Scoring well in a language and literature subject, be it of any language, undoubtedly, is a challenging task. Hindi is a language spoken widely in India and is also taught as a compulsory subject till grade 10 in a lot of schools across the country.
However, the Hindi language which people speak in their day-to-day life is quite different from the one taught as a subject in academics and later on evaluated via exams. Correct grammar, a wide vocabulary and the ability to acutely analyse literary pieces are some of the much-needed skills required to ace this subject in school exams.
Even though no board exams are conducted for students of class 9, students need to start working on this subject from this grade itself for a strong foundation of following exams. Students must not take this subject lightly and must not assume that it is easier to score in this subject without any effort. It is a misconception that can lead to adverse consequences. Hindi subject has quite a vast syllabus and its paper is also the lengthiest among all.
CBSE’s prescribed syllabus is divided into four NCERT Books Class 9 Hindi which are Kritika, Sanchayan, Kshitij and Sparsh. They contain both grammar-related lessons and excerpts from Hindi literature for a holistic understanding of the subject. This article underlines useful tips that students can use to complete the syllabus in such a way that fetches them good scores in exams.
Know the syllabus and paper pattern well
For any exam out there, having a detailed knowledge of the syllabus and the paper pattern is of paramount importance. Similar goes for the class 9 Hindi paper as well. Make sure to go through the syllabus right from the beginning of the academic year.
Accordingly, students can make a plan regarding how to proceed and what all chapters should be given priority. Alongside, it is also important to understand the paper pattern and marking scheme. This will give an idea regarding the amount of effort and time one needs to put in for the preparation of each section.
As already mentioned, the syllabus is divided into four books, including both language and literature portions. For CBSE board exams, both these portions are clubbed in a single paper but for class 9, it depends on the school administration to decide whether they wish to take one exam for Hindi language and Hindi literature or they wish to make it separate papers. In any case, make sure to have an idea about the paper pattern from the teacher at the beginning itself.
In general, Hindi paper comprises a writing skill test, reading skill test and literature test. All of them require different strategies which will be described in the due course of this article. Nonetheless, students should not forget to clarify the syllabus and paper pattern in advance.
Go through NCERTs thoroughly
Scoring well in any subject requires long-term engagement with the subject coupled with resolution and perseverance. Students should pay utmost attention to class lectures and must go through NCERTs thoroughly. This is especially important for the literature section because the questions are based on a student’s understanding of the chapter. Be it a poem or any prose piece, it is important to pay great attention to details like the author’s name, the plot of the piece, its intention, central themes, etc.
Leaving any part of textbooks unread can prove disastrous in the exam. Similarly for the language portion, go through formats of different types of writing like letter writing, newspaper article writing, story writing, etc. Even though this section is very subjective and depends on an individual’s creativity and writing style, students should read all the examples given in the textbook for clarity of core ideas.
Complementing reading with writing and vice versa
Hindi is a language of communication, both verbal and written. Hence, polishing one’s skills of communicating ideas in a concise, clear and organised manner is a part of learning this language. Even though reading and writing both are very different exercises, they are complementary and instrumental in improving overall skills in Hindi.
Reading in Hindi rewards one with diverse vocabulary and phrases of expression which are translated into a good piece of writing. It is advised that students should engage with Hindi newspapers, novels and other kinds of reading materials apart from the prescribed books in Hindi to sharpen their skills. This will naturally lead to better performance in the exam as students are evaluated based on how well they can express their knowledge on the answer sheet.
Practice sample papers and quizzes
This is perhaps the most important aspect of preparation because without practice all the information studied becomes futile when evaluated. It is through solving sample papers a few weeks before the exam and taking regular quizzes after completion of each chapter that a student can improve his/her score.
NCERTs too carry all sorts of exercises at the end of each chapter, make use of it. For last-minute revision too, these exercises are useful as they summarize the whole chapter in the question-answer format.
Important things to remember during the exam
That three-hour duration of the exam is very crucial for students because it is during this time that they are expected to do their best. But often due to performance pressure, students tend to commit silly mistakes like grammatical errors or not reading any question properly. Students should try to keep themselves calm and composed during the time frame of the exam and read the question paper carefully.
Before attempting an answer, always take a pause and organize your thoughts for better answer quality. Students can also write rough pointers on the margin of the answer sheet in case they need to create a mind map for answers. And before the final submission, always cross-check answers with utmost care.
In conclusion, performing well in Hindi is not at all a tough task. Instead, with regular and disciplined study, students can easily score maximum marks.
A subject like Hindi has many practical and relatable applications and thus, students must learn this subject instead of mugging information. With the help of the above-mentioned tips, we hope that students can excel in this subject.