PolishForums.com
POLAND . The Unofficial Guide
Unanswered | Archives
Polska, Polonia, Poland Witamy, Guest | PF Members | Gold Members

Polish Forums / Work, Study /

Why Polish employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals?


page 5 of 5:  « Prev  1  2  3  4  5 posts: 150

jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
Edited by: jonni  Feb 20, 10, 17:09    #121
z_darius:
Actually he didn't. His spoken English was terrible.

Again, read the post. I said "no doubt his English was beautiful". Nothing about good or bad, let alone excellent or terrible. Sometimes terrible English spoken by foreigners can be beautiful. I've heard Poles say that about Polish too.

z_darius:
How would you suggest it would be possible for the English native speakers to edit Conrad's works so that they were capable of bringing "a distinctly non-English tragic sensibility into English literature"?

Again, read the post.

You are confusing prose style with literary themes.

z_darius:
t the sweeping generalization of "native speakers of English speak better English" is true.

A much bigger generalisation to say they don't. In the area on the map in your post you'll find tens of thousands of people who speak better English than the best of those non-natives who are often teaching it.

What makes you think that either the Brummie speaker in your youtube clip of a dialect example or Zbigniew Brzezinski (a very odd and artificial comparison) are a) qualified or b) willing to teach?

And who'd be better teaching Polish, a gorale from the mountains with a thick accent and dialect transference or Norman Davies?

TITThreads: 9
Posts: 353
Joined: Jan 7, 10
 Feb 20, 10, 17:16    #122
z_darius:
Actually he didn't. His spoken English was terrible.

Correct !!!
HarryThreads: 62
Posts: 8,508
Joined: May 2, 07
[Suspended]
 Feb 20, 10, 17:34    #123
Foreigner4:
I wrote that I assumed your teaching experience went back a min. of 5 years.
You stated this was wrong.
I pulled up a quote of yours stating your experience goes back more than 10 years, you've now admitted this.
Point being, when you're dishonest until one proves you're lying then it's clear you're really a waste of time.

You actually said "the standards where you were employed were low. I'm guessing the time frame was 5 years ago or more, the farther back the time frame you taught, the more likely it is that the standards weren't what they are today" I did not stop teaching five years ago, so you were wrong with your estimate and now you are lying about what you said. Pathetic.


Foreigner4:
That's fine though, it's your opinion and you can have your little opinion

No, it is my professional experience based on a decade and a half of working with, training, recruiting and assessing Polish teachers. Despite being asked, you have failed to tell us what you are basing your opinions on. Do tell us, how much experience do you have in this industry? How many years have you spent training Polish teachers?


jonni:
Some of them indeed do. Some Polish 'teachers' of English barely speak the language themselves and pass on the most appalling mistakes to their students who take it as gospel.

Oh look, it's somebody else with more than a decade's experience working with, recruiting and assessing English teachers. And strangely enough his views are identical to mine. Hmm, could it be that the people whose jobs it is to know what they are talking about assess the situation in a particular way?


Foreigner4:
we're basing our opinions off our experiences,

And I am happy to disclose what experience I have in this sector. Why are you so unwilling to do the same? Could it be that you have bugger all experience and are simply mouthing off about something you know sod all about? It certainly looks that way.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 18:02    #124
jonni:
You are confusing prose style with literary themes.

Both of which are Conrad's.

jonni:
A much bigger generalisation to say they don't. In the area on the map in your post you'll find tens of thousands of people who speak better English than the best of those non-natives who are often teaching it.

Both are generalizations and both would be wrong.

jonni:
What makes you think that either the Brummie speaker in your youtube clip of a dialect example or Zbigniew Brzezinski are a) qualified or b) willing to teach?

It's irrelevant what they want to do. The question is would Brummie be regarded a better choice for a TEFL than Brzezinski. I'd vote for the latter.

jonni:
And who'd be better teaching Polish, a goralski shepherd or Norman Davies?

