Not sure if I will be able to speak Polish

Polskiej_Dumy:

I have been taking Polish lessons for months now. But I don't think what I am learning is sticking with me. I have no Polish people to talk to but I really want to be fluent in Polish. What do I do? How do I remember what I learn. Should I stop the lessons for now. And just study study study what I have been taught so far, until I am confident to move on, or is this bad and will I become lost.
Please help!!!

cinekThreads: 1 Posts: 264 Joined: Nov 16, 07	Nov 30, 09, 15:48 / #
stevew: escapee3: Two Polish girls were talking in a Harry Enfield comedy sketch I am not sure that they are speaking Polish. Or, if they are speaking Polish, if they are Poles. I suspect that they are Russian or Brits imitating a Russian accent. Something about the r's and the sounds at the back of the mouth. These scenes are on Youtube, just search for harry enfield polish cafe Yes, this is Polish, but they are only TRYING to speak it I'd say. They are definitely not Polish, nor even understand what they are saying. I even think if the dialogue were written by a Polish native, e.g.: Magda, Simon jest tutaj! No native would say that. It shodul be like: Magda, Simon przyszedł or Magda, Simon już jest. Also, some sentences are not understandable for me at all (even though I'm a native speaker). Cinek

sandrah	Dec 1, 09, 00:56 / #
Eurola: Just curious, why are the kids going to polish school? I assume it's the father's idea... Actually, it was my crazy idea. I am learning Polish for fun (it doesn't feel very fun at times, but I enjoy the challenge) and they are enrolled in Polish as a Second Language classes (bilingual classes) as an educational endeavor. The teachers are outstanding, and I figure if they can learn Polish, they can learn just about anything. ;) Eurola: My friend's children go to the polish school in Schaumburg and they 'hate' it, as they declare it openly. I teach English literature I have heard that before from my high school students. 99% are grateful for being forced to go to Polish school, and the other 1% are grateful they were allowed to quit. I think my polish school's bilingual ed might help them transition better to the traditional side of the school. (fingers crossed)

sandrah	Dec 1, 09, 00:58 / #
Correction: sandrah: The teachers are outstanding, and I figure if they can learn Polish, they can learn just about anything. ;) "They" being my children, not the teachers! Duh.

JulietEchoThreads: 3 Posts: 129 Joined: Jul 14, 08	Dec 1, 09, 19:56 / #
Polskiej_Dumy: I have been taking Polish lessons for months now. But I don't think what I am learning is sticking with me. I have no Polish people to talk to but I really want to be fluent in Polish. What do I do? How do I remember what I learn. Should I stop the lessons for now. And just study study study what I have been taught so far, until I am confident to move on, or is this bad and will I become lost. Please help!!! - Well, I hate to point out the obvious, but maybe starting posts on Polish speaking groups would help? Try logging in to Polish chat channels chateria.interia.pl and such, and find someone to poke at. Also, word of advice try reading Polish news - reading did help me quite a bit when learning a language. Since you live in Chicago sign up to some interest grup - kolko przyjaciol Krakowa, there are a LOT of them around. There you'll find people to talk to you. May I ask why are you so desperate to learn Polish?

OgienThreads: 15 Posts: 420 Joined: Jul 22, 09	Dec 2, 09, 01:01 / #
Derevon: I wouldn't be so sure. ;) I'm sure learning to understand spoken English compared to Polish would be infinitely easier for just about any non-Slavic speaker since words aren't declined, there are no stem changes to speak of and no complicated consonant clusters. The vowels are straightforward enough too. Of course there are different dialects, accents etc that may complicate things, but that's another matter. I completely agree with this.

