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Things Polish people who speak English language say


ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #1
Just a few observations after living in Poland for 6 years as an English Teacher

Polish people cannot pronounce can’t as they pronounce it as cu*t
Angle in Polish is very similar to this word as well
The word for seal in Polish is foka, which is great when you go to the zoo and can say, ”it’s such a cute little fuc*er;. I also believe it is a French word as well for seal.

Then there are the classic one’s such as a sheet of paper. My wife once shouted through downstairs to me, “darling I’m just changing the s*it on the bed, can you get me a fresh one”. The mind boggled”

First day after the summer break I had a conversation class, and I asked them, “what have you been doing all summer”, an eager hand shot up and relied, “all summer I spent up the bit* ch; Try keeping a straight face after that one; wouldn’t be so bad but he was only 12 years old and meant to say, “all summer I spent by the beach”.

There are more and I will add them as I go, but I can’t (sorry cannot) think of them at the moment.
Any other teachers got similar experiences?
And by the way Polish guys please don’t take offence over this, I’m sure that I have made many mistakes in Polish over the years hehe
ukinpoland 5 | 338  
6 May 2007 /  #2
A good one is when People in class call their Political part Pis p*ss. In some cases I dont think that they believe there is much difference
miranda  
6 May 2007 /  #3
little English dialog of 7 years olds:
A: Can you?
B: I can you? (should have been: I can and you?)
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #4
B: I can you? (should have been: I can and you?)

but can't you also say:

I can, you?
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #5
Signature = podpis some people pronounce it as they speak potpis i.e. a pot you keep under the bed to urinate in
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #6
a pispot
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #7
I can, you?

I think it should be...... I can, can you?
Wroclaw 44 | 5,379  
6 May 2007 /  #8
Just a few observations after living in Poland for 6 years as an English Teacher

I showed my young daughter a swan on the river.
She was looking for an elephant.

I want to be a footballist, I like playing with my friends balls.

Come in. Take your clothes off. [followed by] We're doing the lesson in my daughter's bedroom. My husband is busy in the living room.
miranda  
6 May 2007 /  #9
I can, you?

yes, but there was no comma
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #10
wiem to, thats why i added one, showing an alternative means that in speech you cannot see the comma but you understand it to be there
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #11
I used to be a callan Teacher for my sins, and I ask a question and anyone who is familiar with this method will now that the questions are asked at quiet a quick pace.

And I asked this girl a question, “when you go to the cinema what kind of films do you like to see”…..without thinking of her answer and under pressure she blurted out, “when I go to the cinema I like to make love”….poor girl was a bit of a wallflower and burst into tears and ran out of the classroom and never came back.
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #12
callan Teacher

would you recommend it of TEFL?

when I go to the cinema I like to make love

pity - im sure she'd have gotten many invites :) ah its a pity she never came back - making mistakes when learning a language is part of the experience and funny too
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #13
When I took my 2 year old daughter to the UK for the first time, we stayed in my hometown of Eastbourne and she just could not understand the sentence, "we are going to see the sea" she kept on saying how can we "see the see"
scarbyirp  
6 May 2007 /  #14
When Teresa started working in London she asked me what people meant when they kept saying to her "cheese make"?? This puzzled me for a while until I realised that what they were actually saying was "cheers mate". Bless
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #15
would you recommend it of TEFL?

No way, it’s a good and quick way of introducing English but should be left after say stage 4 or 5 and I believe there are 14 stages although a lot of the later stages just repeat themselves. The method really needs to be revised because it is so outdated and has not changed in format since 1958.

I had a Polish guy come up to me and say.......are London bus drivers gay, because he heard one say to him....cheers me old darling!! This is an old London saying and he didnt understand it.
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #16
so you'd recommend callnan?

Here in Cork, we have a strong accent (one i dont have as i lived in the UK) but its dunny to hear the foreign communities add the Cork euphinisms to their everyday english :)

alright bye (written as it sounds, meant to be alright boy meaning how are you)

and adding 'like' to the end of each sentance like ;) dont know how or where that happened but its a very 'Cork' way of talking
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #17
so you'd recommend callnan?

As I said, only as an introduction to English :)
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #18
thanks - it wasnt to clear for me sorry i thought you were saying TEFL was only an intro...

The Polish accent in English is fantastic - its alot harder I think for english to speak polish though?
Grzegorz_ 51 | 6,149  
6 May 2007 /  #19
and she just could not understand the sentence, "we are going to see the sea" she kept on saying how can we "see the see"

Is there any difference between see and sea... ?
Shawn_H  
6 May 2007 /  #20
see and sea

See - what you do with your eyes

Sea - Where boats float
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #21
its alot harder I think for english to speak polish though

Too right I spent 2 days trying to learn one word suppose = przypuszczać ................Eak!!!
daffy 23 | 1,500  
6 May 2007 /  #22
przypuszczać

I can't get past the third syllabl
Shawn_H  
6 May 2007 /  #23
przypuszczać

So what does this mean?

My wife says "Puszcz Kot" to the kids when they are torturing the cat, I think it means put it down.... Same root word?
OP ukpolska  
6 May 2007 /  #24
I can't get past the third syllabl

I would help but I have no idea even in phonetic language :(
slwkk 2 | 228  
6 May 2007 /  #25
See - what you do with your eyes
Sea - Where boats float

ok, that everyone knows.. but what about pronunciation, is the same for both? Any differences? There is more words like this for example 'eat it' - this two also sounds similar for Polish people...
Hueg - | 320  
6 May 2007 /  #26
I can't get past the third syllabl

Take it from the rear matron

<scrubs up>

Observe


czać
szczać (if you can say szczecin this is easy)
puszczać
ypuszczać
rzypuszczać
przypuszczać
Bartolome 2 | 1,085  
6 May 2007 /  #27
Hueg, you've accidentally used a swearword

szczać

= to p!$$ :D
orsobear  
6 May 2007 /  #28
Quoting: Shawn_H
See - what you do with your eyes
Sea - Where boats float

ok, that everyone knows.. but what about pronunciation, is the same for both? Any differences? There is more words like this for example 'eat it' - this two also sounds similar for Polish people...

yes, the pronunciation is exactly the same :-) (you say the 'ee'/'ea' just like you say the 'ea' in eat.)
telefonitika  
6 May 2007 /  #29
its alot harder I think for english to speak polish though

very hard indeed daffy :)
Hueg - | 320  
6 May 2007 /  #30
lol@ Bart.

Yes! My first polish swear word!

<beams with pride>

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