In-Depth Introductory Blog Post

About In-Depth

The In-Depth project is an annual five-month-long project done by all the students in the TALONS program. The project’s goal is to learn everything about a topic of interest. Students will study their skills alongside a mentor who is an expert in the area, creating a blog post at the end of every biweekly period to show their progress. At the end of the project, students will demonstrate their learning in a way they feel is appropriate for their chosen skill; this should display their proficiency in the skill.   

My Chosen Skill

For my 2022 In-Depth project, I have chosen to learn how to read, write, and speak Punjabi. Punjabi is the official language of the Indian state of Punjab and is spoken by over 122 million individuals worldwide. Punjabi has two different alphabets: Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi. The Gurmukhi alphabet is usually used in India (this is the one I will be learning), while the Shahmukhi alphabet is commonly used in Pakistan.

Punjabi Gurmukhi alphabet (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurmukhi)

Why I want to Learn Punjabi

It has always been my dream to become fluent in my parent’s native language, Punjabi. Becoming fluent in Punjabi will allow me to comfortably talk to more of my relatives and teach the language to my future children. I will also feel more connected to India and my family’s home state of Punjab, and I will be able to ensure my children feel this same connection. Another reason I want to learn Punjabi is to read and understand the Sikh religious texts, as religion is a significant part of my life and forms the basis of many of my values.

My Prior Knowledge

Currently, I can easily understand speech, but I cannot have conversations because I am not confident in my ability to speak Punjabi. I need to practice my pronunciation, as I cannot clearly say some words due to my accent. My reading ability is not highly developed either. I can read simple text slowly, but I cannot comprehend more complex passages as my vocabulary is small. My small vocabulary also means it is difficult for me to write engaging and varied sentences and spell words correctly.

My Plan

My plan for learning how to read, write, and speak Punjabi is to gradually build up my proficiency in these skills during the five-month duration of the project, then write a story and record myself reciting it. I will review what I already know by reading and speaking the alphabet and words and phrases with and without vowels. Then I will practice my writing by copying words from a workbook and through dictation, reading by doing reading comprehensions at increasing grade levels, and speaking through mock conversations with my mentor. My final assessment of creating and reciting a story will rigorously test what I have learned. The quality of my story, measured by its creativity, originality, sentence structure, and vocabulary, will display how far my writing skills have progressed, and the quality of the recording, assessed by its clarity, pronunciation, emotion, will show my progress in my speaking and reading ability.

Examples of Punjabi stories:

PlanTimetable
Review what I already know about reading and speaking. Reading and speaking the alphabet, and words and phrases with and without vowels.January
Practice writing words, first by copying from a workbook, then through dictation. February
Start doing reading comprehensions at the first grade level, and begin a journal to practice my writing skills (should be worked on weekly). March
Progress to completing reading comprehensions at the second grade level, and practice speaking by doing mock conversations. April
Begin work on final project. Present the final product and celebrate appropriately.May

My Mentor

My mentor is my mother, Daljit Khangura. She lived in Punjab, India, where she spoke Punjabi for the majority of her life. She also has a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Education and nine years of teaching Punjabi at the high school level in India. I will be meeting with my mentor once a week on Fridays. During these sessions, my mentor will guide me towards my final goal of writing a story. I will also be able to ask any questions that may arise during my journey. Some of the resources we will be using include Punjabi to English dictionaries, writing workbooks, and reading comprehension workbooks.

I am looking forward to pursuing this project and learning a skill I have wanted to learn for many years. I hope that with the assistance of my mentor, my journey will be successful, and I will finally be able to speak in my parents’ native language.      

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