Learn Punjabi in London

Punjabi Language Courses at LSI Language School in Central London

Punjabi (also known as Panjabi) is spoken by the Punjabi people in India, Pakistan and other parts of the world.  It is an Indo-European language within the Indic branch of the Indo-Iranian sub-family.  It is spoken by about 104 million people and is the 11th most spoken language in the world.  Punjabi has moved around the world and developed local forms by integrating local vocabulary.  While most borrowed words come from Urdu, Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit, Punjabi emigrants around the world have integrated terms from such languages as English, Spanish and Dutch.

There are several different scripts used for writing the Punjabi language, depending on the region and the dialect spoken, as well as the religion of the speaker.  The script used for writing Punjabi in the Panjab province of Pakistan is known as Shahmukhi (from the mouth of the Kings) which is a modified version of Persian-Nasta'liq script.  Sikhs and others in the Indian state of Panjab use the Gurmukhi (from the mouth of the Gurus) script. Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts are the most common forms used for writing Punjabi and are considered the official scripts of the language.

Punjabi is very similar to Urdu.  Punjabi written in the Shahmukhi script can be understood by speakers of Urdu with little difficulty, but spoken Punjabi has a very different phonology and can be harder to understand for Urdu speakers.

The Punjab, also referred to as the Panjab, is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan.  The Punjab has a long history and rich cultural heritage.  The people of the Punjab are called Punjabis.  The main religions in the Indian Punjab are Sikhism and Hinduism, whilst Islam is the majority religion in the Pakistani Punjab.

The historical region of Punjab is considered to be one of the most fertile regions on Earth.  Both east and west Punjab produce a relatively high proportion of India's and Pakistan's food output, respectively. The Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's food grain production and the agricultural output of the Punjab region in Pakistan contributes significantly to Pakistan's GDP.  The major crops of the Punjab region are: wheat, rice, cotton, sugar cane, fruit and vegetables.  Called "The Granary of India" or "The Bread Basket of India", the Indian Punjab produces 1% of the world's rice, 2% of its wheat, and 2% of its cotton.

Whether you are learning Punjabi for business, leisure or academic purpose, at LSI we will ensure that your Punjabi language course at our school in Central London is a successful and enjoyable experience.

• Your current level of Punjabi and training requirements will be carefully assessed.
• Our Punjabi tutors, who are all highly qualified, have many years of experience teaching Punjabi at all levels.
• Your course will be tailor-made to meet your specific training needs, ensuring that it is relevant, practical, effective and fun.
• Our tutors use a wide range of up-to-date teaching materials including a variety of books, authentic documents, audio and video recordings.