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A good learning book for Polish


learning 16 | 72  
28 Jan 2008 /  #1
I decided to get a book, because I don't have my computer around all the time, although it did help to learn a few words and phrases.

Are there any Polish learning books that you (especially those that have tried to learn it from English) recommend? (other recommendations are welcome as well).

Also do they come with supplementary CDs or AUDIO?

thanks!
Dziękuję
HAL9009 2 | 323  
29 Jan 2008 /  #2
You can download for free and print out the course from here: polish.slavic.pitt.edu

It includes a polish dictionary, grammar book and a course for beginners.
miranda  
22 Mar 2008 /  #3
Thread attached on merging:
Book for learning Polish to English speakers.

Looking for suggestions.

Thanks on advance.

Miranda
sledz 23 | 2,250  
22 Mar 2008 /  #4
Polish in 4 weeks is pretty good

of course it takes longer:)

It comes with 2 CD`s also
patryk_sudol 6 | 23  
22 Mar 2008 /  #5
Polish in 4 weeks is pretty good

I am using that now. What is a good follow up book that will get into greater detail of the polish language?
miranda  
22 Mar 2008 /  #6
thanks Sledz:)
sledz 23 | 2,250  
22 Mar 2008 /  #7
I am using that now.

Same here, I also have the rosetta stone program but it gets confusing at times,
it doesnt explain anything in English..( only pictures)

What is a good follow up book that will get into greater detail of the polish language?

I like to find one too, when I`m ready:)

thanks Sledz:)

:)
Kuba - | 12  
22 Mar 2008 /  #8
This site has some good books on learning Polish.
They have a series from beginner to taking the Polish exam.

universitas.com.pl
miranda  
22 Mar 2008 /  #9
Thank you very much Kuba:)
Kuba - | 12  
23 Mar 2008 /  #10
Miranda your welcome, good luck.
Bondi 4 | 142  
24 Mar 2008 /  #11
Rosetta Stone is good for a start.

For a language book, I'd recommend the "Hurra" series from Prolog. I think they are the most up-to-date on the market.

hurra.edu.pl

Every part comes with a Student's Book (Podręcznik studenta + 1 CD) and a Student's Workbook (Zeszyt Ćwiczeń + 1 CD). You won't need the teacher's handbook.

These are good for self-study as they are mono-lingual and don't present you a massive stream of vocabulary and grammar at the first sight. I'd suggest you should go to a language school, though, if you have no language-learning experience. Watching films can be a help as well. And listening to radio stations (hint: radiostacje.com).
patryk_sudol 6 | 23  
24 Mar 2008 /  #12
Are these good books for learning polish, has anybody ever used them, I am thinking about getting one or all of them:

Polish: An Essential Grammar (Routledge Grammar) by Dana Bielec

Basic Polish: A Grammar and Workbook (Routledge Grammars) by Dana Bielec )

Intermediate Polish: A Grammar and Workbook (Grammar Workbooks) by Dana Bielec
porta 18 | 297  
24 Mar 2008 /  #13
Basic Polish: A Grammar and Workbook (Routledge Grammars) by Dana Bielec )

Intermediate Polish: A Grammar and Workbook (Grammar Workbooks) by Dana Bielec

Yes, i think they are much better than the "Polish in 4 weeks"book i had before.
patryk.sudol  
24 Mar 2008 /  #14
What about Polish: the Essential Grammar by Dana Bielec?
DazzaMc  
29 Mar 2008 /  #15
How much do the Hurra books cost?? There are no prices on the website and noone has replied to the email I sent to them.

The books look really good
angel 14 | 86  
29 Mar 2008 /  #16
i have recently purchased the dana bielec books-about £15-£20 each from bookers

my polish tutor says they are good
DazzaMc  
30 Mar 2008 /  #17
How much are the Hurra books??
patryk_sudol 6 | 23  
30 Mar 2008 /  #18
i have recently purchased the dana bielec books-about £15-£20 each from bookers

my polish tutor says they are good

Do you know any good websites in the United States where I good buy them for a good deal?
Michal - | 1,865  
31 Mar 2008 /  #19
Go to the library and look for Colloquial Polish by B.W. Mazur, it is one of the better books and there are two various editions.
Kuba - | 12  
3 Apr 2008 /  #20
Here is a first year Polish course offered by Univ. Pitt.
It is free, has a dictionary, grammar, reading material in Polish.

polish.slavic.pitt.edu/
chai.banu  
4 Apr 2008 /  #21
Hey!

I think you can use the internet for all your suggestions on a good book for learning polish.There are services like hand-raising, chat and Q& A strategies to make it a wonderful experience on the internet.

