I just got back from visiting Bydgoszcz, Poland and really enjoyed the people and culture.
This was mine 3rd time i visited Poland and the only problem i had was the language.
The friend i visited speaks dutch so i have no problems talking to him but his wife and children only speaks polish and it was difficult and also i met this girl who is a friend of the wife who i'm very intrested in and she also likes me too but speaks very little english.
I now want to learn Polish but i don't know if i should just buy a book or go to classes.
The classes are a year long and 1 day per week at night ,total of 60 hours and if you pass each year you could got the next stage.
a total of 360 hours if you complete the course. They use a handbook for the first stage called Zaczynam mowic po polsku.
Does anyone know of this a good beginner's book? and can i speak a little polish after the first stage.
Hi, So after first pages will be difficult to speak Polish, the best- go to classes, an intensive courses, but in Poland, after 2-3 weeks you can comunicate in social life,
about books, you can try "Hurra po polsku" (that's ok, but not the best). If you want to try contact to website cjp.pl, polish school in Warsaw, they also offer CD+ book, much better then another books you can buy in bookshops.
yup, take classes, it helps you stay motivated and you constantly have someone to help you if you need it. i recommend 1v1 courses, if possible. this way your tutor stays with your level all the time and responds to your needs only.
Definitely take lessons, this is the best way to learn a language. With only books you can't talk neither hear Polish, which is the most important for a language.
If you really can't attend classes, I would also recommand "Hurra po polsku", the teachers use it in my course and it's a good one, easy to use, and full of colours and pictures that help understanding. You'll also find a book of exercises and a lot of recordings with it.
If Berlitz operate in Belgium then that would be your best bet. All you need is plenty of time (at least 6 hours a day) and money, but it is very fast and effective.
An intensive course is your best bet, but there's no way that "after 2-3 weeks you can comunicate in social life". I've just finished a course of 3 weeks (4 hours per day, 5 days per week) and neither me or any of my classmates can communicate at such a level (and as far as I can tell we're of average intelligence!). It's definately helped though.
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If you get a book and no classes, make sure to have an audio CD. If you have friends that you can speak some Polish with it's a great solution of course.
I don't think an audio CD is the best way. They tend to speak very strangely on those CD's, and doesn't really prepare someone for a down-to-earth pronunciation. The best way is probably to correspond with any Polish persons through Skype or MSN and ask them for pronunciations (much cheaper and more effective than a CD). It helped me quite a lot.