Customer Reviews

Colloquial Panjabi: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series)

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I like this book very much. The author is someone who enjoys using grammatical terminology and so a first-time language learner might find the book heavy going. My advice is very strongly not to buy the book without buying the cassettes as well- that holds true for most languages but is particulary true for this one- since Panjabi is tonal and because there are many sounds that are do not have equivalents in English. Two small things: First, the lessons on Panjabi script are in a separate section at the back of the book. I have studied other Indian languages and feel like it is certainly possible to learn the script as one learns to speak- it's not an unphonetic language by any means. Also, there isn't much about what to do next, once one has completed this course. It is certainly a fascinating language and culture, but now I'm all dressed up with no place to go.

Unfortunately, Punjabi is lacking in instructional resources and what it does have is not the best. I come from a Punjabi speaking family, and this book does an OK job as an introduction, however I did not like the English script transliterations provided because it was harder to follow (following Gurmukhi is easier). I wish the author had included more vocabulary for more advanced students and also said more on the Shahmukhi script (used in Pakistan). The Teach Yourself Panjabi is a good source because it provides Punjabi in Gurumukhi as well as in the English Script and also has a good dictionary. If you are a serious learner of Punjabi, it is good to get idea to explore some of the more colloquial speech (not as a beginner though...way to confusing), so try Cummings "Panjabi Guide." It is hard to find though...try Interlibrary loan.