Ritu Jayakar

Lecturer of Hindi and Asian Studies

201G Old Botany

Websites:

Check out Hindi @ PSU site for student work and more information.

Education:

M.A. in Hindi Urdu Pedagogy, Kean University, New Jersey

M.A. in Journalism, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Tester Full Certification in Hindi, American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Biography:

I started teaching Hindi at Penn State in 2008, initially as a hobby which grew into a passion. Along the way, I earned a Masters in Hindi-Urdu Pedagogy from Kean University and developed an interest in the use of technology in language learning and teaching; and inclusive pedagogies. Since 2016, I have been a regular presenter in conferences and workshops like the StarTalk program, the South Asian Language Teachers Association (SALTA) Conference and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Convention. In the Department of Asian Studies, I offer Hindi 1 to 4 and a course on Hindi cinema and South Asian culture.

Recent Courses:

HINDI 1 – Level One Hindi A (Fall)
HINDI 2 – Level One Hindi B (Spring)
HINDI 3 – Level Two Hindi A (Fall)
HINDI 110 – Intermediate Hindi (Spring
LANG 197 – Accelerated Course in Hindi HINDI 123 (Spring 2023)
ASIA107N – Bollywood: Seeing South Asia Through Cinema (Fall, Spring)

Research Interests:

Handwriting and Language Retention, Inclusive Pedagogy, Role of Technology in Language Acquisition, and Oral Proficiency of Heritage Learners