The Department of Foreign Languages at San Jose State University introduced
Punjabi as one of its offerings from the Fall of 1998. It is the first South
Asian Language being taught at this institution, providing students an
opportunity to study the Punjabi language, literature and culture. There is a
special focus on Sikh literature of the Gurus and bhaktas and also modern
literature produced by stalwarts like Bhai Vir Singh and Professor Puran
Singh.
Elementary Punjabi Courses:
Punjabi 1A and 1B: Beginning level courses aimed at providing an opportunity
to learn modern Punjabi language as spoken in present day India and Pakistan in
Gurmukhi script. A beginning course in the four language skills: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. The basic structure of Punjabi is taught both in
Indian and Pakistani contexts of life and culture. At level B, the student is
introduced to reading simple texts of Punjabi poetry and prose. Each semester is 5
units, 5 hours a week.
Intermediate Punjabi Courses:
Punjabi 25A and 25B: Intermediate level
courses as a continuation of the first year. In 25A, the student is
given a broad glimpse into modern Punjabi poetry, prose, drama, short story, folklore and
culture. The purpose is to introduce to the student to the linguistic structure. and
Punjabi social and cultural patterns with a view to further developing reading, writing, aural,
and oral skills.
In 25B, the students are introduced to Bani of the Sikh Gurus and Qalam of the
Punjabi Sufis, enriching their experience of the great writings of spiritually
awakened souls of the land of Punjab. They are also introduced at a rudimentary
level of the grammatical system of poetic writings of the Sikh Gurus and Bhaktas
included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. 5 semester units each, 5 hours a
week.
Community-Supported Program
Punjabi Studies Program in the Department of Foreign Languages is primarily
a Sikh community supported program. Every year funds are raised by the Sikh
community in and around the Bay Area by a community support group
of committed volunteers under the leadership of Dr. Mahinder Singh
Madan, formerly of the United Nations. His untiring and well-coordinated efforts
to raise requisite yearly funding support from the community have made the progran flourish.
The Punjabi community, in general, and the Sikh community, in particular,
has been pleased with the significant role being played by this program at SJSU.
It is building bridges between Punjabis and the global community in the US
because of its well-designed courses. The academic and cultural events sponsored
by the Punjabi Studies Program portray tolerance, harmony, egalitarianism and
mysticism generated by Sikh Gurus. It is richly preserved in the cultural
spectrum of Punjab - the land of the five rivers.
Procedure for Admission
1-Campus Students
Regular students on campus can take Punjabi courses by signing up for the
course of their choice by consulting the Instructor beforehand.
2-Through Open University
If you are not a regular student and want to take a course in Punjabi at
SJSU, you may apply for admission through Open University. You may look through
the on-line schedule of classes. Contact the Instructor on the first day of
class and have your Open University form signed by him. Take this signed form to
the Admissions and Records counter in the Student Service Center located in the
10th Street garage by the deadline date. Pay your fees and you are
enrolled! To download the information and form go to www.openu.sjsu.edu or pick up
a free registration booklet at the Spartan Bookstore, SJSU.
3-Step to College Program and Unitrack for High School Students
Step-To-College is a California State University program designed
to foster collaboration between Universities and high schools to increase
high school matriculation to college. In addition, this program gives
exceptional students the opportunity to experience the college environment and to
increase their chances of being successful in college later in life. Step-To-College is
open to students who are at least 16 years of age or are in their junior or
senior year of High School. You may sign up for three to six units of University
credit per semester and take the courses on the SJSU campus.
Unitrack allows students take courses for college credit on their
High School campuses through collaborations between the school site and an
SJSU department. The cost of these programs is a student fee which covers the student
ID card, transcripts, and other administrative costs. There is no other
application fee associated with this program. Students may use various facilities on campus
for additional fees; information on these services will be covered during
Orientation.
For questions about the Step-To-College or Unitrack program, please email
Visitor Relations and Admission Counseling at outreach@sjsu.edu . We advise all the students who are seeking admission
through Step-To-College Program to send an email to professor Atamjit Singh or Fatima Jackson
(outreach@sjsu.edu
) to
start the admission process. Please note that the University starts accepting applications one semester
prior to the following semester (i.e for courses Punjabi 1B and
25B that will be offered in Spring 2007, the University
has started accepting applications this semester).
Singh, Atamjit Punjabi Lecturer Clark Hall
410E 408-924-4622 atam84@hotmail.com
Special Events
The Punjabi Studies Program, since its inception in 1998,
has been organizing both academic and cultural events to enrich students'
experience of the life and culture of the people of Punjab. These events are in
the form of conferences, Seminars, Symposia, Special Lectures, screening of
movies, and field trips. These have helped in promoting meaningful interaction
between the campus and the Punjabi community in San Jose and the surrounding
area. Here are some of the
notable events that happened in the 2003 and 2004 school year:
International Conference on the Universal Message of
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
A Summer course on The Study of Guru Granth Sahib(196A) 2003 at
SJSU This is an academic event of
its own kind organized in a university setting. It gave a kick-start to the
celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the installation of Sri Guru Granth
Sahib at Golden Temple, Amritsar. This event is being celebrated by the Sikh
Community all over the world. The purpose of the course was to offer an
introduction to the splendid poetry contained in the holy Granth, appreciating
its spiritual grandeur and religious universally in a broad perspective.