plgThreads: 25 Posts: 316 Joined: Jul 9, 06	Dec 2, 09, 01:35 / #
Hi i have been learning polish for 3 years. and i still forget about the basic grammar. But there is one thing about polish that probably you dont understand. It is the one of the most gobbledegook and complicated languages ever. :)) The longer you study it the more complex it becomes, because obviously you are slowly but surely progressing. But you will always improve. Repetition is the master. Here is a wonderful, free website for you> livemocha.com

krysiaThreads: 26 Posts: 3,604 Joined: Aug 10, 06	Dec 2, 09, 07:16 / #
plg: and i still forget about the basic grammar. it's called Skleroza

escapee3Threads: 15 Posts: 78 Joined: Oct 22, 09	Edited by: escapee3 Dec 2, 09, 10:09 / #
cinek : Yes, this is Polish, but they are only TRYING to speak it I'd say. They are definitely not Polish, nor even understand what they are saying. I even think if the dialogue were written by a Polish native, e.g.: Magda, Simon jest tutaj! No native would say that. It shodul be like: Magda, Simon przyszedł or Magda, Simon już jest. Also, some sentences are not understandable for me at all (even though I'm a native speaker). Cinek Aha, my 'zing' moment has just gone 'pfffft' :-) So, basically, the reason I could understand a little was because it was unnaturally simple Polish. Ah well, back to the audio course. Sorry about the bold above - how do you get this 'quote' thing working? When I click quote all I get is name sort of thing...

k98_man	Dec 2, 09, 13:08 / #
Thank you for the livemocha link. That is actually really helpful and quite fun :P

SzwedwPolsceThreads: 13 Posts: 1,915 Joined: Feb 21, 09	Edited by: SzwedwPolsce Dec 2, 09, 15:23 / #
escapee3: how do you get this 'quote' thing working? When I click quote all I get is name sort of thing... Mark the text you want to quote, and then press the quote button in the same reply as you quoted (in the lower right corner of every reply).

BabinichThreads: 1 Posts: 1,054 Joined: May 26, 08	Dec 2, 09, 16:53 / #
sonya: Lots of Poles pronounce "trz" at the beginning of the word as "cz", so it shouldn't be anything surprising for that person. The "t" softens the rz into sh doesn't it?

ZiemowitThreads: 10 Posts: 1,063 Joined: May 8, 09	Dec 2, 09, 18:32 / #
Babinich: The "t" softens the rz into sh doesn't it? It does. Pronouncing "trz" as "cz" is wrong and seems to be strictly personal rather than dialectical. I used to have a teacher from the Poznań area who did this, but I've never met anyone else from Wielkopolska doing alike since then. This pronounciation is mocked in a very well-known cabaret sketch on Polish pre-war Jews. Two of them were speaking on the phone on business matters and were confusing words in a funny way (łyżew instead of wyżeł, bulgot instead of buldog, jajnik instead of jamnik). The caller was initially asking the operator to put him through to number "czydzieści czy" (33), giving the operator his own telephone number of "czysta czydzieści czy" (333).

sonyaThreads: - Posts: 5 Joined: Nov 28, 09	Edited by: sonya Dec 2, 09, 18:37 / #
Babinich: sonya: Lots of Poles pronounce "trz" at the beginning of the word as "cz", so it shouldn't be anything surprising for that person. The "t" softens the rz into sh doesn't it? Yes, that why "rz" in the word trzy (three) or potrzebuję (I need) is different than in the word, for example, rzecz (a thing) or marzenie (a dream). With "t" (or "p"- przepraszam <I'm sorry>) before it, it changes into Polish "sz" (english "sh"), but as I said, in a very colloquial way of speaking it's "cz" (trzy-czy, potrzebuję-poczebuję), like normal "cz" in the word czas (time). Everyone will understand it, but it's not a national standard of course. Ziemowit: It does. Pronouncing "trz" as "cz" is wrong and seems to be strictly personal rather than dialectical. I used to have a teacher from the Poznań area who did this, but I've never met anyone else from Wielkopolska doing alike since then. I'm from Poznań and I live here and I can hear that incorrect "czy" quite often (I must admit that when I speak fast I pronounce it too;). But I don't know how it is in other regions.

