Zabaan is a language school founded by Ali Taqi and built around a simple idea: language learning should be rigorous, personal, and deeply connected to culture.
Since its founding, Zabaan has taught thousands of students from around the world, including expatriates, diplomats, university students and professors, researchers, professionals, heritage learners, and lifelong language enthusiasts.
Our teachers bring together academic training, cultural knowledge, and years of classroom experience. Whether you are beginning a new language, returning to one you once knew, or working toward advanced fluency, Zabaan offers the structure, guidance, and support to help you make meaningful progress.
Ali Taqi
Founder, Director, and Teacher
Originally from Chicago, Ali Taqi is the founder and head instructor of Zabaan. He holds a B.A. in International Studies with a minor in Asian Languages and Literatures from Loyola University Chicago.
After teaching extensively in Chicago and Seattle, Ali moved to New Delhi in 2009 to establish Zabaan as a premier centre for language learning.
With a deep interest in linguistics, semantics, syntax, bilingualism, and language pedagogy, Ali combines academic insight with practical classroom experience. He has personally taught more than 100,000 classes and continues to actively teach Hindi, Urdu, English, and Spanish. He is known for helping students move from complete beginner level to confident, advanced fluency.
Zabaan is for anyone who wants to learn a language seriously and meaningfully, regardless of background, level, or previous learning experience.
Some students come to us for everyday conversation. Others study for academic research, professional work, exams, travel, heritage learning, literature, classical texts, or long-term residence in India.
Whatever your reason for learning, Zabaan helps you build a strong foundation, develop confidence, and make steady progress.
Zabaan is a private language school based in New Delhi, offering expert instruction both online and in person.
We teach a wide range of modern and classical languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Bengali, Persian, Arabic, Tamil, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and English.
Our courses include private lessons, small group classes, intensive programs, script courses, reading courses, and customized training for individuals, universities, embassies, and organizations.
Which zabaan — which language — will you choose to learn?
At Zabaan, our teaching is adaptive, personalized, and rooted in one essential question: Is the student learning to speak and understand?
Each student’s path is different. We tailor the pace, schedule, materials, and focus of every course to the learner’s goals — whether the aim is basic conversation, exam preparation, professional communication, literary reading, or advanced mastery of grammar and nuance.
Our classes balance clear explanation with active practice. Students learn grammar in a structured way, but always with the larger goal of communication, fluency, and cultural understanding.
Homework is assigned where useful, and formal exams are optional. Instead, teachers continuously assess students through class performance, informal review, and clearly defined learning objectives.
We know that language learning can feel both exciting and intimidating. That is why our teachers combine academic seriousness with patience, warmth, and encouragement.
Traditional language instruction has often been dominated by large institutions where the focus is heavily text-based, exam-oriented, or disconnected from real communication.
Zabaan was founded to offer something different: a language school that combines grammatical depth, speaking practice, cultural context, and individual attention.
Our goal is not simply to help students memorize vocabulary or complete a textbook. Our goal is to help them enter the language — to think in it, speak through it, read it with understanding, and connect with the people and cultures behind it.
Getting started is simple. Contact our Student Coordinator and tell us what you would like to learn, your current level, your goals, and your preferred schedule.
We will help you choose the right course, teacher, format, and pace.
Students may join group courses, take private online lessons, study in person at our New Delhi centre, or arrange customized programs for personal, academic, or professional needs.
Zabaan’s main language centre is located in East of Kailash, New Delhi.
The centre has four comfortable classrooms, each designed for small-group and private instruction. Students studying in person can expect a welcoming learning environment, freshly made chai and coffee, and a quiet space for serious study.
Most Zabaan courses are conducted online, but in-person classes and visits to the centre may be arranged by appointment.
Zabaan is not a generic language school. It is a place for students who want depth, clarity, structure, and real progress.
We teach languages as living systems of meaning — shaped by grammar, culture, history, literature, and everyday use.
Whether you are learning your first Indian language, deepening your Urdu, reading Sanskrit texts, preparing for fieldwork, or simply trying to speak more confidently, Zabaan gives you the tools and support to move forward.
Jagannathan
Prof. Jagannathan is a linguist interested in syntax and theory of grammar. He also specializes in areas of applied linguistics such as language pedagogy and lexicography and has vast experience in researching and developing teaching methodologies for Hindi as a second and foreign language. He has written several books on Hindi grammar and usage and several Hindi dictionaries for learners of various proficiency levels. He currently teaches Hindi and Tamil at Zabaan and specializes in developing oral skills from the elementary level by using a variety of oral drills. He uses his own materials for his classes.
Bruno
Bruno A. V. da Silva is a Portuguese scholar and PhD candidate at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Paris, specializing in Sanskrit and Indian philosophy. He holds a Master of Asian Studies from EPHE, where he researched yoga in the Niśvāsatattvasaṃhitā, a Master of Philosophy from Université Paris-Sorbonne, and a Bachelor of Indian Studies (Sanskrit) from Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle. His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Philosophy from Universidade do Minho, Portugal. With a strong foundation in classical Sanskrit texts and Indian philosophical traditions, he is committed to teaching Sanskrit through a philological and contextual approach while following a progressive, manual-based methodology.
Olivia Paxton
Ali is the founder and director of Zabaan School for Languages. He was born and raised in Chicago to Indian parents. Ali has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a minor in Asian Languages and Literature from Loyola University Chicago. He has a special interest in Hindi grammar, linguistics, semantics, syntax, bilingualism, and language teaching techniques. Ali is fluent in English, Hindi, and Urdu, and teaches all three of these languages at Zabaan. He started his teaching career in Chicago in 2003 and permanently moved to New Delhi as an OCI in 2009 to start Zabaan School for Languages and has taught over 30,000 classes over his career. He has also trained all of Zabaan’s teachers.
We are always interested in hearing from passionate, qualified language teachers.
If you are committed to serious teaching, thoughtful pedagogy, and helping students make real progress, we would be happy to hear from you.