FUZZYWICKETS
25 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
Seanus wrote:
insert any of the countless examples in Polish.
Seanus wrote:
No need for a strane expression like
insert any of the countless examples in Polish.
FUZZYWICKETS
25 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
JohnnyM wrote:
never in my life had i ever heard of "gratis" until i came to poland. it's worse.
JohnnyM wrote:
Why? Both are from English.
never in my life had i ever heard of "gratis" until i came to poland. it's worse.
FUZZYWICKETS
24 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
JohnnyM wrote:
yes.
JohnnyM wrote:
But is it any more stupid than gratis?
yes.
FUZZYWICKETS
24 Oct 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
Ziemowit wrote:
Japanese children read and write in Japanese, Italian children read and write in Italian, but there's no comparison when speaking about which language is more difficult to read and write for someone studying these languages. Japanese is simply far more difficult to learn.
My Polish is decent after 4 years in country, constant studying (and I mean constant), lessons with Polish teachers and living with my Polish wife but I still struggle to understand a lot of what i hear on Polish TV channels. Turn back the clock and let me do the same thing in Italy, France, Spain, even Germany.....and in 4 years, putting forth the same amount of effort I did with learning Polish....hell, I'd be straight up fluent in any of those languages right now.
by your logic, there are no difficult languages or at the very least, they all have the same level of difficulty "because a child can do it" so why stop at language learning? children can learn to do a lot of things by the time they're 8-9 years old if they've been doing it their whole lives....but are each and every one of those skills equally as difficult as the next one for an adult starting from scratch, trying to learn it?
Here's something interesting I'd like to see: Take 1,000 random expats living in France for at least 2 years and assess their French speaking ability and then do the same in Poland and see what you get. I would bet all the money in the world that the expats living in France would be able to speak, read and write WAY better than the expats in Poland. Another assumption I'm willing to make is that the assessment results in France would show close to zero people with no French speaking skills at all yet in Poland, there would be a significant number who can barely string a sentence together.
Ziemowit wrote:
Just look at the totality the Polish children who are able to master it fluently almost without exceptions. And that is the ultimate proof: if a Polish child can do it, anyone can do it
Japanese children read and write in Japanese, Italian children read and write in Italian, but there's no comparison when speaking about which language is more difficult to read and write for someone studying these languages. Japanese is simply far more difficult to learn.
My Polish is decent after 4 years in country, constant studying (and I mean constant), lessons with Polish teachers and living with my Polish wife but I still struggle to understand a lot of what i hear on Polish TV channels. Turn back the clock and let me do the same thing in Italy, France, Spain, even Germany.....and in 4 years, putting forth the same amount of effort I did with learning Polish....hell, I'd be straight up fluent in any of those languages right now.
by your logic, there are no difficult languages or at the very least, they all have the same level of difficulty "because a child can do it" so why stop at language learning? children can learn to do a lot of things by the time they're 8-9 years old if they've been doing it their whole lives....but are each and every one of those skills equally as difficult as the next one for an adult starting from scratch, trying to learn it?
Here's something interesting I'd like to see: Take 1,000 random expats living in France for at least 2 years and assess their French speaking ability and then do the same in Poland and see what you get. I would bet all the money in the world that the expats living in France would be able to speak, read and write WAY better than the expats in Poland. Another assumption I'm willing to make is that the assessment results in France would show close to zero people with no French speaking skills at all yet in Poland, there would be a significant number who can barely string a sentence together.
FUZZYWICKETS
24 Oct 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
how hard is polish? chances are, if you're asking this question.....it's impossible.
how hard is polish? chances are, if you're asking this question.....it's impossible.
FUZZYWICKETS
20 Oct 2011
Language / Intensive English Language Courses in Poland? [44]
richfilth wrote:
i'm not criticizing your methods, just your logistics.
richfilth wrote:
but just before you wrote:
"I can supply a teacher immediately that can provide intensive lessons for as many hours a day as you need."
Your words man, not mine.
now that you expanded on that, you have an even bigger logistics issue. you are now telling the OP that you not only have people "over most of the country" that can accommodate him, but MULTIPLE people in each area able to put together a 6 week intensive course.
I just don't see it, sorry man. more than one teacher.......2? 3? 4? all of them, working together, coordinating an entire course for him, driving back and forth every day to wherever this person lives as well as carrying on with their preexisting work......
For example, if I may drive this home further: Let's say the guy lives in.......Mlawa. There is not a major city within 100km of there. What are the chances of having enough people to put together an intensive course (multiple people as you said) that also happen to have availability to accommodate.....and are willing to drive from who knows how far to get there and teach what......2-3 hours and drive/train/bus all the way back home?
