Fresno City College is offering a Punjabi language class. The course will be five credits and available to take during both spring and fall semesters.

Harinder Kaur Rai, the professor of Punjabi at FCC said the course introduces the language and cultures of Punjabi-speaking countries and communities.

Rai emphasized that it can enrich students’ linguistic skills and prepare them for academic advancement.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to learn a wonderful language. This course is transferable to UC and CSU and can turn out to be a great milestone for their future college career and journey,” Rai said.

Rai further highlighted the growth of the Punjabi community in the Central Valley which would open job opportunities for students who learn the language.

“And on top of everything, who wants to miss an opportunity to learn about the world’s richest culture and lifestyle,” Rai said.

William Turini, dean of the humanities division at FCC said Punjabi-1 was introduced by the FCC Curriculum Committee in October 2022 and the first offering of the class was in fall 2023.

According to Turini, this semester had retention and success rates of 100%.

“To date, this class has only been offered 100% online.However, if there is student demand for in person classes, we are open to an expansion. We are always willing to look at that data,” Turini said.

Turini mentioned that if all goes well there will be more levels of Punjabi classes.

“It’s exciting to be able to take a language course that is so different from my own,” said Anna Villanueva, a student in pre-allied health at FCC.

Her enthusiasm reflects a growing interest among students to explore new cultures through language.

“Some of my friends speak it, so I think it will be fun for me to have more cultural insight into their culture,” Villanueva said.