Why do people want to study Polish?

... any other language.


Good idea. And if that personal reason ever falls through (I don't believe in tempting fate), it could be useful for a multitude of other reasons.

Yeah, but polish being the major of the immagrants, polish is usaully the language in the spot light when it comes to brits refusing to learn other languages.

There's nothing better than knowing two languages in my opinion, it's better than knowing a load of statistics.

I thought that the French and German they usually attempt to teach at school were the ones that get noticed the most.
They start teaching languages too late in kids' schooling in this country.
It's easier to start younger in a school environment.

Yeah, I started learning french and german in year 7 at school, dropping french at the end of year 9. I've had nearly 5 years of german lessons and I hardly understand it..

There's a primary my mum works in that does french lessons, but even there, they only start at year 6.

Personally I feel more benefit from what tiny amount of polish I've learn recently to the whole 5 years of learning german. I've only once ever talked to a german person, on the train that goes around disney land in paris, other than that, I'm 1000% more likely to meet a polish person.

You should have not...Tu n'aurais pas du... :)

I know, I regret it now. At the time it was easier to remember german.

LoL, yeah German must be a bit easier for English people, even if a lot of the English vocabulary come from French...

;)

German seems more logical, it's in the same order as english (except past tense). But I'm more likely to go to france and buy beer than I am to go to germany.

They renumbered the years at the end of my schooldays, so I don't know when it was in modern money, but I started French at the end of primary school. At the start of secondary school, we went over the same stuff again, then I moved to another school where French teachers changed every few weeks and the class was always some sort of mini-riot. I had started off quite well with French, but from the age of about 13 there was nothing being taught. Going back to French would be the easy option for me, but who wants to travel the path most frequently trodden?


I'd say that the common origin of English and German provides very little help. French has had much more influence over the English language for a very long time.

I'm learning because of that yes.
and Because I plan on emigrating to Poland in the future (:

Year 7 is the start of highschool, Year 11 is GCSE year (final year of high school).

In my schools, we get Primary school for age 5-11 year olds.
then we go on to a High School for 12 - 17 year olds.
Primary 1 - Primary 7
Then, Year 1 to Year 6. in year 4 we do our GSCE'S then year 5 and 6 we get a choice whether to do Highers/advanced highers or whether to leave school.

Complicated haha.

There is a joke about a German restaurant 'excuse me but there is a fly in my soup'..and of course there is the old expression 'I wish I was a fly on the wall' but 'on the fly' is an expression that I have certainly never come across myself. Mind you, usage does change and it does depend on country to country. Normally, in America I have to repeat myself and speak very slowly as Americans find it very hard to understand our use of the English Language. Rather like Dutch people understand Africans but not the other way round. In England we speak too fast for Americans. Australia was better, they are 'on the ball' but in the United States, I always had to try and simplify my English grammar to help out.

Why do people want to study Polish?

I am from SA, and now living in Poland for 16 months. Still have 2 and half years left here. You need to learn Polish if you live here. It's easier to get around. It's easier to be accepted among Polish people. I always lighten up if I come accross someone learning or speaing my own language. Polish people are the same. I love the language anywy, no matter how hard it is - one of the most interesting ones in the world, for me :)

Hey people!

My main motivation for learning Polish was the sheer presence of Polish-speaking students, immigrants what have you, where I work. While many did in fact speak German and Russian, both a considerable help don't get me wrong, none seemed to connect with English at all.

If I wanted to have even the most basic, let alone meaningful, conversation, I simply needed to learn Polish!

In addition, Polish served as a bridge language to Russian, also immensely practical. I grew up hearing German, therefore Dutch and the Scandinavian languages I could learn with facility through the bridge language of German. Spanish I picked up and later learned through the bridge language(s) of Latin and French.

Make sense?

that's nice the British want to learn Polish to communicate with immigrants.. I rather thouht they expect the immigrants to speak good english.

some do expect this ... but those generally are the one that spout the crap about the polish!

I travel to poland for work now and then. Everyone I work with speaks english well, and they usually accompany me for dinner, they are there to help me with translation when required. When I have used some basic stuff like dzien dobry and dziekuje, they are often impressed that I'm making an effort. I will be more comfortable in poland if I speak at least some of the native language. Those are my reasons for wanting to learn.

I have an American teacher who also makes an effort to learn some english and we really appreciate it. poles are easily impressed because they are not used to the idea that foreigners speak their language:D

Doesn't he speak English anyway?
Is it Polish he's making an effort to learn?
Or is he just trying to learn propa English like wot I speak?

Gosiaczek!

Sorry to be inquisitive, but wouldn't you hope that your English teacher already speaks English and doesn't need to 'learn' it any longer?

