The Punjabi Language
Punjabi, the language of the land of five rivers, is an Indo-Aryan language with approximately 120 million speakers worldwide, primarily in Pakistan's Punjab province and India's Punjab state. It is known for its poetic nature, tonal characteristics, and is written in two scripts: Gurmukhi in India and Shahmukhi in Pakistan. It is the 11th most spoken language in India and the most widely spoken in Pakistan.
Significant Punjabi-speaking populations can also be found in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, and the Middle East, largely due to migration. In the U.S., Punjabi is one of the fastest-growing languages, especially in California, New York, and New Jersey. Punjabi is the fourth most spoken main language in the UK.
Punjabi is a major language of the Sikhs, many Sikh religious texts, including the Guru Granth Sahib, the primary religious scripture, are written in Punjabi. It is the usual language of Bhangra music, which has recently gained wide popularity both in South Asia and abroad.
Punjabi at Penn
Penn offers all levels of Punjabi courses, from beginning through advanced levels. Punjabi courses are designed to introduce students to Punjab's rich cultural heritage, social and economic achievements as they develop their language skills.
At the Beginning and Intermediate Punjabi levels will utilize authentic printed, audio, and video materials as input and will provide opportunities to students for natural communication both within and outside the classroom. Advanced Punjabi aims at systematically introducing students to the higher-level linguistic functions through the use of contemporary texts.
Students who wish to formalize their Punjabi focus often pursue the SAST minor with an emphasis on Punjabi, combining four Punjabi courses with two foundational SAST courses. Punjabi courses can likewise be counted toward the SAST major.