Language / Już and jeszcze [36]

Gab,

You seem to know almost as much Polish as Gumishu. How's that? Are you Polish too?
:-)

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Such ideal truly 'bilingual' instructors of English are rare in indeed, in Poland as elsewhere.I
once met someone who was a completely bilingual French-born native English teacher from Paris many years ago. This person was equivalent to myself in German; spoke, wrote English with no trace of an accent, had a native French for the simple reason that one her parents was from Chicago, the other French born from Picard.

Such desired combinations though are about as few and far between as one could imagine. Plus, most countries would have to pay such a rarity at least double the salary of the average native-born European from any of those countries who studied English in school and perhaps lived in the States or in the UK for a time.

A wonderful dream to entertain, however, but rather impractical, I'm afraid:-)

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Almost always, except if the person's older and actually doesn't know much, or any, English.
Very annoying. They only make themselves look silly:-)

Surprise, surprise. LOL

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Surprisingly enough, I agree too. Ha-ha! So there:-):-)

Again, let's just be frank with one another. Poles, Swedes, Croats, Germans ad infinitum ought to be in general more grateful for others who speak, yes, even mispronounce their language as they blithely mispronounce ours. I simply object to the double standard. Once when I was in Sweden, I inquired in Swedish as to the varying rates of the hotel's double rooms vs. their suites, whereupon the bellhop, a fellow of roundabout twenty-five, responded in a comprehensible yet overly slangy 'Americanlish' although I had addressed him only in Swedish, his first language. When I remarked politely, "Oh, I see you'd like to practice your English!" the typical answer was "Sorry, I think my English is fine, sir. Do I really need the practice??"

I can tell y'all this much. If I were working in a hotel and I spoke, f.ex. in Spanish to a Spanish native speaker and I was said to be "practicing my Spanish skills", rather than take offense, I'd be no end grateful that someon who cared about their mother tongue, took the time to speak with and even (horrors!!) correct, my acquired second language!!

Why this double standard??

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Fitting summation. Couldn't have said it better myself:-)!!

Hat off to you. LOL

In one of my favorite classic Hollywood golden (never moldy) oldies from the early color days, "Aunty Mame" with the late, great Rosalind Russel, she remarks "Life is a banquet and most of you suckers are starving!!"

Much the same might be said of English: English is a banquet, a proverbial feast of color, texture and flavor......yet most of us 'suckers' relegate ourselves to mere fast food and takeaway, rather than the sensual pleasures of a deliciously rich, home-cooked meal.

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Ummmm.... for real?......

oh, for very real!!!! Only yesterday, a colleague (from Columbia, my alma mater, not Harvard, though-:))))!!!) and I were conversing and the subject of my favorite American poet/poetess came up in our conversation, Emily Dickenson. Which is 'higher', he asked me, poetry or fiction? Recalling Emily, I proceeded

'I dwell in possibility, a fairer house than prose. Superior for windows, more numerous of doors'

And the pity of it is, such is wasted on these Euro-whiz kids, flaunting their English as though all the language were, were the scripted stuff of air traffic and touristy haunts.

How paultry indeed!!!!

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

I think I would hang my head in shame.....

...and then again, just maybe you'd give them the finger in a fit of pique:-)--:)!!
Come on now, people!! Don't you see the cruel irony of such almost Orwellian arrogance, whereby the wrong somehow becomes right and the right?? Oh, hang correctness; "communication"'s the thing anyway, isn't it??

Please, don't make me barf. LOL Folks are plain scared to stand up against the mediocrity bullies out there and tell them what they really are: a bunch of arrogant, wrong-headed lazy bones, who've gradually usurped the English mother tongue right out from under our noses, while we were asleep at the switch!!!!

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Slightly different matter, all kidding aside-:)

At least ENGLISH, Scots or otherwise, is your first and primary language. Come to think of it though, I've heard supposedly "educated" native-English speaking Jamaicans, as well as others from the West Indies, saying things such as 'Where I suppose to go, man?" and miscellaneous atrocities. LOL

Trust you see my point though. How'd you feel if, say a Russian, German etc. "corrected" either your native pronunciation or even your usage??? Rather the pot calling the kettle black, I'd think!

