Polish for beginners. How to quickly learn a foreign language. How I learned Polish

Translation of an article from the site www.thepolyglotdream.com.

I am often asked the question “Why did you decide to learn such and such a language?” I admit that I do not have a universal answer to this question. I learned each of the languages I speak for different reasons and under different circumstances.

How I started learning Polish

If everyone has their own reason for learning a foreign language - subjective and personal, then the question“how to teach”will be of interest to many. Especially for those who plan to study independently and from the basics.

The first thing I did after visiting Poland was buyPolish course from the famous company ASSIMIL, which publishes a series of courses on the study of European and other languages.

I chose this course because it best suits my method of learning foreign languages.

Here are the main advantages of ASSIMIL books:

Funny dialogues from life
Texts in two languages
Phonetics explained
Grammar on your fingers
Effective exercises
Lots of pictures
Audio recordings in the target language only

Polish pronunciation - first difficulties

When you just start immersing yourself in another language, everything seems new and unfamiliar.

Regarding Polish pronunciation, two things (both aurally and visually) struck me:nasal sounds and consonant combinations. The nasal sounds were familiar to me since I already spoke French and Portuguese. The nasal “en” in Polish is written like “ę” in the word “węch” (smell).

But I was much more surprised by the combinations of consonants:

Cz, dz, dż, dzi, dż, drz, sz, ść, szc

It won't take you long to learn how to pronounce these sounds individually. But imagine them in a sentence:

“Skąd moge wiedzieć dlaczego przestal pisać do ciebe?”

At first it seems that learning to pronounce all this is almost impossible, but with a certain approach there will not be much difficulty. But more on that in future articles.

Is Polish grammar difficult or easy?

Like any Slavic language, Polish has cases and declensions. But those who know Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian can perceive the meanings of many words even by ear. Learning grammar will also be much easier for them.

Advice: don’t pay too much attention to grammar; it will come latently with the gradual mastery of the language.

Be positive

Although at first glance Polish may seem difficult to master, remember how many people have learned to communicate in it before you. The main thing is the attitude towards the language. I won't say anything new, but regular classes for 20-30 minutes in a few months they will bring such results that you will even be surprised. There is another way - to immerse yourself in a language environment for several months in Poland. If there is such an opportunity, I recommend going.

Conclusion

You can learn to speak Polish in 2-3 months if your native language is part of the Slavic group. Watch a video lesson of Polish for beginners.

And to be more precise, how force learn Polish on your own and, if possible, quickly at home.

Everyone and everything talks about motivation; on every corner of the World Wide Web you can find a coach, trainer, psychologist or some other specialist,

which will tell us all about motivation. I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t work very well for me. Perhaps I'm too lazy or skeptical, but I usually don't have enough time for a long time, or I don't start following the advice at all. I'm just reading in vain.

I am not a coach, not a psychologist, and most likely not even a specialist. I won't tell you how to force yourself to do something. at all. Get up early, do exercises, read a lot, don’t crack seeds with your teeth - that’s not what this article is about! No, I understand only one type of motivation - how to force yourself to learn Polish on your own.

How I had no motivation at all

I think I understand this only because of my own experience of forcing myself to learn Polish. Because I didn’t have the motivation, like you, dear readers, to go to Poland to study/work. I had no motivation at all. I went to my first lesson “with the company”, as they say, everyone went - and I went. Here, perhaps, I was a little motivated by the fact that the lesson was free.

Then I signed up for the course. How? I do not know. My best friend decided to walk (in his words, just like that) - and I walked with my tail. Also - just like that. It seemed to me that Polish was a very easy and funny language (it still seems that way sometimes). And I walked for three long months (or two?). And the friend stopped, who would doubt it. And all the castles in the air began to collapse. I realized that although I was interested in the language, I understood little. The Pole teacher rarely explained anything in such a way that everyone understood. Usually he just talked, we tried to do some exercises - and I often had a lot of questions at home about how and where I did it. Because there were no explanations for exceptions, because there were few examples, because... In general, I gave up.

Several months of complete absence of Polish practically erased everything from my mind.

That’s why “random” meetings with Polish people began. Either I found some old girly magazine in Polish at home (!), then someone posted some picture in Polish on VK, gave me songs to listen to, claiming that they were in Polish (but they were in Serbian). In general, life was slowly turning in the right direction.

How did motivation come about?

A friend of a friend of a friend asked me to study Polish with a girl. But before that, my friend said: “Place an ad on Desk, become a tutor.” To which I answered: “How??? I don’t know Polish at all!”

Polish was needed not for admission or anything like that, but so that when the family moved to Poland, the girl would not have stress, so that she would already know letters and some words. And so, having named a ridiculous price for the lesson (because I basically wanted to teach for free), I began to teach an eight-year-old girl, pretending with all my might that I knew the language. Deception, you say? The most real one. But it became my motivation.

