It’s not often you’ll find yourself immersed in the Duke Gardens for a class, searching for banana leaves and bridges with 4 of your peers. But Hindi 101 with Kusum and Anshul jee is no ordinary class.
Throughout the semester, I have continued to be surprised by the creativity built into our syllabus. When I originally registered for Hindi 101 a few months ago, I didn’t realize how different it would be than my previous language classes. We have participated in yoga and cooking classes, have created Madhubani art, and much more. Kusum and Anshul jee have masterfully woven fun excursions into the class, supporting our understanding of Indian culture, the language, and each other.
A few weeks ago, our Hindi 101 class took a “vacation” from the classroom and spent our class time in Duke Gardens. In contrast to our large group “Sports Day” earlier in the semester, for this class, we were randomly split into small groups, tasked to find and record ourselves in front of a variety of objects. Each team organized in our usual meeting place and dispersed, with a sense of excitement in the air, looking forward to the chance to learn from each other in a beautiful natural setting.
Instead of simply sitting in a classroom, at 1:40PM, I was speed-walking around the Duke Gardens, practicing my Hindi along the way. From a banana tree to a bridge to purple flowers, our list of items had us engaged and active for our full class time. Some of my favorites were the तालाब (pond) and बांस (bamboo) in the Asiatic section. We ended the afternoon with a series of nearly 20 pictures, from all corners of the park. Later that week, Kusum and Anshul jee had each group present our photos to the class. I found this reinforcement especially helpful with all of the new vocabulary.
From our entire semester, these are the kinds of activities that I know will stick with me for years to come. Being able to apply the language to the “real world” outside the classroom is invaluable. Now, when I visit the gardens, our class excursion lingers in my memory. I look up, and before when I would simply think “sky”, I now can recognize it as आसमान. Those small changes are what make me excited to continue learning Hindi, especially with Kusum and Anshul jee.
Below are some thoughts from my fellow classmates on our Scavenger Hunt:
Kartikeye
I thought that the session today was fun! We got to explore the gardens and walk around campus while practicing our Hindi skills which was quite entertaining and informative. I think my time and I supported each other well and everyone was able to contribute equally, so I think that it was a great group task.
Namit
The scavenger hunt activity was fun and insightful. Initially, I doubted whether or not I would be able to understand all the instructions, but I found it straightforward and that made me feel better about my Hindi abilities. Our group planned our route before we embarked on our journey throughout the gardens, making it much easier to find all our spots. Everyone in our group was in good spirits and willing to contribute to the success of our mission. It was also nice to be in the gardens on such a beautiful day, and it was a very calming and relaxing activity amid a very hectic week. Overall, I had a great time participating in this activity and hope to do more like this throughout the remainder of the semester.
Yash
The scavenger hunt activity was enjoyable with a fun group of students. Going into the session I expected it to be harder to decipher the parts of the scavenger hunt, but it was surprisingly easy to follow. Yes, I was able to communicate meaning and generally whenever one of my peers was confused or did not understand something we were able to teach them and make sure they understood what the rest of the group did. I am proud of translating the information and finding a logical flow of where to approach each part of the scavenger hunt.
Naman
The activity as a whole was well structured, and we had no issues following the directions of it. I was able to help some of my peers with translations and the various vocabulary that was used. I was able to work with my peers to come up with solutions when things were unclear to me. I am proud of the fact that I was able to help others with things they struggled with. Overall, I enjoyed the activity and hope to do similar things in the future.
Meera
I really enjoyed today’s scavenger hunt. The activity was easy to follow since we had a clear list of all the items we needed to find. I am proud of the way my group communicated since we helped each other with Hindi vocabulary we didn’t know, including the names of specific vegetables like cabbage and green onion.
Rowan
I thought today’s session was fun and a nice break from the classroom lectures that we usually do. It also helped me solidify my vocabulary understanding which was very helpful. I expected it to be a long session with a lot of walking in the rain, but it was actually very quick and fun to experience. The activity was a little difficult to understand, especially what each group was supposed to do, however, we got it all done in time. My team and I were able to help each other understand what each word or object was, and it went very smoothly.
Sarva
After today’s session, I honestly felt refreshed. I expected this, since I’ve noticed in the past that walking in the gardens clears my mind. This time, however, I was able to connect with my peers in ways that I’m not usually able to in the classroom. We were able to collaborate, problem solve, and explore the gardens together!
Pranay
I liked the scavenger hunt. It was about what I expected, and I expected (and was met with) a fairly normal scavenger hunt. Our group did a good job of working together to decide where to find certain things on our list, and I think we worked well as a group. Overall, a fun experience!
Purnima
I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt activity, it was nice utilizing our Hindi knowledge and applying it to an interactive game with other students in my class. Something that I’m proud of, is that I was able to guide my team to the vegetable garden, because I work at the Duke Gardens so I know the garden pretty well! It was a good experience overall.
Dhruv
After the scavenger hunt, I felt really good. I hadn’t had the chance to go to the gardens in a long time, so it was nice to do that. Going into the session, I expected to try and find items across West Campus. The activity was easy to follow. When I didn’t understand something, I was able to ask my group for help and they were able to help me. I supported my peers throughout the process and felt supported when I needed help too. Something I did that I am proud of is walk in the garden and have a good time with my fellow classmates.
Kushi
I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt! The activity was easy to follow and clarification wasn’t really needed on our group’s end. I wasn’t really expected to travel so much in one spot, but Duke Gardens is scenic and definitely worth the travel. I think our group supported each other pretty well with getting our parts done, and I think it was fun learning all the new vocabulary together. I think it was also fun exploring Duke Gardens using the words given to us as a medium, and collaboration in doing that made us learn a lot about each other. I was glad I was able to semi-navigate the items on the list.
Pranav
The Scavenger hunt was very fun and educational. It was nice to apply the lessons we learn in the classroom to the real world. Also, it was very fun to get some sunlight and outdoor time during class. I feel like the vocabulary we learned through this activity is very useful in the real world, because nature vocabulary is very common for small talk. One thing I did during the activity that I’m proud of is knowing the way around the garden and being able to lead the group in the right direction. This is because as part of my orientation (Project Earth) I had to lead a garden tour so I felt well-equipped to navigate the gardens for this activity.
Amran
The scavenger hunt was a really fun way to switch things up and practice Hindi outside of the classroom. Going into it, I didn’t have super high expectations—I thought it’d be more straightforward—but it turned out to be much more interactive and collaborative than I expected. Exploring Duke Gardens and applying the vocab we’ve learned, especially around nature, made it feel really practical and less like a typical assignment. My group and I worked well together, and it was cool to see everyone contributing, especially when we hit parts that were confusing. I’m proud of how I helped with translations and navigating the gardens—it felt good to be able to contribute. Overall, it was a great way to practice Hindi and get some fresh air.
Viveka
I had a lot of fun during the Scavenger Hunt. I thought the activity was pretty easy to follow and the objects/landmarks were fun to find. My other teammates were very helpful when we were trying to understand the clues. I felt supported, and my peers were excited to complete the task throughout. I was very proud of accidentally finding the banana trees when we were worried about being unable to find them.
Saahith
I had a good time doing the scavenger hunt. I found it fun exploring campus with my classmates and thought we all worked well together. My favorite part was being able to go to the garden because since I live on east campus, I do not really get too many opportunities to explore the gardens. Overall, I had a really fun time.
This workshop was supported and funded by Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Duke Service Learning.