I think you jumped the gun a bit here, man. Sure, maybe Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Poznan....you've been in the game for a long time and you might have a big enough crew in those cities to pull it off but you'd also be relying on the guy actually living in one of those cities.
I know i'm getting carried away here man, but let's face it, what I'm saying is tough to argue. You're not a magician.
aman wrote:
You live in krakow and are willing to consider any other location in the country for this intensive course......OK. what if richfilth told you a city 200 miles from Krakow.....what are you going to do, put your brother up in a hotel for 6 weeks while he does this course and bring him home every weekend to spend time with you? you got that kinda cash?
i personally think this thread smells fishy. a guy writing fluently in english, looking for an english teacher to put together a 6 week intensive course for his "brother"........it just doesn't smell right.
richfilth wrote:
I don't need to defend my methods
i'm not criticizing your methods, just your logistics.
richfilth wrote:
Intensive courses are in the range of 20-30 hours a week, and are led by more than one teacher
but just before you wrote:
"I can supply a teacher immediately that can provide intensive lessons for as many hours a day as you need."
Your words man, not mine.
now that you expanded on that, you have an even bigger logistics issue. you are now telling the OP that you not only have people "over most of the country" that can accommodate him, but MULTIPLE people in each area able to put together a 6 week intensive course.
I just don't see it, sorry man. more than one teacher.......2? 3? 4? all of them, working together, coordinating an entire course for him, driving back and forth every day to wherever this person lives as well as carrying on with their preexisting work......
For example, if I may drive this home further: Let's say the guy lives in.......Mlawa. There is not a major city within 100km of there. What are the chances of having enough people to put together an intensive course (multiple people as you said) that also happen to have availability to accommodate.....and are willing to drive from who knows how far to get there and teach what......2-3 hours and drive/train/bus all the way back home?
I think you jumped the gun a bit here, man. Sure, maybe Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Poznan....you've been in the game for a long time and you might have a big enough crew in those cities to pull it off but you'd also be relying on the guy actually living in one of those cities.
I know i'm getting carried away here man, but let's face it, what I'm saying is tough to argue. You're not a magician.
aman wrote:
But if I cannot find anything in Krakow, I would be more than willing to consider any other location in the country.
You live in krakow and are willing to consider any other location in the country for this intensive course......OK. what if richfilth told you a city 200 miles from Krakow.....what are you going to do, put your brother up in a hotel for 6 weeks while he does this course and bring him home every weekend to spend time with you? you got that kinda cash?
i personally think this thread smells fishy. a guy writing fluently in english, looking for an english teacher to put together a 6 week intensive course for his "brother"........it just doesn't smell right.
FUZZYWICKETS
19 Oct 2011
Language / Intensive English Language Courses in Poland? [44]
richfilth wrote:
along with anyone else logically looking at what you're offering. highly qualified teachers scattered all throughout Poland, awaiting richfilth's call, ready to drop everything and slap together a 6 week intensive course, dedicating all their time and effort to just that.
i got no beef with you man.....ale przesadzasz stary.......
richfilth wrote:
although I can understand your doubt
along with anyone else logically looking at what you're offering. highly qualified teachers scattered all throughout Poland, awaiting richfilth's call, ready to drop everything and slap together a 6 week intensive course, dedicating all their time and effort to just that.
i got no beef with you man.....ale przesadzasz stary.......
FUZZYWICKETS
19 Oct 2011
Language / Intensive English Language Courses in Poland? [44]
richfilth:
sorry man, don't mean to look into this too deeply but I'm still curious.....
so you have a "network of respected colleagues on call over most of the country" who somehow also do not have busy schedules teaching english already (or doing anything else for that matter) and can, at the drop of a hat, stop everything they're doing and for 6 straight weeks, give this student "as many hours a day as you need"???
sorry man, it simply doesn't seem realistic to me.
richfilth:
sorry man, don't mean to look into this too deeply but I'm still curious.....
so you have a "network of respected colleagues on call over most of the country" who somehow also do not have busy schedules teaching english already (or doing anything else for that matter) and can, at the drop of a hat, stop everything they're doing and for 6 straight weeks, give this student "as many hours a day as you need"???
sorry man, it simply doesn't seem realistic to me.
FUZZYWICKETS
19 Oct 2011
Language / Intensive English Language Courses in Poland? [44]
you can do all that before even knowing what city this person lives in?
you can do all that before even knowing what city this person lives in?