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Well, I am presently teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at a junior college near where I live here in the States and I've encountered the phenomenon of teachers from various European countries such as Albania, Poland and Russia teaching other foreign students English, although often the teacher's pronunciation, even grammar, sounds as faulty as those whom they're supposed to be teaching:-)))))!!! LOL

It really is "the blind leading the blind".

Language / Polish Language Pronunciation - Example Words and Phrases [178]

Same holds true in German. Sooo many expressions in daily speech, particularly in business, have been anglicized, it's sometimes hard to know whether or not the German word is still in use, or even whether there ever was a German equivalent, e.g. "department meeting", "art director", "cash flow" etc.... ad infinitum, are used exclusively in German.

Polish, I think ( .... I hope and pray!!!) is much more judicious as to when to adopt foreign words.

Language / Polish Language Pronunciation - Example Words and Phrases [178]

....which is because English, unlike Polish, has neither rhyme nor reason for its often chaotic spelling, not to mention pronounciation. All of this is due to several notable historical events: The Norman Conquest in 1066 AD, which brought French orthography as well as vocabulary to Anglo-Saxon England (exluding the Celts, Picts etc...) and Caxton's printing expansion, brought to Britain during the 16th century, I believe.

The rest of the story's a bit complicated, but this is the general gist:-)

Language / Polish Language Pronunciation - Example Words and Phrases [178]

The American 'accent' is usually harder for Poles and many other Europeans, than the British or 'Oxford Standard' ('Received Pronounciation') generally taught in schools. While the sluggish drawl of Russian is the exception here, American English is notorious for slurring syllables and sounding the medial R in "woRd" or "biRd" as well as final R in "manneR" etc.. as well as that flat, almost dull 'u-sound' in words such as "lUnch" or "Ugly" etc.. which seeme to exist in no other languages.

Language / difference among jechać, pojechać, and jeździć? [14]

Furthermore, there are verbs in Polish which are either one or the other, i.e., either perfective (dokonany) or imperfective (niedokonany):-)

Certainly don't know all those in the latter category off the top of my head, but reassuringly perhaps, the majority of Polish verbs are "paired", so to speak, meaning they have dual aspects, depending on the context of the sentence, e.g. 'lecieć' (perf.) = to fly, but for vehicular travel only, NEVER for winges creatures!!! vs. 'latać' (imperf.) = also, to fly etc....

)))!!!!

Language / Parę - two or a few? [26]

'Kilka' (inanimate) and 'kilku' (animate or animate masculine) mean 'a few', I think, and also used only with genitive. LOL
I remember somewhere, though perhaps faultily:

kilkA lat temu... vs. kilkU ludzi, gości, mężczyzń, etc...
kilka kwiat..... etc...

Marek

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

Appreciate your input, as always (jak zwykle):-):-)

Language / SŁUCHAĆ, or PRZYSŁUCHIWAĆ SIĘ? [53]

"Przesłuchiwać się" means, I believe, to interrogate. Naturally, I might well be wrong, but many years ago, one of my favorite Polish films came out, entitled "Przesłuchanie", translated as "The Interrogation"!

"Słuchać" means "to listen" and "słychać" means "to hear", as in the greeting "Co słychać?" (What's up?), literally, "What is heard?"

Language / Polish for look and see [13]

An "amendment" or two (.. or three!) to yesterday's post:-)!!

Second sentence (better version)

Olek ogląda telewizję. = Alex is watching/watches television.
Czy pan chce zobaczyć gazetę? = Would you like to look (briefly) at the paper?
Patrź, Andzeju! = Hey Andy! Look there!

:-):-)

Language / Polish for look and see [13]

Thanx again, Gumishu:-):-)!!

Rather then like "to look, but not see/observe" or "to hear but not listen". LOL

Language / Polish for look and see [13]

Oh, yes. I almost forgot "WYglądać" = to appear, look like

:-):-))))!!!

Language / The best way for me to learn Polish [89]

Any suggestions?...

Javisst, du. Owszem pana. Ja, selbstverstaendlich. etc......
Probably, aside from PF, is to try getting into contact with your local Polish consulate and inquiring as to Polish language instruction. Once you've done that, try learning as much onyour own as you can.

