My relationship with Poland and the Polish language is a love story, and it’s one I’m eager to share with you today. This isn’t just a tale of travel; it’s about how I came to Learn Polish, the profound impact this language has had on my life, and practical steps you can take to embark on your own journey of learning this captivating language.
My initial encounter with Poland was in 2007 during a European tour with friends. Prague was our first stop, followed by Krakow, before heading to Budapest. Frankly, Poland was an enigma to me. I arrived in Krakow without any preconceived notions, but I was immediately struck by the city’s beauty and vibrant atmosphere.
Our visit was brief – just enough time to explore the city center, visit Auschwitz, and the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Despite the short two days, the experience was deeply memorable, and I knew I would return.
And return I did.
Rekindling the Polish Flame: My Return to Poland
Four years later, in 2011, my friend Richard Simcott, a renowned polyglot, invited me to spend a few days with him in Poznan, a city in western Poland. I jumped at the opportunity to revisit Poland and spend more time there. Shortly before my arrival, Richard had befriended Michal, a Polish polyglot who recognized him from his YouTube videos.
The three of us spent those precious days together. We had a fantastic time, and I was thrilled to be back in Poland, enjoying the company of Richard and several new Polish friends.
During my stay in Poznan, I gained a deeper appreciation for the Polish language and culture. I was particularly fascinated by watching Richard interact with locals in Polish. So much so that upon returning to Rome, learning Polish firmly cemented itself on my language learning priority list.
Leveraging Russian? My Initial Approach to Learn Polish
I started my Polish learning journey with an ASSIMIL course book, a resource I often use to establish a solid foundation in a new language, complemented by my Bidirectional Translation method. However, for Polish, I also wanted to start speaking from day one.
My confidence stemmed from my existing fluency in Russian. But did knowing Russian truly make learning Polish easier? The answer is nuanced.
Knowing a language within the Slavic family definitely provides a head start. Polish and Russian share a significant amount of vocabulary, similar syntactic structures, and a comparable case system. In these aspects, my Russian knowledge was incredibly beneficial.
However, it’s crucial to understand that Russian proficiency doesn’t automatically translate to Polish fluency. They are distinct languages. During my first trip to Krakow in 2007, I attempted to use Russian as a substitute for Polish, especially in quick interactions in shops. It wasn’t always smooth sailing!
I vividly recall trying to buy bread in a bakery near Auschwitz using Russian. The server was initially perplexed, but then her face lit up when she recognized one word: “chleb,” Polish for bread, which is almost identical to the Russian word!
So, while prior knowledge of a Slavic language offers advantages, it’s not a shortcut to fluency. It’s about maximizing the benefits and minimizing potential confusion. Timing is key: build a strong foundation in one Slavic language before using it as a springboard to learn another to avoid mixing them up.
Navigating the Labyrinth of Polish Pronunciation
One of the most intriguing aspects of Polish for me was its pronunciation. My first impression was that it sounded like a blend of Slavic sounds with French nasal tones.
Having experience with French nasals made those Polish sounds relatively easier for me to grasp compared to many learners. However, the real challenge lay in the consonants.
Polish is notorious for its complex consonant clusters – sequences of multiple consonants. English has them in words like “splat” or “strengths,” but Polish clusters are on another level. Consider words like:
- Szczęście – Happiness
- Następstwo – Consequence
- Bezwzględny – Ruthless
These clusters are daunting to read and even more challenging to pronounce. It took considerable time to become comfortable with them, and even now, I occasionally stumble over particularly tricky words.
The good news is that despite the consonant complexity, Polish pronunciation is largely phonetic. Once you understand the Polish sound system and how to read the written language, spelling becomes quite straightforward. This is a significant advantage when you learn Polish.
The Joy of Speaking Polish: Practice Makes Progress
Now, let’s talk about my favorite aspect of learning Polish: actually speaking it!
In 2012, I started Skype-based language exchanges with Joanna, a Polish woman I met through the language learning community. She helped me with my Polish, and I assisted her with her Spanish.
We had weekly sessions. It wasn’t intensive study, but I could feel my Polish improving gradually and consistently. Regular conversation practice is invaluable when you learn Polish.
My next breakthrough came in 2014. I returned to Poznan for a workshop organized by my Polish friend Michal and unexpectedly received an invitation to be interviewed on a Polish TV program called “Pytanie na Sniadanie.”
It was a live show, and I was quite nervous, to say the least. However, I managed to hold it together, and the experience gave me a massive confidence boost. Surviving a live TV interview in Polish made me feel like I could handle any linguistic challenge the language threw my way.
This highlights a crucial point for all language learners. Fear often holds us back, urging us to retreat to our comfort zones. In such moments, perseverance and embracing challenges are essential.
You cannot become a confident Polish speaker (or speaker of any language) without extensive speaking practice. Don’t let fear be a barrier when you learn Polish.
2016 marked another significant milestone in my Polish speaking journey.
I was in Warsaw, collaborating with Konrad Jerzak vel Dobosz, a well-known Polish polyglot. We were co-writing a book, Jak uczyć się języków (How to Learn Languages), which was published the following year.
Soon after arriving in Warsaw, I was struck by excruciating toothache!
Finding a dentist became an urgent priority.
Fortunately, I found a dentist who resolved my tooth problem quickly and effectively. I was so impressed with the treatment that I made a rather unusual decision: this Polish dentist would become my primary dentist, despite living over a thousand kilometers away in Rome!
This decision had a fantastic side effect: it meant regular trips to Poland for dental appointments!
And that’s precisely what happened.
Of course, Poland offers much more than excellent dentistry, but these regular dental visits have allowed me to visit Poland twenty times in the last five years, exploring various regions of this beautiful country.
Poland has become one of my favorite places in the world. Regardless of location, weather, or season, every experience in Poland leaves me with a smile.
Spending so much time in Poland underscored the importance of the Polish language in my life.
This isn’t a language I want to just know a little bit of. I want to fully immerse myself in Polish language and culture and use it for the rest of my life. I want to experience everything Poland, its people, traditions, and essence have to offer. The profound connection I feel with Poland and Polish people has ignited a lasting, intense desire to explore the language, culture, and its people, a desire that only grows stronger with time.
This burning desire is what creates a true connection with a language.
It’s what fuels my motivation when challenges arise.
It’s what keeps me moving forward, step by step, even when fluency in Polish seems like a distant mountain peak shrouded in clouds. There’s no turning back.
When you have a powerful “why” for learning, no obstacle is insurmountable. This intrinsic motivation is key to successfully learn Polish or any language.
Conclusion: Your Polish Language Journey Awaits
So, there you have it – my story of falling in love with Poland and the Polish language.
I hope my experience has conveyed the beauty and magic of not only the Polish language itself but also the incredible journey of learning any new language and culture.
If you haven’t considered learning Polish, I wholeheartedly recommend it. If you have already started, I’d love to hear your story.
What has YOUR experience been learning Polish? And if you are Polish, what are your thoughts on foreigners learning Polish and engaging with Polish culture?
