Knowledge of foreign languages is not a luxury, but a necessity that opens almost any door for a person. Knowing a foreign language, we can get a job in a successful company, find new friends in any corner of the globe, go on vacation abroad without worrying about how to find a common language with the natives. Today, not only English or German, but also Polish is in demand. Therefore, the most frequently asked question on the Web today is how to learn Polish.
Ways to study
Any foreign language, including Polish, can be learned in several ways.
Sign up for courses. This is the most simple and effective way. Training takes place in groups, and you have the opportunity to communicate not only with the teacher, but also with other students. The main disadvantages of such training are that not all cities have such courses, and if they do, classes are held according to a schedule that may not suit you.
Lesson with a tutor. With such training, all tasks for you are compiled by the teacher, he also checks the correctness of their implementation, points out errors. One minus - such pleasure is not cheap.
Education via the Internet. A fairly popular way, in which you can either sign up for special courses and attend webinars, or find a remote teacher. The cost is significantly lower, but again, if you have a slow Internet connection or if you pay for used traffic, the option is not very attractive.
Self-learning. Today, there are a lot of forums and websites on the Internet dedicated to how to learn Polish at home. The main advantages of the method are low training costs and the ability to independently choose the time for classes and the training strategy. Cons - lack of motivation and laziness can significantly hinder learning.
Motivation
The main thing in learning a language, no matter what way of learning, is the presence of motivation. It is not enough to say: “I want to learn Polish”. You need to find at least one reason why you need it. Otherwise, as soon as the first impulse passes and interest in classes subsides, you will immediately abandon your studies and after a couple of years you won’t even remember elementary phrases.
Incentives may be the desire to go abroad for study or permanent residence. By the way, in this case, the Poles are quite willing to meet people who know Polish culture and traditions. Even if you don't have relatives among Poles, you can get a Pole's card if you knowculture and customs of the country, take an active part in activities aimed at popularizing Polish culture. The Pole's Card gives a lot of advantages - the possibility of obtaining a visa, the right to legal employment and training, and other little things.
Another good motive can be employment in international companies. Knowledge of not only English, but also Polish will be a huge plus in this situation.
Tourist trip to Poland can also be a great reason. Agree, it is much more interesting to travel around the country on your own, choosing your favorite museums and exhibitions. And not all Poles speak a foreign language and may simply not understand your question about how to get to a museum or a hotel if it is asked in English.
Perhaps you are interested in how to learn Polish on your own in order to read an interesting book that is not translated into Russian, or watch a series. Even such a motive can be a great incentive for learning.
Before you start studying, be sure to write down a goal for yourself and, as soon as your desire to study starts to decline, open your notebook and remember why you started it. Better yet, write your goal on whatman paper in large letters and hang it above your desktop. Success guaranteed.
Well, if you really don't know how to control your laziness at all, bet with one of your friends that you will learn a language in, say, 6 months. If you are a gambler, then you will definitely not abandon your studies and succeed.
From whatstart?
If you decide to self-study, you must:
- Decide how many times a week you will exercise. It's best if you sit down to read at least three times a week.
- Pick up educational literature - textbooks, dictionaries, literature for reading.
- Find additional learning tools - audio, video.
- Install language learning apps on your mobile or tablet.
- Find native speakers on social media.
How to choose textbooks?
In order to learn Polish on your own from scratch, you must first choose the right educational literature. There are many courses and tutorials on the Web, each of which has both its pros and cons. But e-books are not what you need. If funds allow, purchase the textbook in the store, in paper version. This is a guarantee that during the lesson you will not be distracted by checking your mail, calling Skype or Viber.
When choosing a textbook, pay attention to a few points:
- Year of publication. The newer the book, the better. Language, especially vocabulary, is a dynamic thing. New expressions and words are constantly emerging. You yourself understand that learning a foreign language from Soviet textbooks is ridiculous.
- Publisher. Those who want to know how to learn Polish at home should understand: it is desirable that the textbook be published directly in Poland, the best is if it is by any language center at the university. Don't be intimidated by the fact that the assignments are written inPolish or English. But the book will contain a minimum of errors, and it will allow you to fully master the language.
- Having answers. If you are learning a language on your own, then you need to constantly check the correctness of the tasks performed. It is good if the textbook contains keys to each or at least half of the exercises.
- Dictionary. The criterion is not mandatory, but desirable. It's great if there is a mini-dictionary at the end of the textbook, if not, it's okay. In any case, you need to purchase a dictionary.
- The presence of audio. So you can not only read how to pronounce this or that sound correctly, but also hear it.
Buying a dictionary
To learn Polish on your own, you need to purchase an additional dictionary. At least 35,000-40,000 words. For a start, this will be enough. Ideally, the dictionary should contain at least 150,000 words.
When choosing, it is also important to pay attention to the year of issue.
A mandatory condition is that the dictionary is two-way, that is, Polish-Russian and Russian-Polish. You understand that you will need to translate not only from Polish into Russian, but also in the opposite direction.
Further Reading
Speaking about how to learn Polish at home, it is worth remembering that textbooks and a dictionary alone are not enough for you. Additionally, it is desirable to purchase:
- A separate booklet with rules, tables and diagrams for the Polish language. From theirwith help, you can quickly refresh the memory of previously learned rules, learn new ones faster.
- Fiction. It could be one or two books in your favorite genre. It is desirable that you have not read these works before. Be sure to pay attention to whether the literature is adapted or not, in the second case it will be much more difficult to read it.
