Language / Some suggestions for Polish soft consonants and difficult word pronunciations [17]

Polish people know some French. There are plenty of Polish immigrants and French citizens with Polish ethnicity and ancestry from the Napoleon days. In the past, it was France, not England, that wanted an independent Poland, and it was France, not England, that made the FIRST treaty to protect her independence. France is a natural, historical ally to Poland.

Language / Some suggestions for Polish soft consonants and difficult word pronunciations [17]

My father is French, so the "ą" shouldn't be much of a problem for me. When I listen to Polish, however, I noticed that the stress is not always obvious and could throw you for a loop. I'm having the same problem as the OP, in combining letters because the "z" sounds like a different letter entirely. For example, spotkanie z balladą or w drugim. Polish speakers make it sound effortless.

Language / Some suggestions for Polish soft consonants and difficult word pronunciations [17]

It's difficult for English speakers to speak the last two vowels of wziąć and sound somewhat intelligible to a native Polish speaker, in my not so humble opinion (IMHO).

We are told to speak the Polish vowel "ą" like the English word "on", and we are told that "ć" is closer to the English "ch" in cheese. It's difficult to know what's stressed or how your lips and tongue are supposed to work together to produce the right sound for the right word. Polish sounds like a snake crawling around.

Language / Some suggestions for Polish soft consonants and difficult word pronunciations [17]

This is a good question. I'm looking for information on this subject, too. If you find anything, let me know.