From the Sixth Annual Symposium on "The Life and Teachings of Guru Nanak Dev
Ji" The Punjabi studies
program in conjunction with Chardi Kalaa Sikh Community Centre, San Jose and
the University Sikh Student Association organized the Sixth annual symposium
on the life and teachings of the founder Sikh Guru Nanak Devji on 22nd
November 2003.
The First Annual Lecture on Guru Nanak Dev Ji, 15 Novenber 2003 Professor Nirvikar Singh of the
Department of Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz delivered
the first Guru Nanak Lecture to a distinguished audience consisting of
academia, students, and the members of the community.
Televised Punjabi Course Starting in Spring 2004, the Punjabi Studies Program has been extended for the Logan High School
students in Union City. The instruction is delivered with the help of
Academic Technology Department utilizing a Live Telecast. Thirty-five students benefited from this program.
Course Descriptions
Elementary Punjabi 001A
Textbook Reader for
Elementary Punjabi 1A compiled by Atamjit Singh and Tomio Mizokami
Course Description The course
is designed to introduce the students to modern Punjabi as spoken in India and
Pakistan in Gurmukhi script. Instruction will be provided in all four language
skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Oral communication and
conversation will be emphasized. Besides this, you will read hymns from Sri
Guru Granth Sahib occasionally and listen to the recorded musical renderings
by eminent Sikh minstrels (ragis). You will also be expected to sing along
with the recordings. Likewise, you will enjoy reading some Sufi Punjabi songs
and listen to their musical renderings by famous Punjabi singers. You will
also be introduced to Punjabi folk songs and their musical texts. From time to
time, you will be introduced to other forms of Punjabi folklore and rural
Punjabi life through films, photographs, slides, video, cassettes and other
audio-visual aids. Apart from this, you will be given systematic lessons on
Punjabi grammar and social use of the language in different situations.
Expected Outcome By the end
of the semester, you should be able to manipulate the language to some extent.
You should be able to understand simple sentences and hold some basic
conversation with your peers and elders. You should be able to pronounce the
Punjabi words without American accent in a comfortable manner. You should be
able to read Punjabi texts, like the newspaper, simple stories, and sacred
hymns without difficulty. You should also be able to read signs and fliers
displayed in the Gurdwara from time to time.
Course Requirement Preparation of assigned material and participation: 10%.
In principle, one thing depends on the other. If you are not in class you can’t
receive the credit for preparation and participation. If you attend the class
without preparation, your contribution is incomplete. The same happens if you
are prepared and attend the class, but don’t participate. Homework, class
exercises, oral tests and take home tests: 15% Field Trip: 10% Two oral
presentations on any topic; 10% selected in consultation with your instructor:
15% At least 5 class tests and evaluation of 5 written compositions: 10%
One midterm Final Test (Written
and Oral): 30%
Try not to be absent from the class, unless there
is some unavoidable emergency. You are responsible for turning in all
your homework assignments whether you are present or not. No late homework will
be accepted. Your instructor will not be able to make an overall assessment
of your attainments if you are not the class. In your own interest, don’t miss your
classes. Good luck!
Elementary Punjabi 001B
Textbook Reader for
Elementary Punjabi 1B compiled by Atamjit Singh and Tomio Mizokami
Course Description: A continuation of 1A with extra emphasis on on reading
and writing skills and refining of oral conversation on everyday topics.
Readings from simple texts of modern Punjabi prose and poetry focusing on
Punjabi life, literature, culture, and folklore will be introduced to the
students. Graded exercises and readings leading to a better understanding of
grammatical structures and vocabulary will be done in the class. Written
materials will be supplemented by handouts, video, recordings, and movies will
be used to acquaint the learner with the oral culture of Punjab.
Expected Outcome Students
completing this semester-long course should be able to read, write and
understand standard Punjabi spoken in India and Pakistan and should be able to
read uncomplicated texts in Gurmukhi script and communicate orally in a
variety of real life situations. They should be able to write short
compositions and read simple news reports from a newspaper. The students will
have knowledge of basic grammar of modern Punjabi and be aware of some of the
aspects of its use in society.
