I am considering studying abroad at University of Wroclaw, I do not know the polish language. I would take classes mostly in english..how many people really know english in Poland?? I want to learn polish and study abroad but I am afraid I will not be able to communicate with others. I know learning the language is essential but it will also take a lot of time!..( There are no classes in Polish at my home university)I dont want to go if I'm out on a limb by myself!!
I don't know the percentage, but people do speak English in Poland. There are always courses offered and it is taught in grade schools. I would say about 50%. The older people most likely don't know it. But English is very popular in Poland and many people want to learn it. Some are more advanced than others.
You can learn some Polish online.byki.com offers some free downloads. it might be a good start. Look at plg here in this forum. He is learning Polish and always asks questions why this and why that. That's one guy who is dedicated on learning the Polish language.
Polish people generally are not that fluent in English like lets say Swedes or Dutch people but you shouldn't have any problems communicating with them, as a lot of Poles know at least the basics of English.
Oh, and just like krysia said, prepare that people in their 40's and above are very likely not to speak English at all, as it started to be taught in schools after the fall of the communism.
You shouldn't have much od a problem in a city like Wrocław.
I've got a friend who did exchange in Kraków. He said it was fun. The universities provide a course that's called "Survival Polish". It's a way to quickly learn the essetnial stuff to be able to painlessly survive.
Wrocław is a westernised city, I think you'll be fine there.
Matyjasz's remark about people above 40 is very true. You can count on students though.
I guess about 80% or even more of teenagers haves English lessions at schools (at least two times weekly, for at least 3 years to 9/12 years!). At the age of 16 EVERY student have to learn 2 foreign languages, the second one is usually German (but I know schools where You can choose between German and French or Italian or Russian), but the first one is English (usually, sometimes it's German and the English is is the less important foreign langauge, but in most of cases English is the "main" language here).
At the age of 19 everybody have to pass an exam which is similiar to FCE.
About people older than 25 years old... I think most of them don't know English at all, so better try to speak to young and beauty people, just like me.
Sorry for mistakes, website wich helps me with English is now offline ;-p
About people older than 25 years old... I think most of them don't know English at all, so better try to speak to young and beauty people, just like me.
OUCH! OK, all of you archaic people of 25 and more. Don't even try to learn English. Just forget it. Call a lawyer and make a Will. :)
i bet it is! before his journey to zamosc/poland my friend asked me if he would have problems with communication when buying things,ordering in a restaurant,hiring a taxi.i said "yes you will" because it is a small town. guess what? he didn't have any problem at all.wherever he went there always were people who spoke english.
btw.bartek212 is right.the older people are ,the least likely they speak english.
Quoting: bartek212, Post #3 About people older than 25 years old... I think most of them don't know English at all, so better try to speak to young and beauty people, just like me.
OUCH! OK, all of you archaic people of 25 and more. Don't even try to learn English. Just forget it. Call a lawyer and make a Will.
I think I'm dead already.
Ehhh? What's that you say? I left my hearing aid and reading glasses at home!:)
I'm just so happy the (school) teaching methods are so crap nowadays that most kids end up knowing very little. It'll keep my bilingual kids in the money all their life! State education in Poland is going downhill so fast it might even catch up with Britain!!
leave it out, hadly anyone knows the langauge out there even the young. out of a town i found 2 that spoke english fluently, and the others a few words..................maybe on the increase but your decades off before their ever be fluent in most population of the country.
hardly*
by the way anyone know the reason for a sudden rush in a rash..............got it bad in the last 2 days...........and my blasted ring wont come off grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. bloody hurting my finger
In my works I would say that 100% of under 30s speak enough English to get along ok. And 20% of those can read or write English. Above that age they seem to suffer. They use the younger ones to help translate for them. But it doesn't appear to stop them from trying to learn it just seems to take a little bit more time to sink in.
My freinds mothers son, who is 12 years old has just come over to the UK and he speaks and writes good English already.
In my works I would say that 100% of under 30s speak enough English to get along ok. And 20% of those can read or write English. Above that age they seem to suffer.
Oau! that is amazing! so, i won't be having problems when I'll com e to Poland:) :)
by the way anyone know the reason for a sudden rush in a rash..............got it bad in the last 2 days...........and my blasted ring wont come off grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. bloody hurting my finger
Thats because the cheap gold on your Argos soveriegn ring is irritating your skin Paul.
If your rash is really sudden and you are sure that you were not in contact with anything infected, than it might be stress I suggest some some antibiotics
leave it out, hadly anyone knows the langauge out there even the young. out of a town i found 2 that spoke english fluently, and the others a few words..................maybe on the increase but your decades off before their ever be fluent in most population of the country.
After reading some of your posts, it looks like not only people that live in the rural areas of Poland struggle with the English language, but you had a one valid point there, regarding the fluency of English among my fellow Poles. In deed, the fluent ones will be mostl likely only the student's of English philology (with some exceptions of course). The rest of the people in their 20ties will have the language on the basic or medium level, so danny dan, you may have some problems discussing with them William Shakespeare’s poetry or quantum physics, but certainly you won’t have any asking them the way to the nearest pub. Enjoy! :)
I am thinking about going to poland for few weeks and if I will manage to find friends maybe remaining there for long or forever. (I work from home for a uk company :-) ) What percentage of young people speak english in poland, the city I will go is warsaw?
of course if I will decide to remain for long I will learn polish language.
You should be fine in Warsaw, the capital city and biggest one. Remember, many young Poles who spent a year or 2 in the UK have already returned or are in the process of returning to Poland so, unless they worked in Polish companies, they would have had to know English to some level to get on. Thank your lucky stars that you weren't assigned to a small town
Just use gestures if u r not sure, that's how I started here and in Japan until my confidence grew. Go in with a desire to learn some Polish and they may return in kind with some English. Remember, they are not French and will at least try and communicate with u, can't fault them for trying. Just no Cockney slang, aight?