-------------------------------------------------

languagelearning-hub.com
chrisscole 3 | 10  
12 Apr 2008 /  #22
Hi there.

I've found these books very useful:

Polish in 4 weeks - a lot of info packed into a really small space, gives you a bit of headache, but there are some hilarious dialogues - the two girls talking about Waldek had me in fits. :) It's the best book for vocab I've read yet as well, there's a quite hefty list of vocab in every section that I try to write out and then pin to the fridge or something - takes about a week to properly learn the vocab and gives you info on grammar as well.

301 Polish Verbs by Klara Janecki - very very helpful, a must buy

Hurra po polsku is a much more informative, gentle paced book. My teaching in Poland basically taught me from it - has some quite helpful tables for learning cases better as well. Best bet would be find someone who's going to Poland to get it for you, or to get it from a web shop. It costs about 95zl in Poland for the podręcznik studenta and ćwicień, but they were trying to charge me £40 for it in the UK (over 160zl)! You can get it from eksiegarnia.pl in Krakow, and they delivered it to the UK for me.

Lessons are definately the best way though, gives you more motivation to learn - fear of the nauczyczelka! Teacher's are usually able to explain grammar to you much better than books - but the books are a good reference.

Haven't read any of the others yet, so can't comment.

Good luck
Chris
ArcticPaul 38 | 233  
12 Apr 2008 /  #23
Basic Polish:A Grammar and Workbook by Dana Bielec
301 Polish Verbs by Klara Janecki
Oxford-PWN English-Polish dictionary*
Oxford-PWN Polish-English dictionary*
*(Two volumes. Very heavy, about £75 for the pair)
Collins Polish-English/English-Polish pocket dictionary.
(Because the above Oxford volumes are so large a lighter paperback is useful. I actually use my £5 Collins volume for 95% of the time. Maybe even possible to get by just with this dictionary, upto a certain level).

All the above are available at Amazon.com. Possible bargains at Abebooks.com

Lets all keep each other informed. There are precious few English speakers attempting to learn Polish so a small community of us could prove invaluable for suggestions, practise and moral support.
Paul Stobbart - | 7  
12 Apr 2008 /  #24
I bought "czesc, yak sie masz" because i heard it was quite good. However...

I cant really get used to it, because of the university-degree way of talking to you in english.
As soon as you open the book, you are given huge tutorial on pronounciation
The book starts with extensive Grammar (!)

in all, its a good book, but very difficult for home-study (even my Polish girlfriend was horrified when she first tried to help me), its more of a classroom/teacher material. I feel that a book that could start with general vocab, with some more simple grammar excersises would be more useful for people like me who have no idea about the language

I have the rosetta stone software, its quite good for picture-word association, although i think it would be better if you had some sort of target to work towards. It has its "exam" mode (if i can call it that) but i think it could be better to allow you to progress instead of jumping to different levels at the click of a button

I am going to try that website that was mentioned, but i was wondering if anyone could give me some more info on the hurra books, and if there is any great tips on word-case situations :)
Bondi 4 | 142  
12 Apr 2008 /  #25
DazzaMc, chrisscole:

I ordered Hurra!!! po polsku 1 directly from Poland. Cost me 30 quid altogether (student's book + workbook + p&p).

The prices are up-to-date on this page: hurra.edu.pl/angielski/opis_materialow.html

(See the "contact us" page for their e-mail.)
chrisscole 3 | 10  
13 Apr 2008 /  #26
awesome, congratulacja!

hope you enjoy it. Just did excercises from lekcja 3 - Kim jesteś yesterday. good practice.

Chris
Kuba - | 12  
13 Apr 2008 /  #27
Bondi,

Let us know how the Hurra book works out.

Jim
DazzaMc  
18 Apr 2008 /  #28
Bondi, I emailed them and they quoted me 138 PLN delivered to the UK (£32) but they said I had to fill out a form with my credit card details and it didn't look very secure! So I'm a little dubious about it. He also said it isn't designed for self teaching, it's designed for use with a tutor?!? How are you finding it?
chrisscole 3 | 10  
18 Apr 2008 /  #29
I ordered mine from the eksiengarnia site, didn't seem to have any problems. It's great if you already know some polish - if you're an absolute beginner you probably need someone to take you through it. I'm finding it really useful to brush up on my grammar. I'm alright at conversational Polish, but, according to my Polish teacher, my grammar is another story :). Just been going over narzednik again in the latest lesson. I reckon it's best used alongside other materials - like Polish in 4 weeks.
DazzaMc - | 3  
18 Apr 2008 /  #30
Chrisscole - I managed to get through the order form even tho it's all in polish, but it has come up as the same price for delivery 2 poland, that can't be right, surely? It asks for a province too even tho we don't have provinces here lol! Help!

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