Course Requirement In principle, one thing
depends on the other. Your presence in the class doesn't ensure the credit for
preparation and participation. If you attend the class without preparation, your
contribution is incomplete. The same happens if you are prepared and attend the
class but don’t participate. There will be daily homework, class exercises,
oral tests, and translation exercises. There will be in-class and take home
written quizzes. You will write 10 short essays, neatly written and turned
in on the due dates. (See your schedule) You will give two oral
presentations. Each student will be responsible for a brief presentation about a
cultural aspect of the Punjab. Please consult with your instructor on the theme
you want to speak on. You may choose history, customs and manners, festivals and
fairs, etc. The presentations will start three weeks before the final exam.
There will be two midterms The Final Test
Assessment Preparation and participation 10% Homework, exercises and oral
tests 15% Class Quizzes and take home quizzes 15% Short Compositions 10%
Oral Presentation(2) 10% Midterm (2) 15% Final Exam 25%
Textbook Intermediate Punjabi
25A Reader compiled by Atamjit Singh.
Course Description An
intermediate level language course designed to develop further proficiency in
use of Punjabi language in both of its spoken and written forms in a variety
of social and cultural contexts. We make a start on the basis of the
elementary knowledge by you in the first year of language learning. You will
be introduced to some modern literary works of a few eminent poets, short
story writers, a playwright, a folklorist, and on basis of the texts of these
authors you will acquire more vocabulary, understand better the Punjabi idiom,
as well as gain more proficiency in reading prose and poetry texts. You will
also be given practice in reciting and performing modern Punjabi poems and
dialogues of a play in their proper rhyme, rhythm, and speed. You will also be
familiarized with literary cadence and social and cultural import of certain
words used in these texts. This will equip you better to understand linguistic
complexity of certain usages and words in the social and cultural contexts of
Punjab through its literary forms and manifestations.
Expected Outcome By the end
of the semester the students will be able to read, write and speak better than
before. You will be able to recite Punjabi poems as naturally as in their
prosodic form as native speakers of the language. Likewise, you will read
dialogues of a play in accordance to their emotional, rhythmical rise and
fall. You will further learn some social rules of the use of Punjabi language.
You are likely to attain a fair knowledge of Punjabi creation myths, birth,
wedding and death ceremonies of the people of Punjab. It is also expected of
you to show at the end of the semester that you are better aware of some basic
problems of the structure of Punjabi language.
Course Requirement
Preparation of assigned material and class participation. Homework, Take
home tests, class writing practice exercises and class tests. Field trip.
Writing compositions on 5 chosen subjects and their presentation of one of
them. A midterm. The Final Exam (Written and Oral).
Assessment The assessment will be based on continued learning
over the whole semester. If the student remain frequently absent from the class,
the instructor will have no way to assess his capabilities and attainments. To
assure a good grade, student should attend his/her class regularly and turn in
the home work assignments on time. No late home work will be accepted.The
progress of the student will be observed as to how he/she acquire better
communication skills in the language, both in written and oral forms. The
following criteria will be used to measure your progress from time to
time: Homework, exercises,oral tests 15% Class Quizzes and take home
quizzes 15% Short Compositions 10% Oral Presentation(2) 10%
Midterm(2) 15% Final Exam 25%
Textbook Intermediate Punjabi
25B Reader compiled by Atamjit Singh.
Course Description Punjabi 25
B is a second level intermediate course, will focus on two major medieval
poetic traditions of Punjab. These medieval poetic tradition have made a great
impact on the development of modern spoken Punjabi idiom. These two traditions
are that of the Sikh bani and Muslim Sufi qalam.Where as the compositions of
the Sikh Gurus were transcribed into Gurmukhi script, the kafis (Sufis lyrics)
were written in Persian script. The Sikh bani developed its own tradition of
singing the sacred hymns, called kirtan, the Sufi saints started singing their
qalam in their takiyyaas in their own style; the form popularized is
called qawwali. The Sufis sang their kafis in the qawwali style. In this
course, the students will be introduced to Sikh hymns and Sufi lyrics called
kafis in Gurmukhi script, and will study the vocabulary, grammar and semantics
emphasizing their social and cultural significance. The students will also
listen to and appreciate the recorded music of both the
Sikhs and the Muslims preserved in the qawwali form, respectively.
Expected Outcome The students
after finishing this course will be able to write with more confidence in
Gurmukhi, understand and explain the meanings of Sikh and Muslim poetic texts.
They will also have some understanding of the grammatical system of the Sikh
hymns and also some acquaintance with the two major religious literary
traditions of the Punjab.
Course Requirement Preparation of assigned material and class
participation. Home work, class exercises, oral discussions and appreciation
of recorded hymns and qawwalis. Singing with recorded music 4-5 texts of
Gurbani shabads and Sufi kafis. Class quizzes and take home quizzes. A
midterm. One oral presentation on any topic related to the appreciation of
the Sikh bani or Sufi qalam. An educational trip to the community. The Final Exam (Written and Oral).
Assessment
Preparation and participation 10%. Homework, class exercises and class
discussion 10%. Quizzes 15%. Field Trip 10%. Oral Presentation 20%
Midterm 10% Singing/Recitation 10% Final
Exam 20%
