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Where did you start or the best techniques for learning Polish. [85]
The reasons you give, are to my mind, usually the best reasons for learning any foreign language.
In addition, a good way of learning the inflections, cadences, even sometimes the structure of a new language, is by listening to the typical transference errors made by native speakers of that language in English:-)
Poles for instance will frequently omit either the definite or indefinite article when speaking English! This then is a clue that article use is still strange for them because they lack any point of reference in their native tongue. Sometimes, I will hear conversely many Poles say, "Should I start with THE number one?", rather than "Should I start with number one?", because they will use the article where it doesn't belong.
Another tendency Poles tend to have, at least in class, is to address a stranger, authority figure or their teacher, by their given name preceded by "Mr." or "Ms.", for example, "Good morning, Mr. Adam!", instead of "Good morning, Adam!" etc.
I am aware though that in the US, down South, one will often hear, "Hi there, Ms. Charlotte!", more so however in small communities or among older people.
