Language / Problems Polish People Have with Learning English [63]

In addition to the obvious differences between Polish and English which I didn't even bother mentioning, I've found too that many Poles, even the younger and better-travelled ones, typically absorb the US-African-American "ghetto slang", often at the expense of learning standard English.

So many can chatter away like California surfer-dude caricatures, and yet write abysmal sentences and appear almost illiterate:-)

My experiences though are mostly confined to the teenage Poles on school break I've encountered near where we lived in New York as well as some whom I had the misfortune to have as students here while on vacation!

Study / Pedagogical studies taught in English within Poland? [22]

Yes, there are such courses at certain of the universities specializing in those subjects. I believe the Jagiełłoń University in Kraków for instance offers courses of this nature to foreigners in particular and are most definitiely taught IN English by either bilingual or Polish native-speaking instructors as well as pedagogic specialists from other EU countries:-)

Haven't researched the subject in a while, but I think I recall correctly.

Best of luck!

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

In this way though, they're really no different from most other continental Europeans, particularly the Germans:-)

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

If the war's worth fighting, Johnny, like WWII, then I'd VOLUNTEER!!!

Language / Problems Polish People Have with Learning English [63]

Poles frequently have difficulty with natural syllabic stress of an English sentence.

"I want to go upstairs.", for instance, often sounds like "Aj uuont tu gao UPst'rs." etc.

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

Folks are gettin' awful tired of eternal gratitude there, Johnny! Wouldn't you?:-)

Can't say as I much blame 'em, constantly being reminded that THEY were the ones WE saved long ago.
Put yourself in their position for a change.

Real Estate / Finding rent in Poland without speaking Polish? [12]

Best use a trusted interpreter/confidant or bilingual friend to assist in even a seemingly straightforward transaction as renting a flat.

Poles can be a tricky bunch!

Life / Is it common for Polish people to speak English in Poland? [122]

I agree once again with Maf! It's awfully hard to gauge English standards internationally nowadays. What passes for English is often nothing other than garblish aka "globish garbage":-)

Recently, I was called in as a translator at a student conference for exchange students and the following interview took place between a young Italian engineering student and an Austrian national who was discussing job prospects in Europe:

Austrian rep.: Why you like to become engineer in Austria?
Italian woman: Languages is like, really crazy stuff, and like, uh, I really love English, and uh it's gonna be really
crazy working in another country 'cuz uh,......

Try rationalizing that, why don't youLOL

Life / Is it common for Polish people to speak English in Poland? [122]

A startling stat, if true!

Education has made inroads in many former deprived areas, and so with English training, I suppose this too will follow suit:-)

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

Gumishu, Poles in my experience ALWAYS help each other with jobs aka finding work through Black Market connections, intrigue and favor trading!

What worked during Communism also works today:-)

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

Let's hope you're right, DougPol:-)

Law / Are non-Polish senior citizens entitled to use free public transportation ? [20]

Very enlightening!

Anyone know or hazard a guess as to whether same applies to the rest of the EU?

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

Yep, and it's precisely this xenophobic which will prevent Britain from working together with her continental allies such as France and Germany.

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

You're right I'm sure, but where then would Britain turn as she has in the past? No man's an island, nor a nation:-)

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

One critical member, you mean! Oh, I guess the world, i.e. Europe, won't literally come to an end should Britain decide to exit, but it would most assuredly have severe reprecussions throughout much of the continent.

Of this one can be nearly certain, I think.

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

True. Yet without a "concert of Europe" (once proposed by Metternich, if I recall correctly), once more, the continent might be plunged into chaos, both economic and/or martial, with no neutral body to intervene. If the Brexit occurs, what will become of the International Court of Justice in the Hague, the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, or NATO??

I reiterate, the Brexit would be a disaster, for Britain at any rate, FAR WORSE than when Scotland threatened cessession several years back:-)

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

Back to the thread topic, it seems to me that stupidity vs. intelligence is again largely culture based, indeed a learned phenomenon. As Poland, compared, say, with Germany, England, France, or the United States, industrialized more slowly (owing to among other factors her severe losses during various wars, therefore a considerable financial deficit in her national coffers!), the perception abroad had often been that Poland aka Poles were a backwater lot, sluggish, lazy, loutish and drunken, lacking the native intelligence to perfect an infrastructure as in the above countries heretofore mentioned.

Interestingly, many Western Europeans in particular had frequently voiced the same observations concerning Africa, as a primitive continent which could never prosper, e.g. according to European standards.

Poland developed an inferiority complex, since the common shibboleth was that the only way she could progress would necessarily be through outside help, as he was allegedly incapable of providing for herself.

Well, Copernicus, Łobaczewski, Madame Curie, Kazimir Funk and a host of other talented scientists proved the naysayers dead wrong!!

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

Britain withdrawing from the EU would do irreparable harm to both the fabric of Britain as well as Europe as a whole!

Although from the United States, I've always seen Great Britain aka England as an integral European partner, despite perhaps the foolish parochialism of those who think of England as somehow "separate" from the Continent:-)

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

"I think I undersTOOd you WELL enough......"

Thinking is not knowing!:-))

"....you're an American and have no clue."

But you have I suppose, Mr. Wiech the Brilliant??!