FUZZYWICKETS
19 Oct 2011
USA, Canada / A typical Polish American wedding [25]
People in the USA don't do weddings like they do in Poland. My wedding was in Poland and it was off the chain.
People in the USA don't do weddings like they do in Poland. My wedding was in Poland and it was off the chain.
FUZZYWICKETS
17 Oct 2011
History / Why have Poles contributed so little to Academics? (Particularly Science) [180]
AlexTheGreat wrote:
you might be on to something....
AlexTheGreat wrote:
It must be the closed-minded.......Christian view that plagues Poland.
you might be on to something....
FUZZYWICKETS
14 Oct 2011
History / Why have Poles contributed so little to Academics? (Particularly Science) [180]
someone with a ridiculous screen name i don't feel like typing out wrote:
yeah, i'm just gonna go ahead and call BS on that one.
someone with a ridiculous screen name i don't feel like typing out wrote:
America: hollywood/CNN/talkshows/arts = all polish jews :)
yeah, i'm just gonna go ahead and call BS on that one.
FUZZYWICKETS
14 Oct 2011
History / Why have Poles contributed so little to Academics? (Particularly Science) [180]
someone with a ridiculous screen name i don't feel like typing out wrote:
yeah, i'm just gonna go ahead and call BS on that one.
someone with a ridiculous screen name i don't feel like typing out wrote:
America: hollywood/CNN/talkshows/arts = all polish jews :)
yeah, i'm just gonna go ahead and call BS on that one.
FUZZYWICKETS
12 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
Lyzko wrote:
that should be a useful post for you Magdalena, some "proof" that you've been looking so desperately for.
Lyzko wrote:
Europeans try far too much to keep up with Hollywood, American Idol and the rest of that trash!
that should be a useful post for you Magdalena, some "proof" that you've been looking so desperately for.
FUZZYWICKETS
12 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
Lyzko wrote:
really? at least this part is completely inaccurate:
A.K. wrote:
In the USA, "cool" is used on a daily basis within the native speaking realm.
Lyzko wrote:
Hmmm, your knowledge of our language for a foreigner is excellent.
really? at least this part is completely inaccurate:
A.K. wrote:
Notice also that a word "cool" is obselete (it was popular in mid 90s). Now is used only when imitating someone "uncool". In short "cool" is "uncool".
In the USA, "cool" is used on a daily basis within the native speaking realm.
FUZZYWICKETS
11 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
magdalena wrote:
you have an entire 9 page thread dedicated to Poles overusing english in their daily vernacular. why do you ask for a list of words when this entire thread is chock full of them already. have a look through, you'll find hundreds. you'll also find a handful of people agreeing with the OP.
and I don't care if it's happening with other languages. so be it. doesn't change the fact that it's happening with Polish.....big time.
it's also worth mentioning that it generally sounds twice as ridiculous when poles use english words because they decline them, making them sound extra ridiculous.
because of the declension system in polish, borrowings always sound even more embarrassing, awkward and just downright stupid. I'll never forget the day my mother in law said to me, "............John'ego Depp'a".
magdalena wrote:
Give me proof.
you have an entire 9 page thread dedicated to Poles overusing english in their daily vernacular. why do you ask for a list of words when this entire thread is chock full of them already. have a look through, you'll find hundreds. you'll also find a handful of people agreeing with the OP.
and I don't care if it's happening with other languages. so be it. doesn't change the fact that it's happening with Polish.....big time.
it's also worth mentioning that it generally sounds twice as ridiculous when poles use english words because they decline them, making them sound extra ridiculous.
because of the declension system in polish, borrowings always sound even more embarrassing, awkward and just downright stupid. I'll never forget the day my mother in law said to me, "............John'ego Depp'a".
FUZZYWICKETS
10 Oct 2011
USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]
mafketis wrote:
;)
mafketis wrote:
The clearest sign of knowing what's good for Poland is that they don't live there.
;)
FUZZYWICKETS
10 Oct 2011
News / Citizen-led Initiative on Abortion Law in Poland [50]
reuters.com/article/2011/10/10/poland-election-palikot-idUSL5E7LA2JL20111010
reuters.com/article/2011/10/10/poland-election-palikot-idUSL5E7LA2JL20111010
FUZZYWICKETS
7 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
pip wrote:
i don't even know if it was a serious question, pip.