Additional Learning Tools
You can learn Polish on your own not only with the help of books and textbooks, but also with the help of songs and films, series, games. These methods of learning are not basic, they can be used to improve the level of language proficiency during the holidays.
Find songs in Polish online. You can listen to them periodically and try to translate words, individual phrases and sentences. This method is especially valuable if you commute to and from work.
Watching movies and series. Of course, you can watch movies and series exclusively in the language you are learning, but it is better if they are accompanied by sub titles in Russian. In this way, you can memorize many phrases and expressions from the everyday sphere.
Games and applications. For those who don't know how to learn Polish while relaxing, you might be interested in learning through games and apps. Today, many applications have been developed for learning a language using tablets and smartphones. By installing any of the ones you like on your mobile device, you can spend time with benefit while playing exciting educational games.
Communication
Mostis interested in the question of how to learn spoken Polish on their own. The answer is simple - communicate as much as possible. Spoken language is also colloquial, which functions in oral speech. The best solution for self-study will be communication with native speakers - residents of Poland.
Find friends of interest living abroad on the social network. They will not only explain to you the rules for using certain words and expressions, the specifics of syntax, but also tell you a lot of interesting things about their country and culture.
Learning phonetics
After all the textbooks are bought, you need to start learning. Those who are interested in how to learn Polish at home and where to start should remember: it is always necessary to start with the alphabet. You must learn the alphabet - the name of each letter and the pronunciation of sounds. It is important to use special discs that contain the sound of each sound. The issue of phonetics, the correct placement of stresses should be given special attention. Incorrect pronunciation is one of the worst mistakes that are difficult to correct later.
Vocabulary
The opinion of foreign language teachers often differs in what should be paid attention to first of all - grammar or vocabulary. Some believe that a large vocabulary more than compensates for ignorance of grammar, others that an unfamiliar word can always be found in the dictionary, but grammar should be de alt with first.
Anyway, vocabulary is important, especially when learning Polish. Those who askthe question of how to learn Polish at home, you have probably heard that some words in Polish and Russian, Ukrainian languages have a similar sound, but their meaning can be radically different.
To replenish vocabulary, you can:
- Read previously purchased fiction.
- Listen to songs and watch movies.
- Chat with friends online.
Additionally, experts recommend:
- Read and translate news articles from various websites. By reading the media, you not only learn new words, but also remember the correct construction of phrases and sentences.
- Use a dictionary. A rather interesting way to learn vocabulary is to read a dictionary and make flashcards. For example, you flip through a dictionary and find 5-10 words you don't know. Cut out small cards from thick paper. On one side write the word in Polish, on the other - in Russian. Then go through the cards, trying to translate the word on the card, and look at the translation for self-examination.
By the way, this method - the word - translation - is often used in mobile applications.
Grammar
The grammar of the Polish language deserves special attention. Those who want to quickly learn Polish at home should prepare for the fact that they will have to pay a lot of attention to studying the case system of the language, to study the endings in words depending on tense and form.
Besides, Polish learners often complain about special logicconstruction of sentences and the style of the language.
When studying grammar, you will need a textbook and tables with diagrams. It is advisable to have your own notebook in which you will write down the basic rules and points.
Speaking
Those who want to know how to learn Polish from scratch at home should pay special attention to speaking. The main goal of any training is not only to be able to understand the interlocutor, but also to learn how to convey your thoughts to him. When learning a foreign language, a special role is given to this very moment. Remember how in English lessons you were taught to talk about yourself, your family and hobbies, write letters.
The same approach is taken when learning Polish. You must learn to talk about yourself, your habits, hobbies, be able to write letters - personal and business, perhaps a resume.
It is important to be able not only to write, but also to tell without looking in a notebook and dictionary.
In addition to the development of monologue speech, it is important to pay attention to dialogue.
For the development of speaking, it is necessary to communicate with native speakers as much as possible, preferably via video calls. So you can not only learn the basic constructions, expressions, put the pronunciation, but also, importantly, overcome your fear. It is the fear of saying something wrong or wrong that is the main problem when learning a language.
Listening
Another important point that you should pay special attention to is the perception of speech by ear. It's no secret that most language examsconsist of tests aimed at checking grammar and vocabulary, writing or speaking and listening.
Songs and films, communication with friends will help you improve your perception skills.
Besides, almost every textbook that comes with a CD has listening exercises. It is advisable to fulfill them, then checking the answers and making an analysis of the mistakes made.
Time
So, how long does it take to learn Polish? The answer to the question depends entirely on you. If you study hard and systematically, in a couple of months you will be able to understand Polish, speak a new language for you. Let not ideal, but still this is more than enough for a trip to the country.
If you are lazy and constantly put off classes until later, you will not have enough years to get at least minimal communication skills.
Some useful tips
- Learn the language systematically. Don't skip classes unless you have a good reason. And if you have, do the exercises planned for the day as soon as you have a free minute.
- Don't study hard, don't be a fanatic. Exercising every day for five to six hours a day is a good idea, but useless. One lesson should not last more than an hour and a half.
- On rest days, watch movies and listen to music in Polish.
- Explore the culture and traditions of Poland. So you can immerse yourself in the language being studied, understand the meaningsome words and idioms that are not translated into Russian literally.
- Learn not only individual words, but also proverbs, sayings, aphorisms. This will make your speech richer and brighter.
We hope we have given an exhaustive answer to the question of how to learn Polish from scratch. Follow our advice, study systematically, and in a few weeks you will notice that you understand certain words and phrases, and after a few months you will be able to speak Polish fluently without much effort. Good luck!
