Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

Although multi-culturalism clearly hasn't worked as planned, the fact is that civilized ADULT humans are often forced to make the best out of a less than favorable situation, and torching asylum shelters, beating up foreigners in frustration (or for sport!!), daubing hate messages on all media etc. is not something which mature, thinking people should ever be encouraged to do:-)

Always put oneself in the uncomfortable position of the minority aka migrant foreigner. They're usually just an unwitting pawn in international money games which governments have always played, among them "Here's mine, this is yours.....NOW LET'S FIGHT FOR IT!!!"

lol

Law / Polish citizen moving back from USA to the EU (Ireland or Netherlands) with American partner [31]

@Maf, although the Dutch speak proverbially fluent English, this by no means signifies that when I've been to the Netherlands, I don't speak Dutch with them in order to insure we both UNDERSTAND one another fluently:-)

Klaudia, if you moved to the States when you were eight, how old are you now? I ask, because normally one never really "unlearns" their mother tongue, except consciously:-) You wrote that at present your English is better than your Polish. Many in my aquaintenceship have claimed similarly that they've forgotten their birth language, though after conversing with them at some length, it turns out that in the end, both their first AS WELL AS their second language have a foreign accentLOL

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

There is in English a huge difference between being "racist" and "bigoted"! A racist despises all races different from his own and wishes them ill, or worse. A bigot tolerates all races different from his or hers, they merely don't wish to be in their company, yet will endure the experience and hold their noses:-)

Law / Polish citizen moving back from USA to the EU (Ireland or Netherlands) with American partner [31]

Klaudia, when I was first in Europe, I'd have found it no end frustrating, not to mention just plain BORING, not to understand what my neighbors were saying, both at home as well as in public!

True, many Netherlanders do speak English quite well, but, as we international types know all too well, there's always that invisible "brick wall", beyond which we simply cannot pass:-) Had I been forced to use English in either Holland or Poland without knowing either of those languages, I'd have nearly gone nuts:-)

For me, it went beyond courtesy; it was sheer survival.

Law / Polish citizen moving back from USA to the EU (Ireland or Netherlands) with American partner [31]

Right on, rozumiemnic:-)

I somehow think Pani Klaudia will sooner or later come round to our way of thinking, don't you?

Furthermore, certain European countries such as Germany I believe, require a rudimentary language "test" upon becoming a citizen, also covering entitlement to such things as medical benefits for one or both of the couple and child/children etc.

In addition, perhaps were you two American nationals, some consideration might be allowed for not being required to know Dutch. However, as one of you is an American aka English native speaker and the other isn't, such consideration might not pass muster.

Moreover, Poles unfortunately have a reputation as inexpensive, lower-skilled labor throughout much of the EU, thus the Netherlands might well look down upon yet "one more Polish national" with no Dutch knowledge expecting the Dutch to cater to their language needs by speaking English, whereas part of basic respect when moving abroad involves the courtesy of learning the language of the host country which is sponsoring you!!

Law / Polish citizen moving back from USA to the EU (Ireland or Netherlands) with American partner [31]

Precisely, rozumiemnic!

As I've always maintained, for a brief romp through urban Europe, no other lingua franca other than English is required.
However, for LIVING aka STUDYING, WORKING abroad, I also steadfastly maintain that knowledge of the target language is essential, lest one forever remain a pariah.

Law / Polish citizen moving back from USA to the EU (Ireland or Netherlands) with American partner [31]

Klaudziu,

I'd also focus seriously on learning at least "basic" Dutch, while improving your English of course:-)

Love / Polish Girl Friend (Im Turkish) [30]

Guest, I trust you plan on learning Polish. Turkish won't get you too far in Poland these days:-)

Law / Polish citizen moving back from USA to the EU (Ireland or Netherlands) with American partner [31]

Moving to Ireland, a knowledge of English would be a basic requirement. The Netherlands too requires a language test or proof of Dutch language knowledge as a sort of prerequisite for applying for either asylum or citizenship, I've been told on fairly good authority.

Polonia / Let's talk about Sweden and other Scandinavian countries [236]

Sure does:-)

Isn't it true though how the more complicated the language aka grammar, the more conservative and above all, homogeneous, the speakers, e.g. Polish, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Finnish etc? It's been theorized that ancient peoples who felt themselves especially threatened by surrounding hostile populations used the difficulty of their native tongue almost as a protective shield against perceived enemy forces around them. If their speech seemed impenetrable to outsiders, they could more easily protect themselves from harm.

Sorta make sense?

Polonia / Let's talk about Sweden and other Scandinavian countries [236]

Didn't you find that it was helpful knowing Swedish, Rustygun?

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

Ironside, if you mean by "benefited", the monstrous cancer of affirmative action, then indeed, only their PROGENY did benefit:-)

As far as African-American professionals today vs. those some sixty years prior, when one met a black lawyer, professor or doctor (PRE-affirmative action), they probably were among the very best, since there was nobody to help them along!

