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Interactive Polish lessons for my Mom via skype

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Dec 21, 09, 18:05 #1

Hello,

I would like to buy Polish lessons for my mother as a Christmas present.

My mother is 66, living in central Pennsylvania, USA in the mountains. Her father and mother are from Poland, but she never learned Polish through them. I am her daughter and live in Switzerland. We communicate everday with skype so she is good at using this software.

She is retired so her schedule is very flexible, but I think she needs the interactive component to get her motivated.

Would you or anyone you know be interested in helping and teaching my Mom? There are numerous sites where she can practice lessons, but she needs something to motivate her and get her active every week.

Thank you,

Cara

BzibziohThreads: 6 Posts: 3,648 Joined: Oct 15, 08 ♀	Dec 21, 09, 18:09 #2
Check "Practice your Polish" thread.

convexThreads: 47 Posts: 7,189 Joined: Nov 25, 09 ♂	Dec 21, 09, 18:18 #3
or livemocha... add some friends for weekly motivation.

♂

Edited by: Administrator Dec 21, 09, 18:49 #4

Cara - my advice is not to bother with Skype lessons. The quality can be very variable and for anyone older who (no offence intended!) will not have as sharp hearing as a younger person, it can be a very frustrating way of learning. Although talking in your native language is easy enough over Skype, the nuances of a language can be completely missed over skype - if you want proof of this, ask a 'Skype Teacher' to tell you the difference between Kasia and Kasza - I can almost guarantee that you won't hear the difference over Skype.

However, if you think it's still worth a try, ask for a demonstration lesson over Skype first. This will tell you if it's worthwhile. There are a lot of clowns out there offering hideously expensive Polish lessons (as a guide, pay no more than 35-40zl an hour, and that is extortionate!)) over Skype - so be very careful.

If you want, I could find a suitable teacher for you. Normally I do this as a paid for service - but because it's Christmas, I'd be more than happy to do it for free.

E-mail me at office@lindenia.net with your requirements and I'll hunt someone decent down for you :)

jonniThreads: 26 Posts: 4,189 Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂	Dec 21, 09, 18:50 #5
delphiandomine: Cara - my advice is not to bother with Skype lessons. I can concur with this. Skype lessons sound rather demotivating.

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Edited by: delphiandomine Dec 21, 09, 19:19 #6

jonni:

Skype lessons sound rather demotivating.

They just don't work from a sound quality point of view - if you think about how utterly difficult it is for natives to understand Indian call centres at times, how can you be expected to learn a foreign language effectively over one? Heck, as a Scot, *I* have trouble with HMRC's East Kilbridge call centre when using VoIP.

There is one website out there that does extremely high quality sound - but again, you're limited by the quality of the microphone. All the bandwidth in the world means nothing if the microphone and sound card are rubbish.

And this isn't even considering the quality of education!

jonniThreads: 26 Posts: 4,189 Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂	Dec 21, 09, 19:23 #7
delphiandomine: And this isn't even considering the quality of education! Exactly. The same with the 'telephone lessons' that used to happen in France. Communication that is not Face to Face is incomplete.

BrutalButcherThreads: 1 Posts: 623 Joined: Nov 10, 09 ♂	Dec 21, 09, 19:50 #8
No seriously...I understand she can only take Polish lessons online because of her living at the mountains, but aren't there other alternatives of interactive learning? If a CD can't motivate a human, other humans can. YOU could motivate her.

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Dec 22, 09, 00:38 #9

delphiandomine:

There is one website out there that does extremely high quality sound - but again, you're limited by the quality of the microphone. All the bandwidth in the world means nothing if the microphone and sound card are rubbish.

I use Skype all the time (not for Polish lessons) and latley the sound quality has been fine.

I upgraded thier new version and havent heard those cricket or echo sounds yet.

As for taking lessons on Skype, Id imagine it would get boring rather quickly.

She would probably be best starting off with like a Rosetta Stone or similiar product and see if she enjoys it first?

Tak sie wpierw zacząłem uczyć :)

lowfunk99Threads: 18 Posts: 435 Joined: Jan 7, 08 ♂	Dec 22, 09, 00:42 #10
delphiandomine: ask a 'Skype Teacher' to tell you the difference between Kasia and Kasza I can't even hear the difference with a live teacher. hahahaha

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Edited by: delphiandomine Dec 22, 09, 00:59 #11

sledz:

As for taking lessons on Skype, Id imagine it would get boring rather quickly.

There are some platforms that utilise interactive whiteboards which are interesting from an educational point of view - though still considerably lacking. Generally speaking though, I'd expect an online teacher to use their own solution and not Skype - especially considering the privacy and bandwidth stealing implications!

The worst I ever saw involved some fat man (clearly in his underpants!) and a headset 'teaching' English - yours for only 20USD an hour!

lowfunk99:

I can't even hear the difference with a live teacher.

There is a small difference, but it's absolutely undetectable over Skype :/

♂

Dec 22, 09, 01:39 #12

delphiandomine:

I wondered how they did it, I wouldnt being giving my personal info like a credit card over skype..no way

delphiandomine:

The worst I ever saw involved some fat man (clearly in his underpants!) and a headset 'teaching' English - yours for only 20USD an hour!

Ewww,,, a real eye opener first thing in the morn..lol

Funny but sad

Im surprised there are not more online language schools, It seems like they would have many students?

lowfunk99Threads: 18 Posts: 435 Joined: Jan 7, 08 ♂	Dec 22, 09, 01:45 #13
delphiandomine: There is a small difference, but it's absolutely undetectable over Skype I finally found a book that explains it. Same basic sound, however, its all about position of the tounge.

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Edited by: Polish Tutor Feb 14, 10, 22:39 #14

Hi,

I am professional Polish language teacher.
What you say about Skype is really surprising for me.
Thanks Good my clients would not agree with you too.

Quality of sound depend of course on your internet connection.
If your internet is weak the quality is poor.

Sound quality can be improved also by a good headset. Good means with
USB plug.

Skype is a perfect tool to learn/teach Polish. But very often teachers think that it is enough to chat a bit to teach via Skype.
This teaching for requires specific methods which make learnig very effective.
My clients start to speak Polish even afer 2 months.

Przemek
office@polishviaskype.com

♂

Edited by: Polish Tutor Feb 14, 10, 22:56 #15

delphiandomine:

There is a small difference, but it's absolutely undetectable over Skype :/

You cannot hear it at the beginning because of you brain blockade. Toi break it you need just a few exercices. I has nothing to do with Skype. Just foreigners are not able to hear all sounds in foreign languages without proctise. It is normal not only when you learn Polish
and not only when you learn via Skype (-:

Przemek
office@polishviaskype.com

rdw

Feb 14, 10, 23:22 #16

I would offer a more practical comment. A 66yo woman will not learn a new language most likely. Call me an "ageist" or whatever you like but reality shows unless people have a real and practical reason to learn and retain they will not. She lives in the US and her parents have to be in their late 80s. She won't likely achieve any fluency before they are dead (again practicality).

Not saying don't do it for fun but I have seen loads of people with these kind of ideas and never once have I seen it happen.

JimmuThreads: 1 Posts: 111 Joined: Aug 26, 11 ♂	Aug 30, 11, 10:10 #17
I never know if my wife is talking about Katarzyny or obiad.

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