Language / Super fast Polish language learning strategies from internet polyglots [29]


Off-topic, but funnily enough, science terms aren't that much of a problem, indeed many terms are easy to deduce because they look like the Latin/Greek equivalent, depending upon how advanced the dicussion goes. I often buy "Focus" and "21 Wiek" in Poland, and normally I can understand them. I can also, for example, talk about astronomy (I subject which I like), because constellations (If you use the Latin scientific names) and "most" stars have the same name.

Language / Super fast Polish language learning strategies from internet polyglots [29]

An important point here is, could you actually talk about the stuff in your own language as well. I could talk about weather, movies, some subjects in science for example, but if someone starts talking to me about politics, mythology or biochemistry I'd be lost in my own language, never mind in Polish :D

Language / Super fast Polish language learning strategies from internet polyglots [29]

This discussion is making its way around all the forums I've been to today.

@slick578

I've followed along with these sites for a while now, and to be honest, I don't think it's possible to learn any language if you lack the motivation. No Internet guru is going to make you feel any different. Learning a language involves a lot of hard work, and discipline. People are always trying to look for simple and quick solutions and shortcuts. If you lack motivation, you need to find out why and resolve this issue first.


Irish Polyglot never claimed to have passed the C2 exam, if fact he openly admitted to failing it. It says so on his page. He also admits his Czech mission was a failure, and he didn't achieve fluency. People continually quote him out of context. I don't agree with the name of his site, but the advice he gives is generally good. What's important is the fact that he does speak several languages, and I'm pretty sure he can hold a decent conversation in German.


I think you underestimate how difficult Polish is for English speakers, it's going to take more than 3 months to become fluent. Maybe after 3 months of total immersion you could hold simple conversations. I'm happy to be proved wrong however. I salute anyone who has managed to achieve this.

However, I DO believe that an English speaker could get to a near fluent level in say Spanish within a 3 month total immersion (Studying 12 hours a day, etc.), but Polish, no way. I've been here nearly two years, and I'm only just starting to feel comfortable with the language, I have some way to go before I will consider myself as fluent

Language / So why did you give up learning Polish? [105]

Of course the language's usefulness is relative to the person learning it. To me, it's very useful because I live here, my girlfriend is Polish, and lots of people I know here only speak Polish. I also obtained Polish citizenship because my granddad was Polish.

What keeps pushing me to continue learning is the embarassing moments when somebody tries to talk to you and you can't answer like you want (English simply doesn't cut it either). The feeling of achievement and reward when you can make yourself understood and understand people is second to none. I've been learning passively for over 2 years, and although I can now understood most of the things people say and on TV, I still have a long way to go. I often think about quitting as it's really hard, but the simple need to communicate always brings me back. I started learning Polish before moving to Poland (and not knowing I would ever live in Poland), and I found that useful because there were lots of Polish people were I lived.

I have also started learning Spanish, and after learning Polish, Spanish seems like a walk in the park. I admit that if I had instead learnt Spanish, I'd probably be fluent by now, but Spanish simply isn't that useful for me, and I'm not looking for points on my CV.

The language might not be useful on my CV, but it's useful for communicating with people, who otherwise I wouldn't be able to talk to. It's a great stepping-stone for other slavic-languages, and even helpful for learning an easier language (Strange grammar will no longer shock you, :P)

Language / Problems remembering Polish vocabulary [20]

Not quite a frequency list, but this PDF has a list of the most common words: polish.slavic.pitt.edu/other/minimum.pdf

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]

The photocard license clearly has an expiry date and one can easily see the license has expired. The paper part of the license has a different expiry date (Mine is when I reach 70). So technically the paper part of the license still proves the entitlement of a license in the UK.

The photocard license must be renewed once every 10 years, and it is illegal to drive without it.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]


But can you use an expired photocard license?

Genealogy / Half-Polish. How to obtain a dual nationality quickly? [15]

I'd say there isn't much of a chance, it took me around 3 months before I got the confirmation of citizenship, and that was whilst I was in Poland ringing up and pestering them every week.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]

Yes, I work for an British company and still pay tax and NI in the UK, but I don't have a home address, so I used my Dad's. I was honest, and they were fine with this. I told them I had no intention of swapping it for a Polish license.

However in your case, I can see it's much more complex because technically you live and work in Poland. I believe, they will send you a license out, but only if you have the intention of returning to the UK. It might be worth phoning them and saying that you will be returning to the UK within the next few months and you need to renew your license.

Good Luck :-)

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]

I was in the same boat. I phoned the DVLA, explained the situation to them, and they posted me out the D1 form to Poland, which I sent back with a photograph, a cheque. I used my dad's address on the license and was told this wouldn't be a problem. They posted the license back to Poland.

Study / Want to do a PL course in Krakow this month. Where recommended? [5]

Have you tried just having private lessons, you can do this fairly cheaply if you look around. I did my lessons over Skype, and I would argue it beats the hell out of doing it in a class. The teacher will suit the lessons just for you, you aren't slowed down, and you always get the chance to speak and not wait for others to catch up. Plus being in a class with other English speakers beats the point unless you all force yourselves to speak Polish (Which is difficult).

That being said, the only thing missing is the social aspect of it.

Life / Are Poles typically nasty people? [42]

I wouldn't say they were nasty, but some can come across like that to English/Americans who are used to over-the-top customer service, and political correctness.

I have found that Polish, and Germans/French for that matter.. are more to the point, and don't use long phrases such as "Sorry for bothering you, but would you mind doing this for me, as long as it's ok?"

And anyway, you can't judge an entire country based on what a few angry people post on an Internet forum.