You see, I hope that I am not the type of person who can pretend for a long time and take money for it. Therefore, from the first lesson I began to prepare like hell. I brought with me a bunch of materials I found on the Internet, a laptop with downloads (the girl’s favorite cartoon was “Koszmarny Karolek”), I crammed pronunciation, rules and words at home. I listened to cartoons a hundred times to know exactly what they were talking about, how to explain and translate them to a child. I didn’t study pedagogy, but my parents are teachers, and I knew some things just like that. The girl studied, in addition to Polish, three more languages, went to tennis and to the pool, so we spent a lot of time playing with her, playing in Polish. We staged theatrical plays with toys, where everyone spoke Polish, we drew fairy tales, where the characters learned the Polish alphabet, we watched cartoons and rewinded to particularly interesting words and moments. We learned together.

Then another girl appeared and my self-confidence. The girl was much older, and we were already studying from a textbook that I kept after the course. And I memorized everything that was there, I explained the rules to myself, looked for them in other sources, bought myself other book sources - and was always ready for the lesson. Yes, I was sometimes caught off guard by questions like: “What is this called in Polish?”, but I knew the real teacher’s excuse: “Great question! Let this be your homework? Both their and my studies progressed at a frantic pace.

Poor girls?

What have I just told you? That at the beginning of my tutoring history I had no right to do this at all? Yes. Did not have. But I did, and I did, sometimes it seems to me, sometimes even better than now. Now I’m ready for almost any questions, I can chat in Polish for days, I’ll recite many grammatical rules from memory - but I’m unlikely to draw fairy tales in Polish or play theater with anyone. Although I still have a craving for this (forgive me, my dear students, when I get too carried away).

And now - how to quickly learn Polish on your own at home

You've already read how =)

But seriously, I’ll highlight everything point by point and add something else:

Find someone to teach. This could be your own child, the child of your girlfriend or boyfriend, your husband/wife, brother/sister, parents - anyone with whom you are willing to spend an hour or two at least twice a week. By the way, I already mentioned children before.
You can formulate the task for yourself differently - do not teach, but talk about what you yourself have learned, tell it so that it is like the joke: “Well, students are stupid! I explained and explained to them, I already understood, but they still didn’t understand.”
If this is a child, arrange everything as a game, watch cartoons in Polish together, sing songs, read poems, make the Polish alphabet.
Have a serious conversation with an adult, explain how important it is for you to learn Polish quickly, on your own, but with his help.
If you already have some knowledge of Polish and feel like I once did, place ads, set a low price, indicate that you are teaching from scratch (or maybe mainly with children) - and start studying hard.

Responsibility motivates me very much. I think this is true for many people. Did you still do your coursework/diplomas on the last night before delivery? The deadline motivates, and responsibility. So it is here. I understand that if someone hires you for money, it’s terrible, what a responsibility, but also great, what motivation.

P.S. If after reading this article you want to unsubscribe from the newsletter/subscribe to the news because I have greatly disappointed you, that is your right. If you have angry comments about how I could deceive people like that, then re-read the article again, and then write a comment. And if you yourself have a similar story, I would be very glad to read it!

In general, the article is about how to deceive yourself and still force yourself to learn Polish on your own - but still with someone’s help. I hope that these many letters of mine will help you either decide on something, or sit down with your son/daughter to play a new game called “Polish”.

If the material was useful, we will be glad to support you! This can be done here:

12 thoughts on “”

I had a similar experience. I learned Portuguese about five years ago and then there was very little European Portuguese material. It seemed unfair to me. I started blogging, translated articles and audio, reviews, lessons. I checked all the information very carefully. It seemed unacceptable to me to write something without checking it thoroughly. As a result, the level jumped very quickly, in a year and a half of self-study (+ constant conversations with a native speaker) I was able to pass the C1 qualifying exam! Since then I have had students and have been doing translations. I love Portuguese very much and now I use it to read scientific articles on my profession) you gave very good advice, a great way!

What good youth! Think correctly, girls. I can retire peacefully.

I remember that we once talked about this topic and your story of learning the language became a kind of motivation. I decided, why don’t I try it?! My level of language knowledge has become higher, and there are +1 people among Polish language lovers :)
In general, everyone was satisfied.
Thank you, Ekaterina!

Materials for learning Polish. Part 2 is a continuation of my selection of textbooks and self-instructions for the Polish language. I have already posted the most popular of them in my collection. The second part consists of less popular resources in which you can find a lot of interesting things for yourself - from explanations to exercises.

Blanka Konopka podręcznik języka polskiego dla środowisk rosyjskojęzycznych – part 1

A Polish language textbook written specifically for Russian-speaking readers. Ideal for those starting to learn Polish from scratch. There are all the necessary basics of both vocabulary and basic grammatical and lexical rules.