Don't wish to be too forward once again, but the Poles are far more intent on foreigners learning their rich and inimitably textured mother tongue than are the Swedes as a whole. There are always exceptions though, of course. I found that even if the average Swede's English wasn't even anywhere nearly fluent/perfect, they would usually INSIST on speaking English, although the partners' Swedish far surpassed their English.-:)))

The Poles are blessedly different in this respect. They encourage everyone to speak Polish, at the very least while in Poland.

Lycka till och om du skulle ville behova naagon hjalp, bara hor av dig har vid PF!!

Marku

News / Non-Polish members - what knowledge does your country have about Poland? [35]

Regrettably, Poland and Polish people remain the butt of idiotic jokes, told and retold by the majority of ignorant Americans (except of course for Polish-Americans). It saddens me beyond measure that when I remarked to several members of my own family that I was seriously studying Polish and asked if they even knew some of the language, they asked half-kiddingly "Do I know Polish? Well, I know a Polish joke!", followed by smirks at the table.

Someone's just simply got to start doing some better PR on behalf of Poland, I'm really sick of such abject ignorance!

Language / Kupić - Kupować [17]

I misstyped. Americans "make" NOT "take" decisions (usually) LOL

Language / Iterative and semelfactive verbs [37]

Probably right, Polonius--:))

Presumably the poster was confused about the terminology used in the thread and not the content specifically.

But I could be wrong-:)

Language / Iterative and semelfactive verbs [37]

I believe we term it "iterative", e.g. "IDĘ na spacer." (iterative - repearted just once)
vs. "CHODZĘ na spacer." (frequentative - performed ritually, indeed, on a daily basis)
Future (perfective) would of course be "PÓJDĘ na spacer." = I WILL be taking a walk/stroll..... vs. "I take a walk/stroll REGULARLY." or "I'm going for a walk RIGHT NOW."

Language / The best way for me to learn Polish [89]

I'm impressed, Serca! An interesting cache of languages you have. Welcome to PF, O kindred spirit (O Geistesverwandter!)--:))))))

I'm simultaneously "working on" Turkish, Hungarian, Albanian and trying (LOL) to brush up on my rudimentary Russian!

As a professional translator/interpreter, the only languages I could ethically work in are German, Polish, Swedish, Dutch and Danish.

Language / Kupić - Kupować [17]

Americans "take" and exam, a decision etc.. the Brits "do" an exam (..but "take" decisions, much as the French LOL)

In German, "einkaufen" or "einkaufen gehen" both mean "to go shopping" (compared with just "kaufen"/"sich kaufen"= to buy something), whereas "Einkaeufe machen" means literally "to DO shopping".

Apprarently in Polish, it's different:))))

Language / Polish Language Pronunciation - Example Words and Phrases [178]

Well, many Jews were given special sanctions by the Hapsburg Monarchs, namely Emperor Franz-Josef, that's somewhat true. This isn't to imply however, that there was any less hostility towards Jews among the rank and file population at the time. In fact, Austria's anti-semitism was almost as virulent as Poland's, and more than in Germany. Don't forget either, the German "Aufklaerung" spread all throughout the Empire and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Moses Mendelssohn (himself a Jew!), Goethe himself, all contributed to a dissemination of French ideas regarding human equality etc.

The Austro-Hungarian situation was slightly different. Much of the region was still a rather backwater area, far behind France and England in either mercantile or cultural influence.

While most Jews from beyond the Pale, as you mention, were the most numerous immigrants to the New World, many Polish Jews settled for a time in Germany as well as other European countries, often forever, while others did indeed emigrate to America.

Language / The best way for me to learn Polish [89]

.... or maybe Meryl's character was just plain illiterate, LOL
It has been known, though more rarely among Jews, this is true--))

Language / Kupić - Kupować [17]

:))))) thanx, gumishu. Though I really think it ought to be the other way round (he-he!!)

Language / Kupić - Kupować [17]

....and don't forget also "ZAkupić/-ować" = to go shopping, probably as with the root verb "kupić" originally derived from Germanic "kaufen":))))