During the Sixth International Hindi Conference, which took place last weekend, a panel of US-based Hindi language instructors shared insights on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could improve educational quality, though they urged careful implementation. The event, organized collaboratively by the Hindi Sangam Foundation, a New Jersey-based non-profit focused on educational advocacy, and the Indian Consulate, explored how technological innovations, specifically AI, are reshaping language instruction.
Dr. Rakesh Ranjan of Columbia University, during his keynote speech, emphasized AI’s early developmental stage. “Artificial Intelligence is in its infancy and going through a training process before it could help human beings in professional ways,” he noted. However, Ranjan highlighted that AI remains limited in understanding nuanced human aspects like gender differences. “AI doesn’t understand many things as yet, including gender differences. That is why it should be used with caution,” he advised, according to a Hindi Sangam Foundation press release.
The conference’s theme, “Technological Innovations Including the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Language Teaching,” was marked by an inaugural speech from Binaya Shrikant Pradhan, the Consul General of India in New York. Pradhan applauded the dedication of US-based Hindi professionals in promoting the language both domestically and internationally. “Hindi enjoyed a unique status of being the lingua franca of the country where more than two dozen languages were spoken. We consider our duty to increase the usage of Hindi for official purposes,” he remarked, indicating the Indian government’s commitment to prioritizing Hindi language proliferation.
This year’s conference attracted prominent Hindi instructors from leading institutions in the US and India. Associate Professor Rajiv Ranjan of Michigan State University’s Linguistics, Languages, and Asian Studies Department presented on October 26, joining a roster of Hindi education specialists who shared their work and research findings. These included faculty members like Prof. Mansi Bajaj of Yale University, Professors Kusum Knapczyk of Duke University, Nilakshi Phukan from North Carolina State University, Ritu Jayakar from Penn State University, Divya Chaudhary of Vanderbilt University, Harshbala Sharma from I.P. College, Delhi University, and Gayatree Mishra from Presidency College in Bengaluru, India.
The Hindi Sangam Foundation’s chairperson, Purnima Desai, expressed gratitude to the Consul General for co-sponsoring the event, acknowledging the considerable efforts invested in organizing it. She extended an appeal to the Indian community, encouraging continued support for the foundation’s work in promoting Hindi.
Conference proceedings were led by Neena Sarin from Jersey City School District. As part of the opening events, a Kavi Sammelan (poetry gathering) presided over by Dr. Bijoy Mehta, a distinguished Hindi poet, showcased the creative talents of more than a dozen poets. The conference concluded with a theatrical presentation by Ameeya Mehta from the Prayog Theater Group, titled Na Nahaye Bahadur.
The academic committee, led by Professor Gabriela Nik Ilieve of New York University, curated the panels and presentations. For further details on the conference, attendees were directed to the website at 21stcenturyhindi.com/ihc-2024.