Audio self-teacher of the Polish language, aimed at an English-speaking audience. Each lesson consists of explanations of the rules and replenishment of vocabulary. Ideal for studying in the car and public transport.

Mazhena Kowalska – Polish language for 4 years – parts 1, 2.

A course for those who are starting to learn Polish. The textbook can also be used by those who want to review Polish grammar and recall vocabulary. Advantages of the course: modern spoken language, typical situations of daily life, interesting stories, accessible grammar course. Explanations in the textbook are given in Ukrainian.

On my own behalf, I will add that from this textbook I learned many interesting points that I had not seen in other tutorials. For example, the difference between the words znać and wiedzieć.

Ya.A. Krotovskaya, L.G. Kashkurevich, G.M. Lesnaya, N.V. Selivanova. Practical course of the Polish language.

The textbook is intended for beginners in learning the Polish language and corresponds to elementary and intermediate levels of learning. The textbook consists of an introductory phonetic course, a summary of the basics of Polish spelling, a main course including 32 lessons, and a “Grammar” section. The publication takes into account the peculiarities of teaching a language related to Russian. The textbook will allow you to develop strong articulation and intonation skills, master the standard course of grammar and the lexical minimum, and also develop verbal communication skills. Basic and additional texts for lessons provide knowledge about the country of the language being studied, and also introduce students to the most significant phenomena of classical and modern Polish literature.

Barbara Bartnicka, Marian Jurkowski, Wojciech Jekiel, Danuta Wasilewska, Krzysztof Wrocławski. Uczymy się polskiego.

The textbook “Learning Polish” represents the first part of the Polish language course for foreigners and is intended for beginners, primarily under the guidance of a teacher, because The textbook itself is in Polish.
The textbook consists of 50 lessons, each of which includes text, new grammar material and a dictionary of new words. In addition, the textbook contains poems by Polish poets and song lyrics with notes.

S. Karolyak, D. Vasilevskaya. Textbook of the Polish language.

This book comprehensively examines the rules of the Polish language, focusing on correct speech and phonetics. It is suitable for those who decide to learn the Polish language on their own and will use it as a self-teacher for the Polish language. At the end of the textbook there are examples of all types of conjugations and declensions, as well as keys to exercises for self-test.

Aleksandra Achtelik, Barbara Serafin. Milo mi panią poznać

The textbook is addressed to foreigners who want to learn the basics of the Polish language. The authors use a communicative method, describing each lecture in a specific everyday situation. Students learn basic words and phrases that are used, for example, during a visit to the doctor, shopping at a store, kiosk, etc.

Anna Dąbrowska, Romana Łobodzińska. Polski dla cudzoziemców.

The book is intended for beginning students. It has a classic structure: each lecture begins with a text, followed by questions to the text. The next part of the lesson is short dialogues thematically related to the text. The next part is grammar tables and exercises. Additionally, the textbook contains the key to the exercises. The book is designed for A1 level students.

T. Mochalova. Polish from scratch.

The Polish textbook from scratch is intended for beginners and can be used both at the initial stage of learning the language and in order to master basic reading, writing and conversation skills in the shortest possible time. To quickly “get into speech,” each of the 12 lessons, along with traditional phonetic exercises, includes a large number of diverse tasks, including in the form of mini-texts and dialogues aimed at developing vocabulary, mastering basic grammatical forms and speech patterns.
Independent studies are facilitated due to numerous comparisons with the Russian language, linguistic terminology kept to a minimum, and sound accompaniment.

Shkapenko T.M. Polish with a smile. Język polski na wesolo

The purpose of the manual is to teach Russian-speaking students speech activity in Polish. The manual is distinguished not only by its modern methodological base, combining communicative and problem-based approaches to teaching foreign languages, but also by its modern, attractive content. It is full of quizzes - puzzles, original humorous stories, new funny versions of popular fairy tales, and combines elements of literary and colloquial language. All this makes the learning process not only effective, but also interesting and enjoyable.

Modern technologies offer a person ample opportunities for improvement and development in many areas of life. Education is no exception. Today, a huge number of mobile applications have been developed that allow you to learn foreign languages in a convenient format and at any time. In our review we will talk about several programs that will help you learn and/or improve your Polish.

To improve your Polish language skills, you need not only theory, but also practice. Download applications, read, listen to correct speech and, of course, talk.

NEMO

A free app that allows you to learn the most common Polish constructions and phrases. All words are pronounced by native speakers, so you simultaneously learn to perceive speech by ear and learn the correct pronunciation. To evaluate your progress, you can record phrases in the “Recording Studio” section. The program is designed for beginners, so you can learn the language from scratch.

iTalk Polish language

The program offers to study not just individual words, but entire phrases. Agree, learning phrases is more expedient and convenient, this way the connections are remembered better, and it also helps you feel the language, its structure, and construction. You can record and analyze your progress. You can also take Quiz tests every day and work on your mistakes.