Magdalena wrote:
yes. yes, that's right. i'll add a few:
cash flow
nokautowac
fastfoody
kemping
bording (boarding)
chipsy
drinki (you had drinks "before the war", right?)
dzinsy
szorty
i haven't even gotten to the really embarrassing stuff, although fastfoody and cash flow is enough to make my cheeks red.
pip wrote:
lunch, hard drive, meeting, week end, parking, trendy, kool, super......I could go on and on.
i don't even know if it was a serious question, pip.
Magdalena wrote:
Wow - some invasion, huh?
yes. yes, that's right. i'll add a few:
cash flow
nokautowac
fastfoody
kemping
bording (boarding)
chipsy
drinki (you had drinks "before the war", right?)
dzinsy
szorty
i haven't even gotten to the really embarrassing stuff, although fastfoody and cash flow is enough to make my cheeks red.
FUZZYWICKETS
7 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
Magdalena wrote:
hahahahha. you don't know what you're talking about if you think poles in their 50's and 60's had english classes as part of their curriculum. hence, why none of them speak it. german, russian.....sure, they remember a little. english? only what is part of today's mass media.
take a look at the polish government. educated older people, right? how many of them speak english? aside from who is it....Sikorski?....a guy who lived and was educated in the USA as well so he basically doesn't count. you're kidding yourself. never in my life have i seen a polish diplomat hold a quality conversation in english with anyone and i lived in poland and watched polish news channels for 4 straight years.
Magdalena wrote:
as are you. the point I was making is that poland uses an incredible amount of english with new words being injected into it every day and i was mentioning that even the older generations are using these words which means that these english words are seriously being inculcated into Polish because older people are more reluctant to adapt new words compared to the younger gens yet they still use them quite frequently. it's merely a litmus test.
Magdalena wrote:
Not true. Some were, some weren't. Stop generalising.
hahahahha. you don't know what you're talking about if you think poles in their 50's and 60's had english classes as part of their curriculum. hence, why none of them speak it. german, russian.....sure, they remember a little. english? only what is part of today's mass media.
take a look at the polish government. educated older people, right? how many of them speak english? aside from who is it....Sikorski?....a guy who lived and was educated in the USA as well so he basically doesn't count. you're kidding yourself. never in my life have i seen a polish diplomat hold a quality conversation in english with anyone and i lived in poland and watched polish news channels for 4 straight years.
Magdalena wrote:
You are confusing two completely different issues here.
as are you. the point I was making is that poland uses an incredible amount of english with new words being injected into it every day and i was mentioning that even the older generations are using these words which means that these english words are seriously being inculcated into Polish because older people are more reluctant to adapt new words compared to the younger gens yet they still use them quite frequently. it's merely a litmus test.
FUZZYWICKETS
7 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
sobieski wrote:
you'd be amazed at what ironside believes in.
sobieski wrote:
Clearly you still believe in the fairy-tale called the immaculate conception.
you'd be amazed at what ironside believes in.
FUZZYWICKETS
7 Oct 2011
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
Magdalena wrote:
hold your horses there, bucko.
can we not all agree that older generations use different words than younger ones because of what they were exposed to growing up? do younger kids not use new words in their vocabulary more than their parents? can we not all agree that since the coming of the internet, DVD players, cell phones, various other new concepts (in Poland's case DEMOCRACY) along with the fact that people in their 50's and 60's weren't taught english in school whereas the younger generation learns english first and foremost would be reason enough to say that people in their 50's and 60's are "different" in many ways to the younger generation's vernacular?
my in laws just started using the internet last year for cryin' out loud.
Magdalena wrote:
Intelligent people don't suddenly stop learning new concepts or expressions just because they have lived a certain amount of years.
hold your horses there, bucko.
can we not all agree that older generations use different words than younger ones because of what they were exposed to growing up? do younger kids not use new words in their vocabulary more than their parents? can we not all agree that since the coming of the internet, DVD players, cell phones, various other new concepts (in Poland's case DEMOCRACY) along with the fact that people in their 50's and 60's weren't taught english in school whereas the younger generation learns english first and foremost would be reason enough to say that people in their 50's and 60's are "different" in many ways to the younger generation's vernacular?
my in laws just started using the internet last year for cryin' out loud.
FUZZYWICKETS
7 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
Ironside wrote:
just as long as you know where your taxes/ZUS payments are going, bud.
aaaawww....you didn't think government money grew on trees, did ya'?
Ironside wrote:
given average income in Poland I say good for them !
just as long as you know where your taxes/ZUS payments are going, bud.
aaaawww....you didn't think government money grew on trees, did ya'?
