How to Learn Polish

Polish is the native tongue of approximately 48 million people throughout Eastern Europe. It is the second most widely spoken Slavic language (behind Russian) and the mother tongue of 97% of citizens living in Poland. Polish is also considered to be a recognized minority language in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Rich in literature and culture, this language was almost obliterated in the aftermath of WWII. This language has been spoken for hundreds of years and the culture has produced a long list of brilliant philosophers and composers, including Joseph Conrad and Fryderyk Chopin.

One reason that someone may wish to learn Polish would be to rejuvenate a language from their ancestry. Do to the massive relocation of Poles during WWII, many people were forced to learn a new language and leave their culture behind. The best way that these Poles can show pride for their homeland is by speaking the language of their ancestors.

Polish is considered by scholars to be a relatively difficult language to learn. This is mainly accredited to a complex gender system, inflected nouns, adjectives, and verbs, and numerous irregularities in noun and verb conjugation. There are no articles in this Slavic language, and there is frequent dropping of subject pronouns. Yes/no questions in Polish are signified by using the word “czy” at the beginning of a sentence. This may sound like a confusing language to foreigners, but the alphabet is relatively simple for native English speakers to pick up. The Polish alphabet is derived from the Roman alphabet, with the addition of numerous letters formed using diacritics. This language is not the simplest of foreign languages, but it is not the most difficult. This language can be mastered with a positive attitude and the right study tools.

The most important step in learning this difficult Slavic language is ensuring that you have the right tools at your disposal. Some of the most valuable tools on your mission to become fluent in Polish include interactive software such as Rosetta Stone and additional grammatical workbooks to allow for you to test your skills even further. I would recommend the workbook Basic Polish to anyone who is learning Polish. For people who are visiting Poland and desire to learn only enough Polish to get by, In-Flight Polish: Learn Before You Land is a one hour course designed to assist you in getting around the country. This will not have you fluent, but in just one hour of studying you can learn enough Polish to communicate effectively.

Poland is one of the largest countries in Europe, third to only Spain and France in mass, and a majority of people who live in this land do not speak another language. This beautiful land is best enjoyed with the locals speaking their mother language. Poland is a beautiful land of golden plains, and speaking the language is almost a necessity if you aspire to see the countryside for yourself. Poland is a wonderful country with a tragic recent history. Learning Polish is a great way for any person of Polish descent to show pride in their home country.