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Posts by Vincent  

Joined: 9 Sep 2007 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 22 Nov 2024
Threads: Total: 8 / In This Archive: 2
Posts: Total: 796 / In This Archive: 384 		From: UK
Speaks Polish?: uczę się

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Vincent   
2 Sep 2015
Language / Collins Intermediate Level Audio Course in Polish [10]

What are your opinions on this course, if you have used it?

There are some comments in this thread about Pimsleur. https://polishforums.com/language/pimsleur-rosetta-stone-25961/

There is also another one call the "Michel Thomas method", and there are several levels which can add up to be a bit expensive, but you can get the first 'starter course' to see if you'll like it, for about £12. I think there is some text of the dialog with this as well. Search the forum for some details about it.
Vincent   
10 Aug 2015
Classifieds / Private English Lessons by Experienced Professional Teacher in Poland (Warsaw) [107]

Vincent, there's an interesting phenomena much discussed by linguists but no consensus yet. Noam Chomsky argues about it a lot. That is that someone can learn a language from a teacher with really ingrained errors without picking up those same errors.

Thanks Jon, food for thought.
Vincent   
10 Aug 2015
Classifieds / Private English Lessons by Experienced Professional Teacher in Poland (Warsaw) [107]

An American, Canadian, Australian or Kiwi who speaks English with the accent of their home country is a native English speaker, just as a Scottish, Welsh, Irish person or someone from the North of England is a native English speaker, albeit one with a regional accent.

Some natives from the home countries might as well have a foreign accent, judging by what I hear around me;) We all get our accents by mimicking our parents when we learn to speak. So if a foreign person was taught English by one of the so called 'native speakers' by mimicking their words to the letter, and reached a high standard in speaking, reading and writing, as well as passing exams for each level, could they not teach English in the future like a native?
Vincent   
9 Aug 2015
Classifieds / Private English Lessons by Experienced Professional Teacher in Poland (Warsaw) [107]

Besides native pronounciation and accent

Are you still under the impression that there is only one pronunciation and accent in the UK? If so, you'll be in for a shock should you ever venture to these islands.

Also, if the OP claims to have taught 500 students, has been working for "top schools" in Warsaw, I don't understand why she does not have a network and why she needs to advertize in PF. All (good) teachers after one or two years have great network through which they find a lot of work and very often have to refuse work because too much (or too far...).

Perhaps money is the factor, you can't blame someone wanting to earn a bit more cash, especially if schools are closed for the summer. Anyway the OP didn't ask for advice, it was merely an advert in the classifieds, and not really our business.
Vincent   
9 Aug 2015
Classifieds / Private English Lessons by Experienced Professional Teacher in Poland (Warsaw) [107]

I take it you mean pronunciation.

What about Scottish, Welsh, Irish and English teachers, don't they have accents? What about every county in England and most cities within these counties, don't they have accents? Farther more how many foreign people have you met, who speak good English, but have a foreign accent? I have met people from all over Europe and was amazed by their standard of English, but they all had one thing in common, each had a foreign accent. My point is, if you can communicate with someone speaking their language it doesn't matter if you have an accent. It must be a shock for Polish people when they have completed a language course with one of your 'native speakers', then meet someone speaking English who is a native from Wolverhampton, Glasgow, Newcastle Liverpool etc, etc..
Vincent   
8 Aug 2015
Classifieds / Private English Lessons by Experienced Professional Teacher in Poland (Warsaw) [107]

Vincent, the difference is that I'm not marketing myself as a teacher of English to Poles or other foreign nationals

True, which makes me think (although you might speak and write good English) you might not have teaching skills, and your advise to the OP is irreverent.
Vincent   
8 Aug 2015
Classifieds / Private English Lessons by Experienced Professional Teacher in Poland (Warsaw) [107]

As InPolska pointed out, while the OP's English is very good, it isn't quite at the level of an idiomatically correct native speaker, plenty of whom live in Poland's main cities and provide English language lessons. So it may be that the OP would achieve more success teaching and translating to and from Russian, that being his or her own tongue.

The OP said

I have been living in Warsaw for 6 years, teaching English, Russian, and Ukrainian privately and full time at a prominent foreign language school in Warsaw.

I am top rated by my students and clients.

and

I am quite comfortable in my ability and capabilities: as I said, I have more than 20 years experience teaching English and indeed have been top rated (as in #1) by the organization(s) for which I have worked.

also

Here in Warsaw, I have taught more than 500 students.

The OP must be doing something right, and I'm sure she doesn't need advice from you, or anyone else who thinks they can do better than her. It's her classified and she is not asking any of you for advise on her teaching skills. Come back when you have the same trap record as the OP, and we can discuss your skills some more.
Vincent   
26 Jun 2015
Feedback / Staying on thread (re-closed) [26]

Vincent, why did she leave?

Sorry but it wouldn't be nice(or the right thing to do) to comment on other moderators, past or present. As Tom Hanks once said,"what happens on the mile, stays on the mile"
Vincent   
6 Apr 2015
Off-Topic / Spelling, grammar and punctuation task in English [12]

Imaginary Minister: No. In the first case, we have no mandate: in the last case, the decision is for is the Iraqi Government.

No need for the extra "is" before "the" in the last part of the sentence.
Vincent   
5 Apr 2015
Language / Pronunciation of English abbreviations in Poland [12]

A strange example is AIDS - I have read somewhere that in English it is pronounced letter by letter (although I am not sure if they were right), while in Polish it is pronounced like a single English word ("eyds").

