Work / Working in Poland without speaking Polish [75]

On another note, when I first had any dealings with Polish people, I couldn't speak a syllable of the language either, and so relied on German. Many did not know English. I met a client from Poznań aka Posen and said to me in German that he wished to "absprechen" (odmówić/odmawiać) our appointment for the following day. Thinking he meant "to firm up" or "confirm" as in German, I arrived at the appointed spot, at the appointed hour, but of course he never showed. As the Polish expression means "absagen" (to cancel) in German, the guy figured he was breaking our engagement, rather than confirming it.

Needless to say, there was equal embarrassment on both our sides!

Work / Working in Poland without speaking Polish [75]

Hmmm, sort of a fool's paradise, if you'll gently allow me for saying so. I might leave for Hawaii tomorrow, basking beneath the palms, a cool drink in my hand, azure waters lapping at my feet and feel as if this were heaven on earth. Were I though to show serious and respectful interest in Hawaian culture, apart from her touristic blandishments, I would probably want to learn something of the language and engage in true communication with her people in THEIR native tongue, not mine, in order to derive some lasting benefit from the experience.

If you though prefer to sit on the sidelines as life in Poland goes by, enjoy her food and entertainment, while letting others do the understanding for you, I guess what's your pleasure is your privilege!

Enjoy!

PS
If your partner speaks no German (or even little English) and you even less Polish, seems to me, you're looking for a concubine, rather than a serious relationship:-) Just my two cents worth, that's allLOL

Work / Working in Poland without speaking Polish [75]

The question is, JollyRomek, were you there on business or purely pleasure? In the latter instance, there's some justification for what you said. Most of us err on the side of taking the path of very least resistance:-) The greater the effort however indoubitably yields more rewarding results in the long run!

Work / Working in Poland without speaking Polish [75]

Yes, but I speak the national language! Those ex-pats who live in Poland and don't are left out, period:-)

Perhaps if one is simply travelling on business, being met by a US-pickup service at Modlin Airport and then shuttled to the Warsaw Hilton, or something, so as to avoid contact with the locals, then I'd say for the purposes of sheer practicality, "No reason to know Polish!".

This is though an isolated example. Other than that, I reiterate adamantly that working in a foreign country (even for a flagship firm from the home country or a multi-national) should make it incumbent upon the employee to learn at least a modicum of the language, basic phrases or daily expression etc.

Work / Working in Poland without speaking Polish [75]

Just to reiterate, there are doubtless tons of jobs in ANY country one can get without knowing the national language! 'Happens here in the States every friggin' day, e.g. the local coffee shop worker who knows only Spanish etc....

Thing is, without knowing, say Polish in Poland, you're simply left out of the rest of society!

But if you're happy living in isolation, congregating with other Yanks, Brits or Aussies, whatever floats yer boat, dude:-)

Work / Working in Poland without speaking Polish [75]

As a manager here in the States, I would simple NEVER hire someone who didn't speak English fluently, with as little intrusive first-language interference as humanly possible! Polish is a "hard" language??? Well, so is English. Therefore, JUST DEAL WITH IT!

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

Priceless, Polonius!!!!LOL

Language / What are the hard aspects of Polish according to its learners? - home essay [21]

I agree, Wiem! I continue to have to think, even re-think, when I'm writing (as well as on occasion, speaking) whether for instance, it's "przynosi" or "przyniosi" etc. along sometimes with whether I'm speaking perfectively or imperfectively. Usually, I'll nail it from the get go, other times, I'm slightly less sure:-) Italian though, like many Romance languages, has far more "irregular" verb conjugations than Polish. I'm simply more familiar with them, that's all.

Furthermore, I find myself second guessing my own instincts. What I never have to even think about in German, I often have to think twice about in Polish!

Stuff like "On śpiewał w swojim pokoju." vs. "On ZAśpiewał koncert w Krakowie." are basically clear to me by now. Nonetheless, I console myself in the knowledge that Poles frequently make analogous errors in English with simple vs. continuous tenses, e.g. "How many language are you speaking, Mark?" vs. "How many languages DO YOU speak..?" etc.

Language / What are the hard aspects of Polish according to its learners? - home essay [21]

The numbering continues to be a challenge for me as well. I write though better than I speak:-)

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

TheOther, I was only being sarcastic:-) For a minute though, I thought this was gonna be another "The Jews were responsible for their own fate..!" type deal, sorry!