Or perhaps I detect a confusion between the verbs 'uczyć się', 'uczyć' and 'nauczyć' in English due to first language (i.e. Polish) interference?
Or perhaps I misunderstood your drift!

sorry, I made a mistake, he makes some effort to learn polish of course. sorry once again, I"m thinking faster than typing:D

Got some Polish friends and there are a lot of Polish (and Russians) in Bristol and the West coast.

Very few English speak any Polish, and from experience, the "smile" factor per successful Polish word used is rather high-making it rather easy to chat up Polish ladies :-). It's quite fun to flirt if you are an Englishman who can say only a small number of Polish phrases reasonably well LOL.

Seriously, I've used it with a number of Poles that I've met and found that they are really very warm and friendly when they realise you have some interest in their language. I nearly always pick up a new word or two per conversation. Sadly because my ability to learn by hearing words said is very slow, I often forget :(.

The difficulty doesn't put me off because I can simply acquire audio material and keep replaying during queues, driving, walking etc and allow myself the luxory of knowing I can take as long as I need to get a new skill. Something I've never done in the past-as everything had to be learned as fast as possible.

I totally agree with you.
I visited Poland several years ago and was impressed by the beauty of of its landscape. But what really motivates me to learn Polish is that I have some nice Polish girls at my university. But Polish is far more complicated than I ever expect lol

Poles will not laugh at u too much, they are aware of the complexity of the language. I make mistakes with cases when talking with my girl but she knows what I'm trying to say. U can encounter Polish in many places these days

I want to learn Polish, for a few reasons.

1. I became very interested in a Polish man, a while ago, and I want to impress him a bit.

2. He went home to Poland over Christmas break and brought me back a Polish language book and a beautiful book on Poland, it's people and places. ( I guess he wants me to learn Polish, huh)

3. He gave me wonderful Valentines gifts, and one of them was another Polish language book. The one he gave me last time was an excellerated version supposed to teach the language in 4 weeks! Uh, Yeah right. He listened to the CD I was learning from and didn't like it too well, so he's bought me another.

That's why I want to learn...I also happen to like languages as well. I speak 2 others besides my native AMERICAN ENGLISH!

Sounds about as strange as 'jak leci?' to me ;)


I agree, for the most part Poles are willing to help you through it, as long as you show them the same courtesy with English.

I am a Canadian living in England, and to my surprise (but apparently not to the surprise of the English) I have found many Polish friends here. But I think friendship wouldn't really be enough to stimulate me into learning a language. I have no Polish that I know of in my family history, but I think I connected with the Poles because their sense of patriotism about Poland is similar to mine about Canada.

In a way, it made it easier for me to identify with them, than say the Brits (who think patriotism is tacky), the Americans (who think patriotism means being a psycho fanatic for themsevles and everyone else sucks), or the Germans (who are still very self concious of the bad things nationalism can do).

To be honest, Poland wasn't even "on my map" before I moved here. Now I am interested in going. I guess we'll see if I connect with Polish culture as much as I do with Polish people.

Another reason would be embarassment at speaking only one language (after eight years of French in the Canadian school system, bah).

I want to learn it because my grandmother and aunts refused to teach us when we were little. They wanted us to be "American." Yet, I think it's sad that I can't communicate in Polish to this day, so I want to learn. Besides, I love learning languages...it's like uncovering a mystery.

1) For me it is a question of politeness. Too many British people just expect foreigners to speak English because English is widely spoken all over the world. I cannot stand English people who go on holiday to France for example, walk into a bar, and say 'Beer and glass of wine please'. Often no 'please'! To my way of thinking it is more polite to at least try, to begin with, to communicate with the indiginous people in their own language. Afterall, the English person abroad is a guest of that country. Anyway, making that initial attempt elicits a much better response from the person serving. Also you are far more likely to be helped with the language or whatever. The attemt also 'breaks the ice' and you can have lots of laughs over language mistakes. If you just expect people to speak English it can be considered arrogant. In fact it is arrogant!

2) Without learning someone else's language, or at least trying, you will never understand what makes that person tick. For example you will never understand the French mentality which is quite different from that of the Engkish. Also literature can lose a lot in translation (but that I guess is for advanced learners of a foreign language).

I'm trying to learn Polish... Yes, it's hard. But it is also very rewarding. I now have several Polish friends, some in the UK, some in Poland. I just feel more comfortable at least trying to communicte in the foreign language (in this case Polish) rather than always expecting the foreigner to be doing the hard work.

Those are my thoughts... Many people would disagree... But that's life! (samo życie!) I think...

Good point by czarnykot. I don't think the Scots are so different in this respect, maybe fractionally better given our slightly greater interest in foreign cultures.

People shouldn't disagree with u, their English will always be there in the event of problems with the foreign language.

I understand Polish quite naturally now, thx to certain people and devotion on my part. I wouldn't have it any other way.