A simple answer is impossible.
How old would that shepherd be?
What kind of contact with "literary Polish" has he had?
What is his educational background?
Did that background made him aware of linguistic issues faced by the foreigners he might be teaching?

In general I'd feel safer with Davies. His Polish sounds impressive.

In many instances native Poles don't come even close to understanding what some Gorale (the Podhale sheherds) say.
SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 18:05    #125
My questions are above and I won't edit them. Run them through a translator if you don't understand.

Dariusz, what does Conrad have to do with Polish employers being afraid to hire foreigners? Please make use of the PM facility.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 18:30    #126
Seanus:
Dariusz, what does Conrad have to do with Polish employers being afraid to hire foreigners? Please make use of the PM facility.

No idea.
I am responding to the posts by others. I feel honored though that you asked me.

Fair enough though so back to the topic.
I am not a Polish employer in Poland so I can only speculate about the answer to the question why the (most?) don't. It's the language. We may argue whether Polish is the 5th hardest to learn, or the 100th hardest. The fact remains it is not an easy language for most foreigners. The difference is that you could speak crappy English but still be able to put your point across. That would be much harder in Polish.

I wrote a while ago about my first attempt to pass a driver's license test in New Jersey. I spoke decent English but while I could divulge on the Puritan elements in the Jass Age in the US, I had no idea about driving tests in English. I selected a Polish version of the test. I failed. I understood the words but I had no clue what they were asking. The next day I took an English version and I passed 19/20.

I cannot fathom how anyone could hold a position of substance (fruit picking, as an example, is not a position of substance) without being able to communicate.
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
Edited by: jonni  Feb 20, 10, 18:30    #127
z_darius:
Both of which are Conrad's.

Despite Jessie's voice being heard across his prose style...

z_darius:
Both are generalizations and both would be wrong.

Actually your example is a generalisation whereas mine stands up to logical reasoning. Look at the area. How many people live there? How many have strong local accents? How many are educated? Have you ever been to Solihull? Selly Oak? Chad Valley? Edgebaston? Do you think the people there sound like your youtube clip?

z_darius:
It's irrelevant what they want to do.

Hardly :-)))

There are plenty of people from the Black Country teaching EFL, though I've never heard (yet) that Zbigniew Brzezinski's been giving lessons.

z_darius:
The question is would Brummie be regarded a better choice for a TEFL than Brzezinski. I'd vote for the latter.

Depends on their pedagogical skills - their ability to teach a language. Since you've cited Brzezinski as an example, perhaps you can illuminate us on the matter of his teaching skills as an EFL teacher.

z_darius:
In general I'd feel safer with Davies. His Polish sounds impressive.

He used to teach A Level Polish, to ethnic Poles in London.

z_darius:
In many instances native Poles don't come even close to understanding what some Gorale (the Podhale sheherds) say.

Me too. And I know plenty of Polish people here in Warsaw who speak very coarse and regional Polish.
SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 18:33    #128
You see, TIT, Dariusz had the decency to get things back on track and I thank him for that. How I have influenced my wife is my business. Travel and language are the 2 main ones.

Dariusz, it's the language aspect for sure. Many oldies just don't use English, especially in smaller towns. They don't feel comfortable connecting with non-Poles.
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 18:44    #129
TIT:
so she is a peasant

And your posts on this matter don't exactly scream noblesse oblige.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 18:59    #130
jonni:
Despite Jessie's voice being heard across his prose style...

That voice is accompanied by the voices of countless others Conrad came across in his life. That is called life's experience. Using this argument one might turn around and say that a lot of vices Poles are accused of (justly or not) are a foreign influence, mostly American. After all, most watched American movies, many met Americans. How ironic that Anglo types will point out how Poles benefit from the good foreign influence, but ring the alarm bell when the subject turns into the not so good things in Poland. Suddenly most foreigners wash their hands are are overwhelmed by their saintly halos.