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

....which was, namely??? No, we don't know, but we're sure dying to find outLOL

History / Terrible past for the Jews in Poland? [930]

It is a fact that Jews and Jews alone were blamed by the Nazis especially as harbingers of despised Communism, therefore demonized as none other to become symbols of all that is evil, corrupt and pernicious in the world, not the Gypsies etc. Only the "international Jew" was perceived as a direct threat! The failed Eisner government before 1919 in Bavaria was seen as proof of what happens when Jewish Communist try and take over. Sources??!

How curious that sources are required in order to confirm basic facts of history, whereas no such sources are ever (or rarely!!) required among anti-semites for evidence as to why the Jews are evil. THAT they accept at face value:-)

A bit hypocritical, don't you think?

Language / What are the hard aspects of Polish according to its learners? - home essay [21]

Welsh is in fact an excellent analogy! It's almost as mutated as Polish (and, what I'm told, far less predictable).
Actually, there are many languages out there with even greater irregularities. For me, the number quirks along with the aspectual distinctions were what I had trouble with at the start.

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Erika, I take it you're also looking for a native English speaker to help improve your English?
marekzgerson@yahoo

Don't be fooled by the moniker, I'm an English native speaker:-)

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Dzięki, Piotrowi Olsztynu aka 'Peter Allenstein' LOL

I readily realize the mistake....(yes, it was a basic one, apologies)

@Danny,

As I said, I started running out of patience with the halting English of my friends from Rzeszow, and so I decided I'd better simply bone up on my Polish.

While I'm scarcely chastising the Germans I encountered for not knowing Emily Dickenson, if one doesn't know literature, how is one to (literally!!!) sound literate in the language they are speaking?? Once there was a higher standard in America. Even TV was once the gold-plate ring which we all strove to emulate, e.g. the late Walter Cronkite, Jack Paar etc..

See any of those guys on the horizon?? I sure don't!

Back to Polish, I always loved Jan Brzechwa's verse, used to play Chopin and was hooked on Polish cinema. So, there ya go:-)

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Believe me, Danny boy, it's no big deal! Same in Germany! Soooooo many Germans insisted on speaking English with me until they heard my German. They never had to revert back to English:-)

For one thing, I took the trouble to read Goethe, Grass and Boell! The Germans I met, didn't even bother to read Stephen Crane, Hawthorne or Emily Dickenson. American "culture"??? 'Coulda knocked 'em over with a featherLOL

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Informatik = Information technology (I.T.)

Hmm, sounds interesting! Zatem potrzebujesz jezyk angielski dla tej pracy:-)

Are you from a suburb (przedmiasto) of Poznań? I unfortunately only know Szczecin from first-hand knowledge.
I'm happy to point out mistakes, as I trust you in turn won't hesitate to point out mine!

I learned Polish for mostly practical purposes. Whilst I have no family in Poland, I do have acquaintances (znajome) with whom I'm still regularly in touch. Frankly speaking, their English is so halting, I find it easier to simply talk to them in Polish.

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Dzięki, Looker!

To byli prawdopodobnie tylko błędy typograficzne przecież się uczyłem regułów gramatyki polskiego już w szkole, ale jednak jestem bardzo wdzięczny za Twoje poprawienia:-)

Bearing the mods' warning in mind, I wish to thank you once again (in English) for kindly pointing out some basic bloopers which I shouldn't have made, being as I DID learn them in class, once upon a timeLOL

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Cześć!

Co studiujesz na uniwersytecie? Urodziłes się w Poznaniu? Zrobisz błąd typiczny wszystkich Polaków: Zapomniałes rodzaj "a" w Twojim drugim zdaniu "I am A beginner.."

marekzgerson@yahoo

Powodzenia!
Marek

Please note that Polish language is only acceptable in the Rozmowy Po Polsku forum or when explaining translations.

History / Dacians in Poland [18]

The word references I found especially interesting. Regrettably, many links remain inactive and thus are hard to access:-))

History / Dacians in Poland [18]

An enlightening post, Crow! Many thanks:-)

History / Dacians in Poland [18]

Some people I know have attributed the appearance of Poles in and around the vicinity of Kraków as evidence of a Celtic influence in the Polish physiognomy. It is definitely true that there are a number of "Polish looks", not only one, and that Poles from various regions of the country look different from one another, depending upon the influence of their ancestors' origins.

Language / Polish Language Exchange Thread [144]

Ciao there, Zbiszku!

If you have mutual interest in exchanging your educated, native Polish for a few pointers in English from a native English-speaking equivalent, I'd be only too pleased to offer my humble services:-) I also speak Polish, and therefore, might be able to show you things which a monolingual Anglophone (or a Polish native speaker) might not.

marekzgerson@yahoo