Language / Do Poles prefer US American or UK English language? [147]

I'm curious, when you teach English, do your students pick up your accent? (That is, assuming you have one ;-))

Language / Do Poles prefer US American or UK English language? [147]

What is British English anyway? There are so many different English accents in such a small area that to me it doesn't really matter anymore. Is it the way the queen speaks? Because I don't know anyone (Personally), apart from the royal family and politicians who speak like that, and that accent is awful.

I'm guessing it wont be long before International English becomes LOLZspeak "I can has cheeze burger" :P. I frequently seen non-native English people write like this now. It won't be long before people actually speak like that too.

Law / Advantages of getting Polish citizenship [24]

There are a few advantages that I can see, but nothing major especially if you already have EU citizenship. I got my Polish citizenship a few months after arriving here and it enabled me to register permanently, easily open a bank account and also travel around most of Europe using just my ID card (Nothing major as I already have an EU passport).

If I didn't get citizenship, then they still would of let me register for longer than 3 months and open a bank account, but I would imagine it would be a more involved process. To me there are three advantages:

1) As someone has already said, it's a good feeling when you finally get it.
2) You get treated less like a foreigner when you want to, e.g. Buy a car, land, open a bank account, get a mobile phone contract. All these are possible already if you have EU citizenship, but I'd imagine they are a little easier if you have Polish citizenship.

3) Who knows what will happen in the future, maybe having a Polish passport will let you travel into certain areas easier, e.g. Without visa restrictions.

UK, Ireland / Moving from Ireland to Poland [29]

All I can say is, it ain't all it's cut up to be. I did the same thing, and after the honeymoon period is over, you will begin to face reality and understand why lots leave. When you first move there it will feel like you are still on holiday, but once settled down, you will begin to experience the reality.

Firstly, good luck finding work, especially one which pays you as well as you get in Ireland. Here, the most important thing is to Learn Polish!!!!. Don't rely on your wife to do everything for you. Learning the language, and speaking it with your wife is extremely important. Especially if you value your own independence.

You will be shocked at how hard some things are compared to Ireland. Bureaucracy is often a frustrating process especially if you don't speak Polish or don't know somebody who can help you with everything. Also be prepared for a culture shock when you experience customer service here, a smile is a rarity (Unlike in Ireland).

As for the average cost of living, it all depends on where you want to go. I believe you could live comfortably of 3-4000zl a month. If you move out of town, then the costs will be less (But then you have less chance of finding work).

Buying land and a house is cheaper than it is in Ireland, and I would highly recommend you stay in Poland whilst the home is being built (To checkup, etc..). Once done, I would recommend you go back to Ireland to pay of your mortgage. (At least then you will have something to look forward to).

I'm only being frank with you, but unless you have something really good to offer on the Polish job market, you are much better off staying in Ireland. Also, ask yourself, why did your wife leave Poland in the first place?

Sorry if I sound like a killjoy, but I'm only sharing my experience. Others may have a very different experience than I have. Good luck

UK, Ireland / Poles living in the UK returning home or not? [63]

At least most Polish people are willing to work in the UK and work hard, most scum/chavs don't want to work, they just bash out a couple of kids by the age of 18 and drain the benefits system. Let more Polish in, and throw the chavs out.

Language / Any sites with podcasts in Polish? [17]

Thank you. I used to listen to the bloggy Polish blog, but they haven't updated it in a long time.

Food / Your all time favourite Polish Dishes! [108]


Pierogi covered with Pudliszki's spicy tomato sauce. Delicious :P, yum yum *drool*

Language / średniozaawansowany prodręcznik do nauki polskiego [8]

The hurra po polsku books are great if you have a tutor, or are learning in a class, but I wouldn't recommend using them on your own. The books are completely in Polish, and without a tutor, they won't explain to you clearly why things are. They are perfect to go through as additional practice though, once you have learnt the material elsewhere. If on the other hand you have someone who can go through the book with you, then I highly recommend them.

However, for working on your own I would recommend, "cześć jak się masz II". This is at level A2 in Polish and it is a very good course book. There are dialogs, good explanations, and lots of chances to practice. There is even an assessment test at the end of the book. Also, unlike some other Polish books, I found this one pleasant to look at, and nicely illustrated. The book flows on nicely from the previous level A1 book, and there are also additional more advanced books that follow for level B1, B2, etc..

Food / Poles prefer pizza & kebab? [64]

The only kebab I got which was served by a Turkish person was in the train station in Krakow. It was nice as well :-)

Life / Any Polish channels with closed captioning? Reality TV shows? [7]

Yeah there are, just not for every program. I've used them a few times

Language / Dzięki temu...... ? [8]

It means "Thanks to that......", like you are thanking something for something

Like thanks to that, I can now buy a house.

Dzięki temu,

Law / Opening a Polish Bank Account by a foreigner in Poland. Recommendations. [299]

Try mBank.pl. They let you open a bank account using your passport and they speak English. Although you will need to be present in Poland at the time as they will send a courier to your home to sign some documents.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Shouldn't that be "ten kierowca" and "ten dentysta"?

Law / Polish EU Drivers Licence - can I get one the easy way (by paying for it)? [185]

WTF people, if you want a driving license then go and do the test and pass. I had to, and I'm sure most other people did. I guess it's your problem if you crash and kill yourself, but it certainly isn't fair on the other person you decide to kill.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


I didn't conceive this sentence and I would certainly never use it. It's an example of the somewhat chaotic verb system in English. I know from experience, i.e. being round lots of Poles learning English, that lots of them cannot grasp the different tenses, especially not in normal speech. If you're Polish and you can then congratulations :-)

Also, I'm certainly not a teacher, and I'm definitely not qualified to comment on English grammar. If anything, I know more about Polish grammar because I've studied it, I rarely think about the grammar in my own language unless my g/f asks me a question.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]

Chinese has my vote as the most difficult, at least for an European ;-)