Seems to me there are 3 key elements to keep a language alive

speaking it is obvious
Writing is far more important, but reading is the which the English culture encourages as does Hindi when it comes to those languages, yet for Punjabis reading novels is seen as a waste of time..I have watch my kids be given reading novels as homework since the age of 3 as daily routine over the last ten years... the result a very high vocab and better English than the indiginous..proof only was to improve Punjabi is reading novels

What is your view?

Second point, I have been told on countless occasions by western born Punjabis who do bother to learn to read and write in the same, that they find the whole Village storyline, drama filmi plots of Punjabi novels boring...so I asked what do you want to read?

I was told, Science Fiction, Horror, Action, Stories related to their western values...I have done so, ( see links) but am now at a loss to understand when I post these on forums such as this why the average Punjabi laughs at it or finds it incomprehendable ( usuallly the same Punjabi who watches English films on the same themes), so which is it?

Examples at my attempts at encouraging reading

http://punjabijanta.com/lok-virsa/t74571/

http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/skeena-review/

http://www.apnaorg.com/events/LahoreConference/

http://sikhspectrum.com/2008/07/the-future-of-punjabi-literature/

http://www.5abi.com/kahani/kahani2008/016-laash1-roop-070210.htm

ਕਲਦਾਰ - The Robot

hope you enjoy


http://www.kitaban.com/roopd/kaldar.pdf

Sat Sri Akal, Parnaam atay Salaam sab nu

I am a UK born and raised Punjabi who has taught himself to write in Punjabi...admitedly it is very British Punjabi, so will sound and look strange to Native Punjabis, but in my defense I would like to make a basic point

If we in the west who are trying are made fun of, what is the point of us trying, so encourage don't discourage
Also it is merely an accent..example American English and British English are very different, in accents and usage

Finally the Spanish of Latin America has grammatically changed from orginal Spanish as has Canadian French, so in this sense I write in Valati or British Punjabi

Finally here is a link to the yet unavailable book, please read and tell your friends..if you like it you may like my published Science Fiction book in Punjabi, Bharind, ਭਰਿੰਡ which you can google or get in Ludhiana

anyhow hope you enjoy..

http://www.5abi.com/dharavahak/urra-onkar/06-kaka-onkar-dhillon-311211.htm