MichalThreads: - Posts: 2,408 Joined: Feb 27, 07	Dec 7, 09, 15:24 / #
Derevon: Also you must realise that Polish is an extremely difficult language. A few months of lessons is nothing. You could live in Poland for years and still not be able to order No, Pilish is not very difficult, However, she needs a good text book with the cassettes to help her reinforce her training in her own time. What about the Teach Yourself language series. The book looks quite good. There are also two versions of the Colloquial Polish course, both written by the same man and both very good. I agree with others that to give up would certainly be a waste.

escapee3Threads: 15 Posts: 78 Joined: Oct 22, 09	Dec 2, 09, 16:38 / #
SzwedwPolsce: Mark the text you want to quote, and then press the quote button in the same reply as you quoted (in the lower right corner of every reply). Ah, that makes sense... thanks...

k98_man	Dec 2, 09, 19:21 / #
http://www.claritaslux.com/blog/the-hardest-language-to-learn/ Just thought it was interesting with the thread...

DerevonThreads: 12 Posts: 186 Joined: Oct 11, 09	Dec 7, 09, 16:50 / #
If somebody expects to learn Polish as it's spoken on the streets by reading textbooks and listening to cassette tapes/CDs, he or she will be sorely disappointed.

MichalThreads: - Posts: 2,408 Joined: Feb 27, 07	Dec 8, 09, 17:29 / #
Derevon: apes/CDs, he or she will be sorely disappointed. It all depends on which ones!

DerevonThreads: 12 Posts: 186 Joined: Oct 11, 09	Dec 8, 09, 21:55 / #
Come on. No non-Slavic speaker ever got conversational in Polish through cassette tapes/CDs and books. Learning a few basic sentences is nowhere near good enough.

mateinoneThreads: 10 Posts: 78 Joined: Mar 15, 09	Dec 8, 09, 22:05 / #
I agree in general and I am really struggling with my Polish.. REALLY struggling :(

steveplThreads: 2 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 8, 09	Dec 8, 09, 22:52 / #
Learning to pronounce most polish words or to read aloud polish texts isn't that hard to master ( a few months of practise ). But that's a long way from actually learning the language. It is very difficult, I think it's even more difficult for english people who haven't learnt any other foreign languages. English people generaly have no sense of cases or declination. One of the best ways of learning is to put yourself into situations where you are forced to try. I was learning polish on and off for 3 years. Then I started working for a polish company where almost no one else speaks english. That improved my abilities very quickly. If you are just starting out though I would recommend some structured approach, otherwise you can end up in the same situation as I'm in. You understand almost everything, you can hold a sensible conversation but you are virtually illiterate. (of course I could write something but I'm so ashamed of my grammar and spelling in polish, that I avoid it at all costs).

DerevonThreads: 12 Posts: 186 Joined: Oct 11, 09	Dec 9, 09, 01:46 / #
I would trade my reading and grammar knowledge for your ability to understand and speak Polish any day. Grammar can always be studied and learned, but if you can't understand what people around you say, it's all in vain (unless your aim is to read Polish newspapers/books or something...)

MichalThreads: - Posts: 2,408 Joined: Feb 27, 07	Dec 9, 09, 16:45 / #
Derevon: ome on. No non-Slavic speaker ever got conversational in Polish through cassette tapes/CDs and boo I did. In fact, I used an old Polish L;anguage course written and produced in the mid 1960's called mówimy po polsku. It came with a soft covered book and two L.P records-that shows how old it was! I took G.C.S.E Polish, not the hardest of examinations, I agree but got an A. Not bad in the modern day G.C.S.E. genre with an old Communist produced language course-I was very pround of the course and still hold the original course material, though I have no time to study it now.. In fact, the grammar sections were very thorough and have probably never been beaten except for really good university texts..

DerevonThreads: 12 Posts: 186 Joined: Oct 11, 09	Dec 9, 09, 17:00 / #
May I ask where you are from and how well you can converse in Polish? I assumed you were Polish since your nick is Michal.