Lingua Critic - Polish

Language Reviews

Polish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions. Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner through most of Poland.

Despite the pressure of non-Polish administrations in Poland which often attempted to suppress the Polish language, a rich literature developed over the centuries and the language is currently the largest in terms of speakers of the West Slavic group.

Michel Thomas ( by Michel Thomas)  No memorizing, no text books, no drills, no homework!

Ironically this is Michel Thomas's native language and one course he didn't produce an original course for. That said however the presenter Jolanda Cecula does a great job here in recreating Michel's approach. Two students are again used and although they tend to be annoying when they get answers wrong you will see the reason for using them is to measure your own progress. Now an Advanced course is available.

Polish in 4 Weeks (by M Kowalska)

Although the course says Polish in 4 weeks, you will not be fluent but you will certainly have a good grasp of the grammar, pronunciation and loads of vocabulary. The book is cleverly laid out in its presentation of the Polish language. The language is presented in small pieces and builds progressively to a good conversational level. The lessons have an underlying dialogue which increases in difficulty as you advance through the course. The accompanying CD's really help with the tones and pronunciation. Our reviewer suggests that you cover one lesson a week and practice what you learn in that same week before moving on to the next lesson, rather than try to plough through the entirety of it in 4 weeks. This he found to be the most effective way to learn from it.

Polish for Dummies (Daria Gabryanczyk)

The "Dummies" book series has always provided a useful and light-hearted way to understand subjects often seen as difficult. This is generally done in a humorous and simplistic way to essentially demystify the subject. The Polish language is presented in this way and it gives useful techniques and methods for pronunciation and verb conjugation. This is your fun and friendly guide for the Polish language and well recommended as a supplement to other courses.

Rosetta Stone

Polish is another language which has been well presented by Rosetta Stone team. The complete set includes the audio companion for downloading to mobile devices so you can continue learning on the move. If you have read our other Rosetta Stone reviews you will know that it follows the same method of teaching. Learning Polish with Rosetta Stone proved to be a very good experience if you only do no more than an hour at a time. It can get boring and you will just start guessing after too long. Please note that this is version 4 and you need to check compatibility with your computer.

	Talk More ( by Euro Talk Ltd)
	Polish is another well explained language in the Talk more range of language learning software. This is designed for complete beginners and leads to a respectable level of conversational skills. There are plenty of videos which make the learning more fun. A very good course for a basic to intermediate learning level.

Collins Polish ( by Hania Forss, Rosi McNab)

If you are after basic conversational Polish then this book and accompanying CD's are a great start. Unlike many conversation courses that are based on themes like ordering meals or buying drinks, this focuses on the root words, like Can you help me, What would you like,  etc then leading you into the necessary vocabulary to apply it to almost any situation. A well-known figure in the field of language learning, Rosi McNab has produced bestselling courses and materials for Collins, Heinemann, Pearson Education, Hodder Education, BBC and Goethe Institute. Her hugely successful and ground-breaking books are currently used in primary and secondary schools across the UK and abroad.