Campus Langauge- The Real Issue Is NOT Hinglish — It’s Context

 

Campus Language- How Youth-Centric Hindi Films Shape Hinglish on College Campuses

Source- Notebook LM

Walk into any college campus in  today and listen closely. You won’t hear textbook English. You won’t hear pure Hindi either. What you will hear is something like this:

“Sir, concept samajh aa gaya, bas thoda revise karna hai.”
“Presentation solid thi, but confidence thoda low tha.”
“Chill karo yaar, exam manageable hai.”

This is Hinglish — a functional, expressive blend of Hindi and English — and it has quietly become the default campus language.

Students don’t learn this hybrid language from grammar books. They absorb it from popular culture, especially youth-oriented Hindi cinema, where campus life, friendships, ambition, pressure, and dreams are portrayed in a language that sounds exactly like them.

Let’s unpack how and why.

                                                        You Tube Link: https://youtu.be/apo2r-fHJTw

Why Hinglish Dominates College Campuses

Before blaming students (or grammar), let’s be honest.

• Hinglish feels natural in a multilingual society

• It allows students to express emotions easily

• English gives status and professional value

• Hindi adds comfort, clarity, and connection

• Films and media normalize this blend

In short: Hinglish is not laziness.
It is linguistic adaptation.

 Youth-Connected Hindi Films & Their Hinglish Influence

These films are not strict “Hinglish movies,” but they sound like campus life. Students subconsciously imitate the tone, rhythm, and mix of languages they hear on screen.

3 Idiots (2009) – Engineering Campus Reality

Language Style: Technical English + emotional Hindi

Hinglish-Inspired Dialogues:

“Bro, pressure mat le yaar. Result important hai, but learning usse zyada.”
“Sir ne bola concept samjho, ratta mat maro — wahi real engineering hai.”

Impact on students:

English for academics, Hindi for emotions — exactly how students talk in real classrooms.

Student of the Year (2012) – Competitive, Glamorous Campus

Language Style: Confident English with Hindi punchlines

Hinglish-Inspired Dialogues:

“Competition tough hai, but I’m totally ready for this challenge.”
“Performance solid tha, bas judges ka mood support kare.”

Impact on students:
English = confidence and ambition
Hindi = attitude and relatability

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) – Dreams, Career & Life

Language Style: Philosophical Hinglish

Hinglish-Inspired Dialogues:

“Life mein risks lena padta hai, warna story boring ho jaati hai.”
“Career important hai, but happiness usse bhi zyada.”

Impact on students:
Students adopt Hinglish to discuss life goals, career pressure, and identity.

Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na – Friendship & Campus Bonds

Language Style: Soft, emotional Hinglish

Hinglish-Inspired Dialogues:

“Tu tension kyun le raha hai? Sab sort ho jayega.”
“We’re friends yaar, unnecessary drama mat create kar.”

Impact on students:
Hinglish becomes the language of friendship, reassurance, and belonging.

Delhi Belly (2011) – Urban, Raw Hinglish

Language Style: English structure with Hindi comfort

Hinglish-Inspired Dialogues:

“This plan risky hai, but it might actually work.”
“Situation weird hai, par handle ho jayegi.”

Impact on students:
Students learn casual, fast, urban Hinglish — especially from OTT and YouTube culture.

The Real Issue Is NOT Hinglish — It’s Context

Here’s the truth educators need to accept:

The problem is not that students use Hinglish
The problem is they don’t know when NOT to use it

Iamge Source- Chat Gpt

Where Hinglish Works

• Group discussions

• Brainstorming

• Informal interaction

• Peer communication

Where It Hurts

• Exams

• Academic writing

• Interviews

• Formal presentations

 Teaching the Correct Shift: Hinglish → English

Source- Chat Gpt

Hinglish (Campus Talk)	Correct Academic English
“Presentation awesome thi.”	“The presentation was excellent.”
“Concept thoda confusing hai.”	“The concept is slightly unclear.”
“Assignment kal submit karna hai?”	“Is the assignment due tomorrow?”
“Confidence low lag raha hai.”	“I feel less confident.”

Goal: Not to eliminate Hinglish, but to train students to switch registers intelligently.

 Final Word (No Sugar-Coating)

Hinglish is not ruining English.
Untrained usage is.

Students today are bilingual thinkers. If guided properly, they can:

• Speak Hinglish confidently

• Write English correctly

• Communicate professionally

And that, frankly, is a 21st-century skill, not a weakness.

As teachers, our role is not to police language —

It’s to teach choice, clarity, and context.

Your campus. Your language. Your opinion — comment below.