As for Conrad, ultimately it was Conrad's style and prose we admire, not Jessie's. And, to be fair with the other example, Polish thieves are not Americanized Poles but simply Polish thieves.


jonni:
Actually your example is a generalisation whereas mine stands up to logical reasoning. Look at the area. How many people live there? How many have strong local accents? How many are educated? Have you ever been to Solihull? Selly Oak? Chad Valley? Edgebaston? Do you think the people there sound like your youtube clip?

You're not reading me?
I'll try to spell it out in plain English.
Not all native speakers of English will be better teachers of English. Some Poles teaching English will be better at it. I'm not sure how this is a generalization.

jonni:
There are plenty of people from the Black Country teaching EFL, though I've never heard (yet) that Zbigniew Brzezinski's been giving lessons.

That's a desperate comment. The issue is not whether Brzezinski did or would teach, but whether he would be more suitable for the job than a native British punk with the vocabulary resources amounting to 5 words, 3 of them in deeply localized slang.

jonni:
Depends on their pedagogical skills - their ability to teach a language. Since you've cited Brzezinski as an example, perhaps you can illuminate us on the matter of his teaching skills as an EFL teacher.

For one, he had to learn English so he is aware of the issues faced by Poles trying to do the same.

jonni:
He used to teach A Level Polish, to ethnic Poles in London.

My assessment was correct then.
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
Edited by: jonni  Feb 20, 10, 19:11    #131
z_darius:
That voice is accompanied by the voices of countless others Conrad came across in his life. That is called life's experience

Of course! But only one of those was a published female writer who was married to him. And corrected his English.

z_darius:
Not all native speakers of English will be better teachers of English. Some Poles teaching English will be better at it. I'm not sure how this is a generalization.

Naughty - you're creating a strawman. I called you on your examples., specifically the accent clip from youtube. "Not all natives" and "some Poles". is a whole different thing. The matter was that you were denying that tens of thousands of people living in the region in the map you posted can speak better English than a Polish person teaching it. Do you still think that?

But I'm glad you're coming round to my point of view.

z_darius:
The issue is not whether Brzezinski did or would teach, but whether he would be more suitable for the job than a native British punk with the vocabulary resources amounting to 5 words, 3 of them in deeply localized slang.

Interesting you mention punks. Answer these questions carefully please.

How many punks do you think work as teachers?
How many native speaker Teachers have a vocabulary of "5 words, 3 of them in deeply localized slang"
Would you prefer lessons from a teacher with post-graduate teaching qualifications and experience in teaching their own language or a foreign policy specialist from a different country?

z_darius:
My assessment was correct then.

Actually my assessment, but don't let facts get in the way of truth.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 19:23    #132
jonni:
Of course! But only one of those was a published female writer who was married to him. And corrected his English.

You need to read more on Conrad. He had some guidance indeed, but it was a guy. Keep on looking. Hint" later in their live's they did not like each other all that much.

jonni:
"Not all natives" and "some Poles". is a whole different thing.

It's not a different thing. On a few occassions I stressed the word "some". Read a few posts back. Of course by linking to a you tube flick I pointed out how SOME Brits talk. Those clips did not contain speech samples of ALL Brits in the areas in question.

jonni:
How many punks do you think work as teachers?

Irrelevant to my argument in which I reject the idea that being a native speaker automatically makes you a better material for a TEF than ever single Pole.

jonni:
Actually my assessment, but don't let facts get in the way of truth.

You didn't present an assessment. I did. You offered what I accept as a fact I was unaware of.
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
Edited by: jonni  Feb 20, 10, 19:34    #133
z_darius:
You need to read more on Conrad.

Strange you think that. Most people wouldn't.

z_darius:
He had some guidance indeed, but it was a guy. Keep on looking.

Nothing new to me. What is evidently new to you is his wife's influence and role. In this respect he was not unique at that time.

z_darius:
On a few occassions I stressed the word "some". Read a few posts back. Of course by linking to a you tube flick I pointed out how SOME Brits talk. Those clips did not contain speech samples of ALL Brits in the areas in question.

