Can you spare 5 minutes a day?  

For many of us, Punjabi is our parent’s native tongue but the proficiency of the language has not been passed on to the next generation. For others it’s a brand new language which can open up a whole new world of exploration and community.

 

Born in Punjab and you speak fluently? Then this community will likely not be advanced enough for you. Born outside of Punjab but have Punjabi speaking friends/relatives and you can’t communicate well with in Punjabi? Then Punjabi in 5 can help.

“Punjab” means 5 rivers (referring to the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers). 

Punjabis love the number 5.  “Punj” means 5, and “ab” means river. 

 

Punjabi in 5 is based on the idea of consistency. Small 5 minute lessons that can improve your compreshension and speaking ability when done regularly.

 

Punjabi in 5 was developed for those who are wishing to improve upon a basic foundation of Punjabi.

“If I only had an hour a day to practice my Punjabi….then I would speak so much better.”

Let’s face it, in today’s busy world its difficult to carve out large blocks of time to learn a new subject. More likely than not, that magical hour is not going to show up unless you make a significant alteration to your daily schedule. Even if you were able to do that, the consistency of studying a foreign language every day for an hour is a difficult task.

Over the years we have searched far and wide for various ways to improve one’s Punjabi speaking ability. From our own experiences and the experiences of others we have found the following methods to be very helpful.

1. Surround yourself with native Punjabi speakers.
Now this may seem obvious but the more you interact with others in Punjabi the more it will improve your speaking ability. Local Gurdwaras are a great place to increase your exposure. Speaking with native speakers can be very intimidating (particularly if you were born into a Punjabi household but cannot speak well).
No one wants to be made fun of. One way to change the narrative of the interaction from negative to positive is letting them know ahead of time that you are hoping to improve your Punjabi and you would like to practice with them. In this scenario less judgement is passed and less negativity.

2. Consume Punjabi entertainment content.
We are blessed to be in an age where media content from all over the world can be consumed from your phone, tablet or computer. Punjabi movies can now be viewed online with subtitles through various streaming platforms. There are numerous Punjabi YouTubers creating very entertaining content on a regular basis.
Of course you can enjoy this content for entertainment value, but instead of being a passive consumer of their content, listen actively to what they are saying and how they are saying it. View it as an opportunity on how to improve our own speaking ability and repertoire

3. Study Punjabi educational materials.
Immersion into a new language improves your chances of success significantly. The two points listed above are examples of diving right into immersion. They are real life application of the language. But in order to get the most out of “diving in”, having a proper framework is also needed. Grammar, vocabulary, and sentence proficiency can be very helpful.
This is where Punjabi in 5 fits in. Our goal is to keep your mind engaged with the language on a regular basis, even if its just for 5 minutes a day. Whether its a vocabulary lesson, a grammar lesson, or sentence exercise, the results are cumulative and you will start to see significant improvement in your Punjabi fluency.