Polonia / Let's talk about Sweden and other Scandinavian countries [236]

To which country are you referring, Rusty? Sweden or Poland?
:-)

Polonia / Let's talk about Sweden and other Scandinavian countries [236]

Indeed, Polson!

Oddly enough, I once heard a youngish woman speaking to her American husband in English, and her accent reminded me uncannily of Ingrid Bergman.
I happened to address her in Swedish, quite by happenstance, and it turned out she was from Poznań:-)

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

As far as your English, Wulkan, it hasn't seemed to have improved much either:-)

@Frasier,

Probably, Lublin might be a good place as a foreigner to start! They have a famous university, The Catholic University of Lublin, and have numerous international students, I've read:-)

@DominicB,
Bratislava has a beautiful Old Town, of which unfortunately, I've only seen photos.
Zresztą dostałeś moją minęłę wiadomość?

Polonia / Let's talk about Sweden and other Scandinavian countries [236]

@Maf, Swedish is probably the most widely-spoken of the extant Scandinavian languages aka the most "practical":-) It's also spoken in much of urban Finland, and was at one time more popular then English, German or Russian.

Most Swedes up till round about sixty-five or over, speak (or at least THINK they speak) nearly fluent conversational English, often with even a slight American-style accent, compared, say, with the Danes, Germans or Dutch, who often sound rather British!

Swedes on the whole are critical of foreigners who speak their language, as relatively few non-Swedes actually have bothered to learn it, thus, are liable to be a bit on the corrective side concerning mistakes.

I too speak several Scandinavian languages, though find Swedish to be far and away the most melodic.

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

As most elsewhere, you could, as you put it, "get along" with English, but the bigger question is, is it really worth it?

If you learned the local lingo at more than a phrasebook level, you'd surely find your stay imcomparably rewarding!

As it is, English is not nearly as widely spoken or understood in the East of Europe in contrast with Western countries, where, it seems, the average citizen's exposed to Basic English with their mother's milk.

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Then you are in fact trilingual, English, Polish, and Danish:-)

My experience with Polish beers exceeds that of Danish beer, except of course for Carlsberg and Ceres.

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Apparently the histories commonly "consumed" have been guilty of peddling half truths, eh?

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

An interesting observation!

And yet breweries have existed in Poland, as elsewhere, since at least the 17th century, correct?
Perhaps you're saying that Poland doesn't have the experience in technological mass production of some of her more industrially savvy neighbors.

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

I see from your strong opinions regarding beer that neither the Poles NOR the Czechs stack up to the Germans in that regard?

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Oh, I don't know Dom. Warka mocna is plenty flavorful for my money. Not every beer stacks up to Pilsen Urquell:-)

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

If one's a beer lover, and I am, I've been told Żywiec is the best beer in Poland. Foreigners make a pilgrimage to the local brewery, so I've heard!

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

True, Atch!

Yet, that what gives Polish food her flavor. I hear enough political correctness every day, do I have to EAT that way as well?
At least in the kitchen, there should be some sort of equality.
:-)

Life / A move to Poland - where to live? What city would you recommend? [32]

Frasier,

If I were you, I'd invest in a serious Polish language course, either before or shortly after you arrive in Poland:-)
While Warszawa is the capital, from what I've seen briefly (although I've only seen Szczecin in the North, near the German border), Wrocław and Kraków are many times more attractive:-)

As far as selecting a town or city based more or less on the steadily large percentage of English speakers, in my opinion, is a no-win proposition.

But that's only my opinion.

Powodzenia (Good luck!)

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

The English have a long tradition of cruelty, as have the Spanish! After all, the Puritans were English and not exactly the sort of people you'd like to tangle with either:-)

UK, Ireland / Polish man beaten to death in London! [99]

Your boyfriend can teach you, Dreamer!

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

Nevertheless, the "average" Brit, today particularly, is not the same "John Bull" stereotype of some sixty-or-more-years prior!
The English as a lot have in general become considerably more proletarian compared with pre-Cool Britania; most British youth either don't know or don't care who Gilbert & Sullivan are, RP is rapidly disappearing (associated ever more frequently with a sort of quaint, laughable, hopelessly old-fashioned, stagey, almost homosexual pronunciation, confined to Queen Liz and few others!) and the monarchy has become a sort of living joke etc...

Therefore, yes, I stand behind my statement of before, because the more the working class becomes more and more disenfranchised, there will be far greater such xenophobic incedents!

Poles, among "others" are simply suffering the Post-Brexit fallout.

UK, Ireland / Polish man beaten to death in London! [99]

I for one can't blame you.

Same analogy for Syrians now in Germany, perhaps Turks are a better example, because they too, like many Poles, also show an entrepreneurial spirit and continue to face discrimination...even those who speak perfect German:-)

UK, Ireland / Polish man beaten to death in London! [99]

Perhaps your boyfriend is a builder for a Polish firm in London, thus native-born Brits don't see him specifically as the competition aka the enemy:-)