FUZZYWICKETS
6 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
PWEI wrote:
there was another woman who had been working there much longer than the woman I speak of so she knew the whole story. she sat down with me one day and explained how she did it. it was really convoluted with maternity leave/vacation time/sick leave/doctor notes/extended this and that, and by the time the pot ran dry, she got pregnant again and started the process all over again, giving her 5 years off, give or take a month or two i guess.
PWEI wrote:
Believe what you want: the reality is that women in Poland can take years off.
there was another woman who had been working there much longer than the woman I speak of so she knew the whole story. she sat down with me one day and explained how she did it. it was really convoluted with maternity leave/vacation time/sick leave/doctor notes/extended this and that, and by the time the pot ran dry, she got pregnant again and started the process all over again, giving her 5 years off, give or take a month or two i guess.
FUZZYWICKETS
6 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
PWEI wrote:
the one that sticks out the most in my mind is this one woman I knew who literally managed to stay home for 5 straight years by having 2 children. my school was stuck paying for her the whole time. 5 frigging years. the best part is her parents, along with her husband are wealthy. didn't stop her from taking what she could get.
PWEI wrote:
And let's not even go into the women who carefully time pregnancy, maternity leave, illness, holiday (of course they have full holiday allowance for all the time that they were off) and then getting pregnant again.
the one that sticks out the most in my mind is this one woman I knew who literally managed to stay home for 5 straight years by having 2 children. my school was stuck paying for her the whole time. 5 frigging years. the best part is her parents, along with her husband are wealthy. didn't stop her from taking what she could get.
FUZZYWICKETS
5 Oct 2011
Food / Coffee in Poland: cheap and undrinkable / expensive and good [89]
teffle wrote:
good idea. just make sure it's MD from America. the stuff in Poland is pure shite. a completely different drink. on a blind taste test, i wouldn't even recognize it. i would say, "some nasty shite i don't recognize".....if we're being specific.
teffle wrote:
I'm now going to have to try it.
good idea. just make sure it's MD from America. the stuff in Poland is pure shite. a completely different drink. on a blind taste test, i wouldn't even recognize it. i would say, "some nasty shite i don't recognize".....if we're being specific.
FUZZYWICKETS
4 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
i was, at the very least, partially a contributor. 4 years paying into ZUS, never used a dime of it on myself.
The teachers at my schools as well as several other poles that I knew that would get bogus doctor notes or drag out their "illnesses" and stay out of work as long as possible because Poland's socialist system is willing to pay for it year after year.....yeah, certainly paid into that.
if i had a dime for every time i heard, "aahhhhh, pojde do lekarza i powiem mu ze mam goraczke, dostane kilka tygodni wolnych....."
serio sluchaj.....
i was, at the very least, partially a contributor. 4 years paying into ZUS, never used a dime of it on myself.
The teachers at my schools as well as several other poles that I knew that would get bogus doctor notes or drag out their "illnesses" and stay out of work as long as possible because Poland's socialist system is willing to pay for it year after year.....yeah, certainly paid into that.
if i had a dime for every time i heard, "aahhhhh, pojde do lekarza i powiem mu ze mam goraczke, dostane kilka tygodni wolnych....."
serio sluchaj.....
FUZZYWICKETS
3 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
scottie1113 wrote:
of course. not to mention, what do you do when your class consists of 2 poles, a japanese girl, a german girl, a korean guy and a French woman? how EVER would you teach all them without knowing ALL their languages? silly rabbit.
scottie1113 wrote:
Students want to learn English in English. That's how I learned French. A good teacher knows how to explain it so students understand. You won't hear Polish in my classroom, except for an occasional word or two. Let's say we're talking about food. How would you describe cod? It's easier to have students look for it in a dictionary. Bingo. Instant understanding.
of course. not to mention, what do you do when your class consists of 2 poles, a japanese girl, a german girl, a korean guy and a French woman? how EVER would you teach all them without knowing ALL their languages? silly rabbit.
FUZZYWICKETS
3 Oct 2011
USA, Canada / Do you speak English? Have you lived in America? New LOVE/HATE list......... [144]
yet again......crickets ironside. big, green......crickets.
yet again......crickets ironside. big, green......crickets.
FUZZYWICKETS
3 Oct 2011
Life / Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you? [118]
foreigner4 wrote:
you're being forced here against your will, as is sobieski (wife wouldn't move) which is an exception to the rule. let's be logical here.
foreigner4 wrote:
totally not true in my case, my wife doesn't want to leave her family and I'm just waiting until things get bad enough that she see's the opportunities for us simply aren't here.
you're being forced here against your will, as is sobieski (wife wouldn't move) which is an exception to the rule. let's be logical here.