FunEasyLearn

A convenient application that works without an Internet connection. There are three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. In total, the dictionary contains more than 6,000 words, which come with pictures and transcription, and are also voiced by native speakers. All words are divided into topics and smaller subtopics. You can learn vocabulary through games, which will especially captivate children. The program also offers various methods of memorizing material, practicing it and consolidating it.

We learn and play. Polish free

An excellent mobile Polish tutor for beginners. The application is more like a game with elements of learning phonetics and vocabulary. All words presented in the program are used in everyday life, so the student immediately learns correct pronunciation, writing and listening comprehension of a new language. The application has visual and audio support. There are also tests and texts here.

Duolingo

A popular language application that is well-designed and understandable. This is a complete Polish course for beginners, containing exercises for memorization and development of writing skills. The only negative is the interface is in English. However, a basic level of English is enough to understand the material. But in fact, this will help you learn two languages at once: English and Polish.

Polish in 7 lessons

The application will help you learn the basics of the Polish language from scratch in the shortest possible time. The course is very simple, logical and well structured. Includes audio and video materials with explanations, interactive exercises, tests. All lessons, with the exception of videos, are already in the program, so a constant Internet connection is not required.

L-Lingo

L-Lingo is 65 Polish lessons on basic topics (at home, at the airport, in the store, etc.). These are words and phrases that were written down by native speakers, and they are also clear pictures for remembering entire expressions. Some content is paid.

Rosetta Stone

If you want to learn Polish with complete immersion in the language environment, then this application is indispensable. It suggests learning a language through association, repetition and communication. There is not a single Russian or English word here, only Polish phrases and constructions. With each new lesson the level of difficulty increases. There is paid content.

Learn Polish easily

A free Polish phrasebook that will help you learn basic words quickly and easily. All words presented come with the original pronunciation. Vocabulary is easy to memorize using flash cards. You can test your knowledge through quizzes and earn points. The free version has 11 categories for learning: basic dialogue, numbers, greetings and others.

It is quite possible to master a language like Polish on your own, without turning to teachers for help or attending courses. However, the “do it yourself” option is not for everyone. Why? Because learning the Polish language from scratch at home will require very high abilities for self-organization - the student himself will need to “work hard” every day, constantly searching for the necessary data, memorizing the material found. If this scares you, it is better to contact a Polish tutor. Those who have such a quality as perseverance, and who really want to achieve the required results as quickly as possible, will definitely succeed.

At the same time, one should not exaggerate, considering that the process of independent learning requires supernatural abilities, and this is just an extra “headache”. It also has many advantages - the student is his own “master” - he creates the most convenient schedule for himself, and works as much as he can. The Polish language teacher does not dictate his terms and program to him. You can teach only what, in the student’s opinion, is interesting and necessary for him, he has the opportunity to devote the maximum amount of time to weak areas.

Is it possible to quickly learn Polish at home?

If the previous paragraph “annoys” a beginning polyglot, he should enter the phrase “I’m looking for a Polish language tutor” into a search engine (searching for a teacher via the Internet is convenient because you can find reviews about the person and get acquainted with the opinions of those who have already applied to him for services).

If not, that's just great! After all, another advantage of self-study is significant money savings. You will have to spend money, perhaps, on textbooks. But they can also be found on the Internet.

At the same time, do not forget about the “correct” learning system. If the student is not an outstanding teacher, it is still better to use the expertise of specialists. Without a competent methodology, neither books, nor video lessons, nor audio materials will save a polyglot beginner, and the answer to the question “how to quickly learn Polish at home” in this case will be obvious - no way.

Where can I get the technique? On the same Internet. There are a large number of thematic sites with courses created using modern techniques, textbooks that can be downloaded for free.

Video tips on how to start learning Polish on your own

Also, at any time, a beginner who has the Internet can communicate with experienced teachers, since learning Polish at home without outside help is still very difficult. They will be happy to help him construct sentences, tell him how to correctly pronounce this or that word, etc. All that is required for this is a program such as Skype and a microphone.

Are you asking yourself how to learn Polish at home in the shortest possible time? It's very simple - be patient and devote most of your free time to lessons.

What features does this language have:

there are a lot of hissing sounds in it. A beginner mastering the speaking part will have to work hard on correct pronunciation.
it is characterized by dynamic stress, which, however, in most cases “falls” on the penultimate syllable;
Polish pronouns have short as well as full forms;
A large number of German and French words “migrated” into this language at one time; it is also “rich” in words from Latin.