “The world is a rush of stimuli that each language makes sense of uniquely” (p. 283). How can individuals express who they are if they do not have the language to do so? Does this make a part of them cease to exist? That is the struggle with identity that can happen when immersed in a new language.

The ties between thinking in a language and expressing oneself deeply in a language can impact how one feels about affiliation in a social community. “It was as if in Hindi, I became another person” (p. 282). As English language educators, in our English learners we often see an internal struggle with group membership that is tied to a dialect or language. It may almost feel disloyal to the group to embrace a new language.

Group membership can also be political. The politics tied to language is a subtheme in the book. Rich points out the divide between the Sanskrit and Persian roots of Hindi. “Aakaash – from the Sanskrit, I could tell. Already bloodlines were showing. Elegant or jawbreaker, the word was Sanskrit. Gravelly or plangent like a sarod, Persian” (p. 47). Hindi was declared the national language of India in 1963 (even though it is not tied to the languages of southern India) and was seen as “linguistic imperialism” by many (p. 145). Language can allow you to be a part of the power structure. English is often the language of power; speakers of the minority language are often excluded from access to political and social power.

By the end of her year in India, Rich had learned a great deal, but she left with a feeling that there would always be more to learn. This personal account of learning Hindi, the discussion of identity, and the insight into the politics of language, allows the language teacher to see her students’ tasks in a new light. As TESOL educators, we are focused on teaching English, yet the concepts of confused identity and the political power of a language are very much a part of our work with students.

Monica Lahiri Hoherchak is a language learner and teacher. She presently trains public school teachers in using English learner strategies in their classrooms to make their content accessible to their language learners.