I'm glad you've conceded, and accepted what I was saying.

z_darius:
Irrelevant to my argument in which I reject the idea that being a native speaker automatically makes you a better material for a TEF than ever single Pole.

Being a native certainly gives a pretty good headstart.

z_darius:
You offered what I accept as a fact I was unaware of.

Which I offered as an example to back up my assessment. Checkmate.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 19:40    #134
jonni:
Strange you think that. Most people wouldn't.

I know. Most people would go to see The Avatar.

jonni:
I'm glad you've conceded, and accepted what I was saying.

I may have, and I managed to do so without showing any change in my opinion :)

jonni:
Being a native certainly gives a pretty good headstart.

That it does. But that is not all it takes.

jonni:
Which I offered as an example to back up my assessment. Checkmate.

So you have no idea about chess either? :)
You asked me who I would pic as a teacher, a Podhale shepherd or Davies. I opted for Davies, not even knowing he did teach Polish. How is all that your assessment, but not mine?
SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 19:40    #135
TIT, I've worked in more than teaching schools here so my skillset is more rounded than you think. Proofreading, voice recording and some translating work make up the rest of what I have done here. They had no reservations about hiring me.

Nice to have a rounded CV, lovely jubbly. You sound like a troll that used to write here. Your 'lacking' style gives you away, TIT.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
Edited by: z_darius  Feb 20, 10, 19:48    #136
TIT, I still think some Poles can be and are better teachers of English than some Brits, but after a couple of years of bouncing around these forums I would have more than enough confidence to recommend Seanus over most Polish teachers of English. The man appears highly competent as a teacher, and he also speaks Polish, which is an added advantage when teaching to that linguistic group.

OK, I got some leftover walnut scraps from a coffee table I made so I'll take a break from this thread and I'll make a step stool, or something.
SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07
Edited by: Seanus  Feb 20, 10, 20:01    #137
I think it goes without question that some Polish teachers are better than British teachers, especially when it comes to the somewhat dubious process of hiring native speakers. Some highly incompetent ones are picked up. It's less of a gamble to hire a Pole and they also must undergo more observations. There is more than a shred of truth in the fact that quite a few native speakers tend to drink too much and are lacking in methodological awareness. I'm not saying we should be like Harmer and overanalyse but some appreciation of the group dynamic is needed.

Furthermore, if we are to tailor their skills to the needs of the industry, we can see that a knowledge of CPE is not needed. The 4 Polish teachers who work at the school I work at don't teach the higher levels on a regular basis, just in case those students try and get clever and catch them out. I have faith in their abilities to do so, though. Likewise, I don't teach the lower levels though I could given that I've taught absolute beginners in 3 different places.

TIT, I make it my business to teach them new things. Teaching is a selfless business oftentimes and I'm happy to give them pointers and new language.

Oh, thanks for the compliment, Dariusz :) :)
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
Edited by: jonni  Feb 20, 10, 20:01    #138
z_darius:
The Avatar.

Isn't that some sort of 3D cartoon?

z_darius:
I managed to do so without showing any change in my opinion :)

Gradually actually, over several posts, when you realised you were not only wrong but indefensibly so.

z_darius:
That it does. But that is not all it takes.

It takes ability and training. Which native speaker Teachers necessarily have in order to do the job. The English language is highly nuanced - and with a vocabulary double that of French. A non-native can never understand evry subtlety. There is also the matter of being able to co-ordinate and manage courses as part of a wider picture.

z_darius:
So you have no idea about chess either? :)

Rude, rude. And wrong.

z_darius:
You asked me who I would pic as a teacher, a Podhale shepherd or Davies.

A shepherd? What shepherd? Read the post. Or maybe you're just being woolly.

z_darius:
I opted for Davies

As you were meant to. It would be alarming if you chose otherwise.

z_darius:
How is all that your assessment, but not mine?

