Pimsleur Punjabi Level 1 Lesson 1

About the Punjabi Language

• Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-European language family.  It is unique for being the only tonal language in this family.  • There are ten Punjabi dialects which are mostly mutually intelligible.  This course teaches the Eastern Punjabi dialect as spoken in India. • Punjabi is spoken by approximately 110-112 million people world-wide.  • It is an official language in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and is also spoken elsewhere in northwestern India.  Although not considered an offical language in Pakistan, it is spoken by the majority in the Pakistani province of Punjab.  • It is also spoken by expatriate communities in Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, Kenya, Libya, Malaysia (Peninsular), Mauritius, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.  In Canada, Punjabi is thought to be the sixth most frequently spoken language.  • Punjabi is most commonly written using the Gurmukhi script.  The reading lessons in this course teach how to read the Gurmukhi alphabet.

The Pimsleur® Method has worked for millions all over the world. Totally portable; simple to use; Pimsleur works so you don’t have to. Punjabi Phase 1, Unit 1 contains 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation, and isolated vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. The lesson contains full practice for all vocabulary introduced in this unit. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension, and on learning to speak Punjabi.