"You have MY E-mail ADDRESS."

Yes, I have.

Sorry to correct your English. It's a messy job, by someone's got to do itLOL

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

As I mailed you shortly ago, you clearly misunderstood (either unintentionally or on purpose) my post! By definition, helping someone through whatever means necessary entails some sort of pull or bribery, face it!

If Poles, Russians and others in the Black Market didn't work slightly less than kosher deal making, they wouldn't have survived! Honest?
Of course there are honest and trustworthy Poles, Russians etc., only during the Cold War, honesty didn't get you very far:-)

This doesn't mean that being crooked is somehow part of the Polish DNA any more than murderous anti-semitism and slavish devotion to order is intrinsically German (although many have tried to prove that it is!), does it?

Possibly, as with certain others on PF, your English skills might not be up to the job, so kindly admit to a communication glitch and I'd be happy to write more simply next time.

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

Oh, you're very much mistaken, Panie Wiechu!

Poles, as with the rest of those from formerly Communists aka Black Market countries, do indeed help one another through bribery (łapówki) and favor trading, just like those from the Old Silk Road:-)

Please, don't insult our intelligence.

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

...the fastest RECORDED human....
:-)

Statistically, there are no fewer non-Jewish chess grandmasters than Jewish:-)
Some chess mavens, both Jewish and gentile, have contended that in sheer number of games won vs. number of new strategies invented, Alexander Alekhine (a Russian non-Jew!!) may have been the most successful chess player of all time.

In short, stereotypes are based upon according to which yardstick we measure such perception, and nothing else.

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

What group doesn't help the other, Mr. Wiech? Germans help Germans, Poles help Poles etc..

While to a large extent it is true that Eastern Europeans for instance tend to use more black-market
trickery aka bribery to get jobs than perhaps the average Swede or Brit, don't forget that before the Sicilian mob in America, it was the Irish (Boss Tweed etc.) who taught the US the meaning of pull:-)

What do you mean "worry" about stereotypes? It's not only that some Americans can't find their own country on a map of the world, most couldn't even identify POLAND on a world map at first glance without at least some coaching:

Newscaster: As you can see, (using a pointer)....
Assistant: Ahemm. you're pointing to Finland,....now you're in Russia,...THERE!!
Now you're in Poland!

LOL

Study / Wroclaw vs Warsaw vs Cracow? - Which city is better for education? [10]

Something tells me Warsaw/Varsovia, then again, I've only been to Poland once and that was a long time ago:-)

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

@Polonius et al, the Jews are no more astute in business per se than Negroes are excellent in sports simply because they're Negroes, and necessarily poor in math and science simply because of same!

If you've studied the history of the Jews, you'd realize that they were forbidden from entering any field aka professional guilds as were the Christians. They were even forbidden from serving their country in the military!

As they were forced to become money lenders, tax collectors and enter other "unpopular" fields, off limits to gentiles because money changing was considered sinful and therefore forbidden, they simply were forced to hone certain skills, possibly anathema to them under more normal circumstances.

As you grow older, you'll find that there are usually as many exceptions to the rule as examples of it:-)

Life / Stereotypes about Polish people being stupid? [281]

Any sort of national stereotype is just that, the result of ignorance and bigotry. Frankly, I wouldn't even dignify this thread with a reply.

Work / Opportunities for a foreign student seeking an work Internship in Poland? [5]

Can,

If language skills are the issue standing between you and employment in Poland following your internship, then for heaven's sake take a basic language course, precisely as if I for instance, an American, were seeking work in Turkey, I too would have to learn at least the foundation of the local lingo:-)

Although as in the rest of Europe, English is widely used and spoken (particularly among other non-native English speakers working in multinational corporations!), there's NEVER a legitimate substitute for learning the language of the country in which you're living, and especially, working.

Other than as a mere tourist, foreign languages when interacting with others on a daily basis might not get you as far as you think!

Tebrikkler,

Many find learning a foreign language time consuming and onerous, yet not doing so will only make things tougher later on! Certainly, there are sure to be internships where the target language isn't required, but I assume you want to get to know Polish people, not simply hang out your entire stay with other Turks:-)

Travel / World youth day - Częstochowa, Poland [34]

I'm not Catholic (nor even Polish!), but I think right here in New Jersey, Polish-Americans are making their own pilgrimage to an American shrine of their own:-)

Not entirely related to your friendly post, but thought I'd pass along the info anyhow.

DOBREJ ZABAWY!!

UK, Ireland / Where to find friendly Polish people in London? [16]

Where to find friendly Polish people in London?

Likely much the same place as where to find friendly English people in Warsaw; in a bloomin' pub:-)

Work / South African wants to move to Poland, please provide some input? [59]

Oh, yes RubasznyRumcajs! I know basically fluent Dutch and can meander a bit through Afrikaans, despite the legion false friends between the two languages:-) In most of Scandinavia, English is so widespread, I've even experienced Swedes and Danes chatting together in English, blissfully unaware of how ridiculous it sounds or even how their mistakes aren't picked up by the other, unless really egregious.

Afrikaans reminds me of 'baby Dutch', sort of in arrested development since the Southern Dutch first emigrated to South Africa in the early 1800's.