A leading question, since my premise was right - that ability is more important than accent.
delphiandomineThreads: 42
Posts: 9,954
Joined: Nov 25, 08
[Suspended]
Edited by: delphiandomine  Feb 20, 10, 21:43    #139
jonni:
There is also the matter of being able to co-ordinate and manage courses as part of a wider picture.

And this is one of the things that I think is often underestimated - I've taken on a new job with six different groups, all of which need to have a plan for 6 months with a final exam at the end. And **** me - it's difficult. I've never had to do this before (always followed textbooks) and it's safe to say that it's one of the more difficult things to do. I'm just getting to grips now with it - but it's not been easy!

Having said this, one particular trait of Polish directors seems to be a complete and utter inability for them to understand that sometimes, you have to drastically change from the set programme. I'm really not sure why - especially when the students are happy!
Foreigner4Threads: 22
Posts: 1,990
Joined: Nov 18, 07
 Feb 20, 10, 23:25    #140
Harry:
And I am happy to disclose what experience I have in this sector. Why are you so unwilling to do the same? Could it be that you have bugger all experience and are simply mouthing off about something you know sod all about? It certainly looks that way.

You know, I just deleted the list of countries and places where I've worked and I also deleted the time line as well. I am completely confident in my position and don't need your validation. It wouldn't matter what I wrote, you'd attempt to dismiss it.

You'll have to accept I have reasons for coming to the conclusions that I've come to. Try to deal with it as best you can. Let me know if you need a soother and a blanket and I'm sure I can have 1 delivered to your doorstep.

It's funny though, you're saying you've been training Polish teachers and based on your experience they're not very good? Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree now does it?
oh forgive it was just a joke, i know what you're really trying to say but it was there- I had to

Harry:
You actually said "the standards where you were employed were low. I'm guessing the time frame was 5 years ago or more, the farther back the time frame you taught, the more likely it is that the standards weren't what they are today" I did not stop teaching five years ago, so you were wrong with
your estimate and now you are lying about what you said. Pathetic.

What's pathetic would be you inability to comprehend the message despite your recent paraphrase. You lied, misread, or misinterpreted what was written. You've only begun your attempted diatribe on the matter because you've been discovered (not for the first time I assume) to be either a liar or an idiot. Warm to the feeling, it appears your lot in life.

I'm generally not so abrasive but I think this isn't the first time you've been referred to in such a manner.
texnogeekzThreads: -
Posts: 3
Joined: Feb 20, 10
 Feb 20, 10, 23:45    #141
you can't really generalize a couple of employers and say it's everyone. just look around and present yourself in a good light and you will be ok.
AmathystThreads: 30
Posts: 3,968
Joined: Nov 10, 06
 Pictures: 2
Edited by: Amathyst  Feb 21, 10, 18:42    #142
z_darius:
If you're a Brit then I'm sure you have been traught about the marvelous literature in the English language authored by a Pole.

You mean the Pole/Ukranain (lets get it right) that spent only a short period of his life in Poland? Lets face it he was more British than Polish :D

z_darius:
Now, watch this clip and try to tell my that the sweeping generalization of "native speakers of English speak better English" is true.

Accents can vary depending on what side of a town you live, what kind of parents you have, what school you attended and a whole host of other things...You are surmising that every person living in one particular area will speak exactly the same...You really do know next to nothing about England and how we speak.
IronsideThreads: 59
Posts: 6,789
Joined: Feb 26, 09
 Feb 21, 10, 21:51    #143

TITThreads: 9
Posts: 353
Joined: Jan 7, 10
 Feb 21, 10, 22:02    #144

SeanusThreads: 22
Posts: 30,158
Joined: Dec 25, 07
 Feb 21, 10, 22:04    #145
Maybe this is the reason, the Chav Factor :) Still, some Polish chavs got hired abroad so there is hope yet for the Chav Brigade.
z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
Edited by: z_darius  Feb 21, 10, 22:07    #146
jonni:
Gradually actually, over several posts, when you realised you were not only wrong but indefensibly so.

