NEW DELHI, India | September 7, 2026 —
Duolingo English From Punjabi course has gone live, giving Punjabi speakers a new way to learn English directly through Gurmukhi as the language-learning platform expands its regional push across India and the global Punjabi diaspora.
The new course became available on the Duolingo app on September 7 and is designed for a Punjabi-speaking population of more than 100 million people worldwide.
The launch gives learners in India and major Punjabi-speaking communities in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia a route to begin learning English from their native language and script.
Duolingo has positioned the course around greater access to education, careers and international communication.
Duolingo English From Punjabi Course Goes Live
The new course allows Punjabi speakers to start learning English while navigating lessons through Gurmukhi.
That distinction matters for learners who may be more comfortable reading Punjabi than using Hindi or English as the language of instruction.
Instead of requiring Punjabi speakers to move through another language before starting English lessons, the course creates a more direct learning path.
Duolingo uses short, interactive lessons and game-like learning features across its platform to help users practise language skills regularly.
The company has increasingly focused on making English learning available through more native languages as demand for English education grows across international markets.
Punjabi Spoken by More Than 100 Million People
The potential audience extends well beyond Punjab.
More than 100 million people speak Punjabi worldwide, with large communities across South Asia as well as Canada, Britain, the United States and Australia.
That global reach gives the new course a strong diaspora dimension.
Punjabi-speaking families living overseas may use English in education, employment and everyday public life while continuing to speak Punjabi at home.
For learners in India, English proficiency can also play a role in higher education, competitive employment and professional communication.
Duolingo is therefore entering a language segment that combines a substantial domestic audience with a large international community.
Gurmukhi Becomes Key Learning Bridge
One of the most significant features of the launch is the use of Gurmukhi.
The course enables users to begin their English-learning journey through the script widely used for Punjabi in India.
For beginners, learning instructions presented in a familiar script can lower the initial barrier to entering an English-language course.
It can also make digital language learning more accessible to people who speak Punjabi fluently but may not feel equally comfortable navigating an app entirely in English.
The approach reflects a broader trend in digital education toward localization rather than simply offering the same learning experience to every market.
Second North India Regional Course After Hindi
The Punjabi launch marks another step in Duolingo’s regional-language expansion.
It is the company’s second regional-language English course focused on North India after Hindi.
Duolingo’s broader Indian-language offering also includes learning paths connected with Bengali, Telugu and Tamil.
The strategy allows the platform to address India not as a single-language market but as a collection of large linguistic communities with different learning needs.
That approach could become increasingly important as education apps compete for users outside major metropolitan and English-first audiences.
‘Ullu Da Pattha’ Campaign Adds Punjabi Cultural Identity
Duolingo has paired the course launch with a campaign called “Ullu Da Pattha.”
The campaign draws on a familiar Punjabi expression and connects it with Duo, the company’s owl mascot.
Rather than translating a generic international advertisement into Punjabi, the campaign uses regional humour, familiar situations and cultural references to introduce the new course.
The creative idea turns the phrase into a playful connection with Duolingo’s owl identity.
Campaign films place Duo in recognizably Punjabi environments and everyday situations, giving the launch a distinctly local character.
The strategy shows how technology companies increasingly use regional culture rather than simple language translation when expanding into India’s diverse consumer markets.
Duolingo Sees English as Education and Career Gateway
Duolingo has linked the Punjabi course to opportunities in education, careers and international mobility.
English remains one of the most widely learned languages on digital education platforms, particularly among users seeking professional or academic opportunities.
For Punjabi-speaking learners considering study or work outside their home region, English proficiency can become particularly useful.
The Punjabi diaspora also spans several predominantly English-speaking countries.
That gives the course relevance to both learners who want to improve their opportunities abroad and families looking for an accessible digital learning tool.
India Becomes More Important for Language-Learning Apps
India represents a particularly challenging and attractive market for education technology companies.
Its huge population gives platforms enormous scale, but linguistic diversity means a single English or Hindi interface cannot serve every learner equally well.
Regional-language courses can help companies reach users who may have previously found digital learning products difficult to navigate.
Punjabi adds another major linguistic community to that strategy.
The launch also illustrates how education technology companies are increasingly designing products around local languages while delivering globally useful skills.
Course Available on Duolingo App
The Duolingo English From Punjabi course is now available through the Duolingo app.
Learners can select the relevant course and begin English lessons using Punjabi as their starting language.
The addition does not mean Duolingo is launching a course for English speakers who want to learn Punjabi. The new product specifically focuses on learning English from Punjabi.
That distinction is important for users searching for the new course.
For Duolingo, the September 7 launch opens access to another major language community and strengthens its push to make English learning more localized across India.
For Punjabi speakers, it creates a direct digital pathway from Gurmukhi to English without requiring another language as an intermediary.