They were incorrect.
Vincent   
5 Apr 2015
Feedback / Is the Administrator of the P.F. a Native Pole ? [80]

Oh for the love of Mary Vinny, isn't that EXACTLY what you just did. (Do as I say, not as I do.)

As a moderator I am entitled to answer any question a member has asked on a thread In which I may have been involved. A member asked why a certain thread was closed. That's what moderators do, if they know the answer.

YOU on the other hand, being one of the two British moderators here, have been here since 2007 starting ONLY ten threads in that time making it very easy to sit back and critisize others while they don't have that option because YOU post nothing here besides bullying members with your authority.

I might not have posted much, but I've put in many hours of my spare time, trying to keep the forums clean. Just because I'm not making threads doesn't mean I'm not putting work into into the site.

What do you think the Brit's Bullying Boys Club has been doing here without worrying about getting banned by the British moderators that show EXTREME prefential treatment toward Brit memebers and Brit's opinions. ???????

But the two Paulina mentioned, were two notorious British trolls. Guess it's time for you to look up recipes, on how to get egg from your face.

WHY haven't I been able to edit for the last two days ?
Time says I have time left to do it.

No idea, noone else has complained about this.
Vincent   
4 Apr 2015
Feedback / Is the Administrator of the P.F. a Native Pole ? [80]

That's unfair, Vincent, and not really true. Off-topics are a norm and not abnormality on internet forums. They happen often and it doesn't have to mean the users involved "have no respect for other members threads".

Here you go again, barging into another thread and ranting about something other than the subject of the thread. I'm afraid it is true you have no respect for other members threads. Shame that you claim to be an administrator on another forum as well, I would have thought you would have known better. If you must come here to rant, please do it in an appropriate thread, or in the bin. It would be less work for us.

I remember once bluesfan and delphiandomine were telling me that I should be a mod, when there was some sort of vacancy and I quite often disagreed with delph :) What were their reasons then?

It's not rocket science, they wanted someone on their side so that they could troll on the forums, without the worry of getting banned. Sorry to break this to you.
Vincent   
4 Apr 2015
Feedback / Is the Administrator of the P.F. a Native Pole ? [80]

By the way, why the thread about how safe Poland is was closed??

Can you not see the red message in the last post "Thread closed for cleaning"? Thanks to Harry and Paulina (who have no respect for other members threads) having another one of their personal battles, the thread went off topic and needs to be cleaned. Some of the posts have been removed, but there is still some more tiding up to be done before it is reopened. It is not top priority at the moment, but should be reopened later on today.

It is almost a miracle that i was not banned yet.

I agree it is close to being a miracle! However the net must be closing in around you because of your racist comments, and I don't think you will have many chances left, to be honest.
Vincent   
15 Feb 2015
Life / British sky satellite TV in Poland [87]

do you think I will get any replies as the last entry was 2013? Thanks

There is a good chance as the old thread is back on the front page again.
Vincent   
4 Jan 2015
Love / Addressing your Polish in-laws or boy/girlfriend's parents? [49]

Showing respect doesn't mean that you should be forced to use forced formalities.

Don't think anyone is forced, always thought it was part of Polish culture to show respect to elders, by addressing them correctly.
Vincent   
15 Dec 2014
News / Why is Amazon not present in Poland? [57]

In the very near future, Amazon will only be employing a handful of humans to manage their large holding centres, judging by this video...
Vincent   
28 Oct 2014
USA, Canada / Polish girlfriend visiting America, what to say at the border? [9]

She's never had an issue visiting me but I am curious when a possible issue will arise. Any advice for what to say at the border?

What issues are you expecting? It looks like she's just having holidays there.
Vincent   
18 Oct 2014
UK, Ireland / Do people in Poland live "better" than here in the UK? [150]

I think that you live in 'dreamland-cockooland ,- Most pubs in UK serve awful processed food as most of them don't even have proper kitchens.I would say that most people working there don't have much idea about cooking except warming dishes in microwave.

Not sure what pubs you have visited, if any at all? Most pubs are now making more money on food than they do on drinks, and if the food wasn't to a high standard then they would lose customers and may have to close down. To serve food to the public, they must obtain a licence, and this is only given when their kitchen is inspected by health inspector and meets all hygiene and safety demands. The health inspector will also return on frequent visits to check that the proprietor is still meeting health and safety regulations.

Do yourself a favour and try a Sunday roast in a nice country pub, then you can then talk from experience, instead of judging 'most' of the pub food in the UK from one grotty little pub at the end of your street;)
Vincent   
29 Sep 2014
Language / Polish learning material, is Colloquial Polish better than Michael Thomas? [3]

Depends if you want to speak, read and write Polish, or just listen and speak. Colloquial polish has a companion cd with the dialogs etc, but I think it is sold separate from the book. Michael Thomas is more of a listen and learn approach, although I think you can download some of the text from the dialog, via their website. Colloquial Polish give you the chance to see the text, and write the text, as well as hearing it, if you have the cd. There are also exercises to test what you have learned through out the book.
Vincent   
25 Sep 2014
Polonia / Volunteers from Poland in Novorossiya [90]

Polish Volunteers Arrived in Donetsk and Lugansk to Help the Novorussian Republic!

This news seems to be at least 4 months old (if it is true), have you got any updates on these alleged volunteers, and how can you tell for sure, that all the men in the photo are Polish?
Vincent   
21 Jul 2014
UK, Ireland / Why are Brits so left-wing? [60]

Also I have read on some Polish Forum an outrage that Poland will accept refuges from Malta who arrived there from Africa.

This has nothing to do with the title of this thread, please keep to the topic.