My post stating the fact was at 7.49. Your first post in this thread was 8 hours and 29 minutes later. You need put away whatever it is you're on.

jonni:
The English language is highly nuanced

No shhit. And which language isn't?

jonni:
and with a vocabulary double that of French.

Sure. And up to 70% of those words in English are of Latin origin and Entered English via French.

jonni:
A non-native can never understand evry subtlety.

Nobody can understand ever subtlety. Some exceptions may be old, old fellas who spent their whole lives doing nothing but studying subtleties of their own language. A lot of native speakers in any language won't notice linguistic subtleties when the subtleties hit them in their azsses. And we don't have to look far for the examples. Just read your posts. But... on the seond thought you wouldn't get it anyway.

jonni:
A shepherd? What shepherd? Read the post.

You are on drugs, puppy. Indeed, read the posts. Start with the first oe where you expressed your interest in Polish folklore.

jonni:
A leading question, since my premise was right - that ability is more important than accent.

That wasn't YOUR premise. It is a well know fact. Known a lot longer before you decided to join this thread.

Amathyst:
You mean the Pole/Ukranain (lets get it right)

He was born a Pole. You are are a little lost in the history of Ukraine, aren't you?

Amathyst:
Lets face it he was more British than Polish :D

I'm not sure how you could quantify that. The important fact is the man didn't speak the language until he was in his twenties. English was his 3rd language. And when he eventually did speak it, he spoke with a Polish accent, not Ukrainians. Do all British people speak with a Polish accent?

Amathyst:
You are surmising that every person living in one particular area will speak exactly the same...

That's an incorrect conclusion that you have reached there. I never said such thing. The point is that some Brits speak such poor English that the last thing they should do is teach English.

As another poster mentioned here, when we talk about teaching English, the stress is on "teaching". Some Poles (and other non-native speakers of English) will do the job better than some native speakers of the language.
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07
 Feb 21, 10, 22:18    #147
z_darius:
My post stating the fact was at 7.49. Your first post in this thread was 8 hours and 29 minutes later. You need put away whatever it is you're on.

Back again, and still rude.

z_darius:
No shhit. And which language isn't?

English far more so than most. But then you know that.

z_darius:
Sure. And up to 70% of those words in English are of Latin origin and Entered English via French.

A little less, but you're on the right track. Not that that affects anything. By the same logic you could talk about the quantity of Polish words that are of Russian origin.

z_darius:
Nobody can understand ever subtlety.

Some of us can.

z_darius:
And we don't have to look far for the examples. Just read your posts. But... on the seond thought you wouldn't get it anyway.

Rude again. You always do that when you're losing an argument, usually with Harry. Some would call it a cultural stereotype about Poles, however I understand you're in fact Canadian.

z_darius:
You are on drugs, puppy. Indeed, read the posts. Start with the first oe where you expressed your interest in Polish folklore

You mention drugs an awful lot. And shepherds. God alone knows why. Go back through the thread - really. No shepherds or Polish folklore, whatever that means.

z_darius:
That wasn't YOUR premise. It is a well know fact. Known a lot longer before you decided to join this threa

Actually it was, ever since you quoted that Black Country youtube clip. My point is that native speakers, real ones, regardless of regional accent are preferable to non-natives, even the ones who practise their accents. They never quite get it right.

z_darius:
And when he eventually did, he spoke with a Polish accent

I understand his accent reflected his travels.

z_darius:
Some Poles (and other non-native speakers of English) will do the job better than some native speakers of the language.

This however is very very rare. They are few and far between and never quite authentic.
AmathystThreads: 30
Posts: 3,968
Joined: Nov 10, 06
 Pictures: 2
 Feb 21, 10, 23:40    #148
To Daz:

Conrad didnt even have a Polish accent :D

As a result, he developed a southern French accent which would later strongly color his English

http://home.earthlink.net/~apousada/id4.html

jonni:
I understand his accent reflected his travels.


z_dariusThreads: 22
Posts: 5,091
Joined: Oct 18, 07
 Feb 22, 10, 04:54    #149
jonni:
Of course! But only one of those was a published female writer who was married to him. And corrected his English.

