Poles' atttiude towards broken Polish

Some nations feel flattered and happy to hear a foreigner trying to speak their language and bend over backwards to understand them and compliment him on how well he is doing.

Others are resentful when a foreigner mangles their beautiful national tongue and may react by pretending they don't understand or ridiculing him for it.

What has been your experience with Poles in this regard?

VERY PATIENT!

Fantastic.
Even my local village drunks show an understanding approach to my wooden Polish.

I'll wager a pół litra would greatly boost their comprehension level.

So how is your Polish?

I'm split in my opinion. I feel that if someone is a foreigner and is learning Polish, meaning over time he/shes will become fluent in it, I wish them all luck! But if someone only managed to learn a little and thinks it's enough to get by, or knows some because the parents spoke it and is speaking broken, funny accented Polish I think they should stop. Either learn the language fluently or don't speak it because you're embarrassing yourself.

I am from the United States. My wife has her roots in Poland as her parents were from what is now Belarus. We visited Poland for the first time last year and loved it based on it's history, culture and most important the people. My wife is a fluent speaker but has trouble with some of the language of business. We liked it so much that we returned twice this year and purchased an apartment.

I do the best I can in learning to speak Polish. It is much easier when I am there and listening to the language all the time. I plan on staying for a month next year and attending school for Polish. In the states I have Rosetta Stone, dictionaries and other sources to help me. When in Poland I try to use what I have learned. I have not had anyone ridicule me. On the contrary they have congratulated me for getting something correct or helped with the correct pronunciation when incorrect.

Trying to learn and speak another language is a worth while endeavor even if done poorly at first. Realize that it takes time and hard work and feel good that someone thinks enough of Poland to want to be able to communicate other than just speak their own language in restaurants and hotels. So go easy on those who are trying.

As Mark Twain said: "Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people."

I think that people who ridicule foreigners speaking their language are those who themselves speak no foreign languages. If you ever tried to learn any foreign language you get to know very fast that mastering a language is an endless job :)

I've found them very patient and helpful, even if sometimes they probably want to **** themselves laughing at my efforts.

Even the guy who owns my local corner shop actively encourages me, patiently waiting and correcting me if (when) I get it wrong.