Punjabi is one of the few languages in India with lexical tone: the pitch of a syllable can change the meaning of a word, because an older set of breathy consonants turned into pitch patterns. When a Punjabi speaker uses English, some of that pitch habit comes along, and the result is the energetic up-and-down melody that listeners often describe as "forceful" or "sing-song". What you will learn: • Punjabi in one minute • Consonant shifts • Vowel shifts • Rhythm and melody: the tone that rides on words • Particles and discourse words • The decode routine: undo the shift • Practice: decode the sentence • Listening strategies • Self-check questions to test your ear Level: B1–B2. Self-study: listen, then take the quizzes. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.