Duolingo brings English learning to Punjabi speakers in new campaign via Talented
Duolingo, the world’s leading mobile learning platform, has launched its new ‘Learn English from Punjabi’ literacy course, making English learning more accessible to Punjabi speakers in India and around the world.
Spoken by more than 100 million people worldwide, Punjabi is among the most widely spoken languages globally, with vibrant communities across India, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Written in Gurumukhi script, Punjabi carries a rich literary and cultural heritage. The new course enables Punjabi speakers to begin their English learning journey from Gurumukhi, helping them access education, career opportunities and connections around the world.
This campaign, created by Talented & Calm Kaam, marks Duolingo’s second regional language course for North India after Hindi. Punjabi now joins its growing portfolio of regional courses, alongside Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Tamil.
“Being able to launch this course in my mother tongue is incredibly meaningful and a moment of real pride for me,” said Karandeep Singh Kapany, Regional Marketing Director, India and South East Asia. “Punjabis have long embraced opportunities beyond borders, pursuing education, careers and new beginnings around the world. By making English learning available in Punjabi, we’re helping remove language barriers and enabling even more people to access the opportunities that English can unlock. This launch reflects our commitment to making high-quality education more accessible, inclusive and relevant for learners across South Asia and beyond.”
To bring the course to life, Talented looked beyond simply translating the proposition into Punjabi and instead rooted the campaign in the culture, humour and language of the region. At the centre of it is Ullu Da Pattha, a phrase deeply woven into Punjabi vernacular and typically used playfully to call someone a fool or a mischief-maker. The campaign reclaims a phrase that often begins as a casual reprimand from parents and elders and turns it into something you can aspire to become. What was once something you were called out for becomes a badge of sorts, with Duolingo turning it into a creative device for its entry into Punjab.
The films, produced by Bushra Shariff’s Calm Kaam, build on this spirit, bringing the proposition into distinctly Punjabi worlds and letting the culture, humour and absurdity of those situations drive the storytelling. From people arguing and celebrating to simply going about their everyday lives, English enters these recognisably Punjabi moments in unexpected ways. This gives Duo a very different role, taking on a more lovable and affable persona as he goes around Punjab and slowly turns more people into Ullu Da Patthas.
VIEW THE FIRST FILM
VIEW THE SECOND FILM
VIEW THE THIRD FILM
Ankush Sabharwal & Leena Gupta, Creatives at Talented, added: “Being called an ‘Ullu Da Pattha’ is a rite of passage if you grew up in a Punjabi household. We loved how naturally the phrase lent itself to Duo, and how it gave us an opportunity to show a different side of him. We’ve mostly seen him in his more unhinged avatars, so we wanted to make him lovable and affable, like this guy who has arrived in Punjab and is slowly building his community. There was something very funny about imagining Duo going around, winning people over and turning them into Ullu Da Patthas. It felt like a very natural way for him to find his place in Punjab.”
Anant Sharma, Director, said, “Working with Duo, both the brand and the mascot, was tons of fun. The whacky, silly humour, combined with Duo’s signature snark, makes you love the brand even more, especially when placed in typically Punjabi contexts. I’m super excited to see the response from Punjabis, hoping that they find a representation of our culture in these quick, fun snippets!”
The ‘Learn English from Punjabi’ course is now available on the Duolingo app.
