Study / Various education and school issues in Poland. Opinions, stories, controversies. [1006]

Maf is correct regarding Polish modals. Indeed, often when Polish uses such verbs as "musiec", roughly "must" in English, we would probably use "should" or "ought to" instead.

As an applied linguist by training, I've found that (successful) language learning usually requires that the learner abandon preconceived notions of WHY something is, but rather accept WHAT that something is, and then attempt to internalize it.

Obviously, much more easily said than done:-)

Study / Various education and school issues in Poland. Opinions, stories, controversies. [1006]

Thanks, pawian:-)

My Polish students typically struggle with modal verbs, since, as you know being a native Polish speaker, our modals work a little differently.

Study / Various education and school issues in Poland. Opinions, stories, controversies. [1006]

Seems a straightforward enough test. Didn't notice any typos, if that's what you meant.

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Tak jest, kaprys! Tytul tej ksiazki zapomnialem:-)
Bardzo spodobala mi sie!

Language / Extremely Hard - Polish the hardest language to learn [226]

You're correct, Delph!

The regular "irregularity" though of Polish orthography beats the "irregular" irregularity of English spelling by a country furlong:-)

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Czy znacie "Polski straszny jezyk" od Jana Miotka?

Language / Extremely Hard - Polish the hardest language to learn [226]

Furthermore, what in English spelling/pronunciation could ever hope to prepare a Pole for orthographic nightmares such as "pflegm", "reign", and the like:-)

Language / Extremely Hard - Polish the hardest language to learn [226]

Such an observation says far more about your insecurities than it does about me, Rich:-)
Once more, code-switching is as run of the mill for Poles as the "everybody on a first name basis" is in the US.
Language acquisition remains the most "childLIKE" (as opposed to "childISH") of human pursuits, as it forces us to rethink, almost
to relive, life in someone else's body, thinking, and cultural/linguistic environment.

Language / Extremely Hard - Polish the hardest language to learn [226]

That's what makes language colorful, precise, above all, mesmerizing!

By the way, Polish spelling makes sooooo much more sense than English orthography, it's not funny.

Language / Extremely Hard - Polish the hardest language to learn [226]

Exactly, Delph!

Rich is just being his obstreperous self today:-)

Language / Extremely Hard - Polish the hardest language to learn [226]

Right on there, RubasznyRumcajs!

Hungarian I find less "involved" than its generally fearsome reputation.
Unlike say, Finnish, I eventually learned from my Hungarian tutor, only about half of the twenty-odd
cases in the language are actually used in daily communication. Writing of course, is always a different
story entirely:-)

Polish is very register-specific, as with many languages, and therefore particular attention must always
be paid to the relationship between the speaker and their interlocutor, in terms of age and social standing.

If you know someone relatively well, for instance, an "American-style 'friend' (European 'acquaintance'!),
"Ty" would be generally acceptable. Otherwise, "Pan", "Pani" is the safest way to go!

Food / Polish kishka [76]

The "bigoTs" I could do without, however the bigoS can't get enough of:-) S&D Deli, eh? Have to remember that!
lol

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Nie prawda!

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Swiadkow juz masz, kaprys.

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Ale definitywnie chce cwiczyc, a teraz pocwicze, aby odpowiedzic Twoje wiadomosci:-)

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Tak, rowniez:-)

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1199]

Nice riposte, Dougpol1!

While others here will doubtless have their own disagreements, the lesson of NATO in general, is that NO single nation can always, consistently
go it alone; everyone needs help from time to time:-)

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Jako cudzodziemiec znam polski lepiej niz najbardziej amerykaninow:-)
Twoje znajomosci angielskiego sa niezle, ale jednak musisz coraz robic postepy.
Cwiczenie czyni mistrza, Jaskier!

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1199]

To my mind, although I haven't lived in Europe for quite some time now, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Jaskier, moj komentarz ma sens, co mowisz? To bzdura!

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Co to znaczy, Jaskier?

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Ludzie, piszcie po polsku!

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

No, ciekawy bylem. Dziekuje za odpowiedz:-)

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Znowu chce zdawac Ci pytanie, gdzie i jak dlugo mieszkales w Austrii! Wyslalem Ci przedwczoraj wiadomosci a az do tego czasu nie
dostalem odpowiedzi,

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Zrobilem bledy, tylko "Ja" byloby poprawne w tym przypadku, gdzie zaakcentowalem, ze JA a nie TY.
Normalnie nigdy nie pisze zaimkow po polsku:-)

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

@Ironside, stop using GoogleTranslate.

@Towarszysz,
Juz znam ludzi ze Slasku, tylko tutaj w USA, nie w Polsce.
Ja wybacze, ze nie moge Ci pomagac:-)

Po polsku / Katowice-gdzie mogę spotkać ludzie? [58]

Serwus, Irlandczyku!

Witamy do nas a skad pochodzisz w Irlandii?
tarsape@gmail.com

Love / Why do Polish guys stare a lot? And what does that mean? [14]

Off the subject momentarily, but my experience apopos of nothing in particular with the Polish women I've met is that more than a minority can often come across like a bunch of dramaramas, that is, coming on forcibly loud, cocky, and willing to make a mountain out of a molehill at the drop of a hat!

Love / Why do Polish guys stare a lot? And what does that mean? [14]

I've heard from several of my students, that extended, perhaps "unwelcome" facial gazing, is also quite common in Brazil.
This applies to simply staring at strangers on the street, in the tram, train, wherever.

A young Brazilian man told me, if someone looks interesting to another person, perhaps even a stranger, or the Brazilians are merely trying to make friendly contact, that it happens a great deal both in the large cities and in the smaller towns.

News / Petition for War Crimes Reparations for Poland [126]

Don't forget about Fritz Strassmann, Weimarer.