That she was English, and that she was a published writer means little. Just as an an example of an atrocious femal writer pleas refer to Aphra Behn whose style and language can be summed up with Conrad's own words - the horror, the horror
Jessie George is hardly a giant among English writers.

jonni:
A little less, but you're on the right track. Not that that affects anything. By the same logic you could talk about the quantity of Polish words that are of Russian origin.

Hence your mentioning the number of words in a given language has no bearing on how hard or easy it is to learn. Out of hundreds of thousands ow words in an average IE language and average, educated person will be familiar with 20 to 50,000 of those - a relatively small percentage.

jonni:
Some of us can.

Some can indeed. I would not be daring enough to say some of "us", and sufficiently informed that to include you in the exclusion.

jonni:
Rude again. You always do that when you're losing an argument, usually with Harry.

Harry doesn't offer arguments. He offers hatred and keeps repeating the same crap all, day in, day out.

jonni:
Some would call it a cultural stereotype about Poles, however I understand you're in fact Canadian.

How can you tell a difference?

jonni:
And shepherds. God alone knows why. Go back through the thread - really. No shepherds or Polish folklore, whatever that means.

That's what your wrote in this post. Of course you lack the integrity to keep it honest and clean. So much for rudeness, huh?
jonni:
And who'd be better teaching Polish, a goralski shepherd or Norman Davies?

jonni:
My point is that native speakers, real ones, regardless of regional accent are preferable to non-natives, even the ones who practise their accents.

Preferable to who? Perhaps to a linguist. Surely not to your average student. When I taught in the US I was asked to shed my British (RP) "accent" and switch to something more American. Mainstream language schools are not linguistics study centers.

jonni:
This however is very very rare. They are few and far between and never quite authentic.

I don't know the statistics. I concentrated on the possibility and the possibility exists. In fact native Poles, who are better teachers of Polish than some of their British counterparts, do exists too.

Amathyst:
To Daz:

Conrad didnt even have a Polish accent :D

As a result, he developed a southern French accent which would later strongly color his English

http://home.earthlink.net/~apousada/id4.html

You had to do a lot of googling and it took eventually made you go to Jamaica to fell alright :-). At least you have a sense of humor.

Some of his closest associated even thought Conrad's accent was Asian. That of course stemmed from their own linguistic ignorance.

Conrad's linguistic background has been often commented on in literature. This is a sample from

"...A detailed analysis of Conrad's style indicates that some of his more noticeable non-native-sounding syntactic choices reflect the semantics inherent in the morphology of Polish aspect. Readers have often noted Conrad's unusual choice and placement of adverbs, particularly those indicating frequency and duration. Morzinski attempts to show that Conrad was attempting to express the features of Polish aspect by pressing the equivalent adverbial lexical items into his sentences, causing an otherwise native-like fluency to take on the non-native characteristic recognized as foreign flavor in his style." (Mary Morzinski. The Linguistic Influence of Polish on Joseph Conrad's Style.)
Smedley Medley  Feb 22, 10, 05:02    #150
That chav song was the goods. Hahah.


page 5 of 5:  « Prev  1  2  3  4  5

Home / Work, Study / Unanswered [this forum] | Similar


Similar discussions:

Renewing working visas  What Jobs are there in Poland for an Englishman besides teaching english?


Random: Society and culture school assignment

Only registered and logged-in users may post here. Please log in or register.


34 [Guests - 30 / Members - 4] users on live forums now


Home | Unanswered | Archives | Random | Statistics Time in Poland: 04:43 / May 27

About Us | Contact Us | Rules, Privacy | Poland Advertising

© 2005-12 PolishForums.com