Zabaan is a language school worker cooperative that offers basic- to advanced-level Hindi & Urdu language instruction to adult learners of all ages and backgrounds. Staffed and operated in New Delhi, India by both native Hindi & Urdu speakers and native English speakers (who have acquired Hindi & Urdu as second languages themselves), Zabaan offers ongoing public classes, focused language workshops, one-on-one private instruction, and online classes from its main location in New Delhi. Aside from language instruction, Zabaan also creates its own Hindi & Urdu language learning materials for its teachers and students, produces documentaries about Hindi & Urdu language acquisition, and provides translation services into and out of Hindi, Urdu, and English.
Zabaan is not affiliated with any university or larger institution that administers it from afar. All administrative and curricular decisions are made on-site by the instructors themselves according to students’ needs and goals, and towards the aim of making the Zabaan learning experience as effective and enjoyable as possible.
Zabaan is institutionally democratic and 100% instructor-owned and managed. Its business model has been inspired by the publications of Professor David Schweickart and his idea of Economic Democracy, which presents a vision and practical business model for achieving a more fair and equitable world economic system.
