Are we losing our Punjabi language?
My parents have always emphasized the importance of speaking Punjabi in our home. Their reasoning was that we would have the opportunity to learn English in our schools, but may never get the time to learn Punjabi again. My father was so passionate about creating an opportunity for children being raised in the West to be taught Punjabi, that he opened the first Punjabi School at the Gurdwara we attended in our town. I was grateful to my parents for sending me to the school, because it allowed me to communicate with my grandparents, and other elders who didn’t speak English, and maintain my relationships with them.
Often the older generation is heard saying our language, and thus an aspect of our heritage, is being lost on the present generation. There are many young people who attend Gurdwara but have no idea what is being said. We have Gutkas with English translations. We’ve become quite tech-savvy in our Gurdwara now too, where we have projectors displaying the English translations of Shabads. We watch Punjabi movies with english subtitles. In India, even Punjabis are speaking Hindi now.
Is it the responsibility of parents to teach their children or send them to Punjabi school to learn? Or is it an individual’s responsibility? Some people take the initiative to learn Punjabi on their own, either through courses available at University, or from the growing number of online courses.
How can we preserve the Punjabi language?
13 Responses to “Are we losing our Punjabi language?”
By Maestro on Feb 5, 2008 at 2:09 pm | Quote
This is a very important topic and the responsibility first and foremost lies with the parents. If parents are willing to take it upon themselves to teach their children Punjabi they are able to set a precedent for the larger community. I also think it’s the responsibility of our Sangat and the Gurduwaras to spend money on Punjabi schools and support their success by ensuring adequate resources. Like they say, it’s take a village to raise a child. Speaking Punjabi has become “popular” amongst youth in certain communities, which I think is interesting but it doesn’t necessarily mean we are preserving the language.
By Singh on Feb 5, 2008 at 3:26 pm | Quote
Very timely post Anandica! My parents were like yours and my siblings and I still get in trouble for speaking English a home. But I think you ask a very important question - whose job is it.
I think there has to be a combination as Maestro suggests. Being Americans it is tough really immerse ourselves in the Punjabi language and so parents have to be vigilant in teaching their kids Punjabi and providing Punjabi speaking opportunities - that may includes making places like Gurdwara Sahibs “Punjabi Zones” and encouraging Punjabi there as a community.
By Harbeer on Feb 5, 2008 at 4:43 pm | Quote
The really unfortunate thing is the loss of idiomatic expressions. I mean, I speak and read grammatically correct Punjabi fairly well, and I can talk pehndu enough to get teased by my shehri peers, but my grandmother and one of my dad’s coworkers–hooowee–they crack me up with their turns of phrase and I don’t know who’s going to keep that stuff alive.
By Kaur on Feb 5, 2008 at 9:02 pm | Quote
I completely agree with you Harbeer. I also can read and write Punjabi fairly well, as I was taught by a combination of Punjabi school and my grandmother. However, it was when I went through college that I was actually able to begin to understand more than just the formal words. I still have the same conversation with my parents today as they laugh about a Punjabi joke that has references that we do not know because we have not grown up in the time they have; but now instead of just brushing us off as to not being able to understand it we make them explain to us the context, reference, etc.
It makes me sad to think that our generation of Sikhs will have a hard time to keep some of these oral phrases and traditions alive.
For those who do not speak, read, or write Punjabi what can we do to ensure that it is passed on to the next generation?
By baingandabhartha on Feb 6, 2008 at 9:56 am | Quote
I am raising a 4yr old and teaching her punjabi. Its not easy as I used to think. My wife and I have a rule-punjabi at home and angreji outside. My wife and I are 1.5 generation punjabis. I ran read write and speak hindi and punjabi fluently and my wife can read write speak punjabi fluently. Our punjabi at home is right from the pind. Still, my daughter has this accent. I dont know where she gets it. Our persistence in speaking punjabi in the house is starting to pay off though. She spontaneously breaks out in punjabi sometimes and i love it. Another thing we do is put up a word and letter of the week (punjabi) on the board so she can start recognizing gurmukhi. She will go to punjabi school also, but, I think the primary responsiblity is with the parents.
By JSD on Feb 7, 2008 at 12:47 pm | Quote
that same rule of thumb, where there is english outside the home and punjabi inside is a great rule and worked for me. My spoken Punjabi was best learned at home, reading and writing is all thanks to the Gurudwara. Its a fairly good formula and combination, the only problem you may face is accents and different dialects of Punjab (Malwa, Majha, Doaba). I have noticed a very big difference in your typical city punjabi and village punjabi and in my opinion nothing beats that Pind Punjabi. From personal experience I have noticed those who have been raised with a rural family background speak the best Punjabi, whereas those with a city background may emphasize reading and writing but do not have the same grammatical skills as their rural friends. What do you guys think?
By pov on Feb 13, 2008 at 12:51 pm | Quote
Our home was also a punjabi zone and it was enforced with a velna (the tool used to flatten rotis) hehe. While the child is at an early age I believe it is the parent’s responsibility - just as a parent feels it’s their responsibility to teach good manners, to introduce the child to relatives, stay away from drugs, to tell them to look both ways before crossing the street. If keeping them close to Sikhi and Punjabi culture isn’t a big enough reason teach them Punjabi just so they can have a hearty conversation with their grandparents.
By Dr. Muhammad Nazir Awan on Feb 26, 2008 at 2:57 am | Quote
We Pakistani Punjabi speak punjabi with our elders and friends but when we talk with our children we start conversation to them in Urdu. This is a trend now a days in middle class living either in rural areas or cities. Though our kids understand the language but cant speak fluently as me or my parents. We cant write our mother tongue. if we write in urdu script some words we can’t write and pronuce as easily as in Grumukhi. Thanks to internet that I have learn to write and read punjabi
By Mandip Singh Rai on Aug 15, 2008 at 9:05 am | Quote
Wow, good topic! I am 23 now and my mum and dad didn’t raise me with punjabi, but i feel i have to learn the language now!!!
My dad was from a village in Punjab but he married a british indian (my mum.) She always talks english and even though i have begged her to speak punjabi with me she doesn’t!!! My dad spoke in Punjabi in bits n pieces but not the whole language, so i know bits n pieces!!!
I know it made my dad sad that his wife always spoke english and his kids always spoke english. i remember him saying, please just say “satsreeakal, it sounds so nice”.
Anyway, the parents HAVE to be strict, otherwise kids will lose touch with their roots or become very confused (like me)!!!
I have taught myself to read Gurmukhi now and am going to live in India in october. I will get there in the end!!!
By punjabi on Sep 19, 2008 at 4:22 am | Quote
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