What is the best language to learn? It is not the answer you might think of. Lets say you are a native English speaker, therefore, lets rule out English. If you are not a native speaker of English, of course the answer is English, do not waste your time learning French for example. To learn Spanish, French or German it is only useful if you are really into those cultures.
Image by Patrick McDonald Pat McDonald on Flickr.com
I have to say that Polish is the best language in the world to learn! Why do I recommend Polish as the most useful language (najbardziej przydatny język)? The whole world speaks English. This is the universal language (uniwersalny język) for business. I have traveled the world and never had a problem with English. Therefore, why learn another universal language like French or German or even Spanish, if it does not get you anywhere that English can not already do?
If you go to Egypt or Greece for vacation, everyone is learning Polish or Russian as a foreign language. If you go to the Austrian Alps skiing, signs are in Polish in the hotels. Or for example Croatia, which in the summer is a Polish tourist colony!
Polish is a great language to learn if you can get past the crazy grammar (szalona gramatyka). And believe me – you can do it! It is also the top language because with Polish you will be an amazingly different (zadziwiająco inny). No other language can compare! Lets be honest and cut through countries like Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Iceland.They have the most beautiful women. If you were to learn one of these languages things might happen in terms of relationships:)
Unfortunately it is also probably the hardest language (najtrudniejszy język) to learn. However, it will make you unique (wyjątkowy). It is also very useful as Polish people are everywhere, especially the UK, Brazil,Australia, USA – Poles (Polacy) are pretty much everywhere! Polish people love to explore the world, not only for work but they are passionate all things cultural.
One more thing that makes it great is that if you know Polish you can understand Czech, Slovak and a few more languages as the Slavic languages are the most closely related of all the European languages.
Speaking of that, let’s get a little genealogical background (genealogiczne tło).
Polish is a Slavic language (język słowiański) related to Russian and Czech. It is used in genealogical sources throughout Poland. Before 1918, Polish-speaking territories were divided between Russia, Germany, and Austria. Records written before 1918 may be in German, Russian, Latin, or Polish.
•In Russian Poland, Polish was the official language for vital records (oficjalny język dla życiowych rekordów) from 1808 to 1868. From 1868 to 1917, Russian was the official language.
•In German Poland, most records were kept in German or Latin, though some were kept in Polish.
•In Austrian Poland, most records were kept in Latin. Some records were kept in German and some in Polish.
Polish is also used in the records kept in some Polish communities in the United States.
Did I convince you yet? A lot of friends tell me that they like when I speak Polish – it almost sounds like music. My daughters (2 and 5 years old) speak Polish and they are really proud of it. I guarantee you will be proud too!
Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)
Comments:
Pasquale:
I throughougly enjoyed reading your blog! I’ve took a certain liking to Polish, and Slavic languages in general. Mainly Polish because I believe that it stands out much more than the other Slavic languages due it its intricate constant clusters and constant “sh” sound. I never noticed how many cognates there are! Maybe one day I’ll summon up enough courage to begin learning it! 🙂
Luis Pacheco:
Hi Kasia,
I am married with a wonderful polish woman for 11 years.
I’m starting to learn Polish, is complicated, but it is a very beautiful language. I think it would be nice on your blog mentions that Poland has 5 nobel prize for literature.
By the way, whenever my motivation to learn Polish is low, read your blog helps a lot!. 😉
Hyri:
Polish language is so funny. I tried to learn it last year, when I was in Poland. Friend told me about good language school (www.polishcourses.com), so I got there and attended classes for almost a month. I’ve learned a lot, I must say, but now I have to be in touch with this language (so I look for places with excercieses and so on and read a lot of articles about this language).
Geo:
II World War, England. Polish soldiers come to a camp. One of them goes to see the camp and meets an English officer. This asks:
– Polish? (in Polish this sounds as “Smoke?”
– Tak (Yes) – the soldier replies
The officer takes out a pack of cigarettes:
– Smoke?
– A cmoknę sobie, gdzieś się tak nauczył po polsku? (of course I do, where did you learn speak Polish so good?)
Roman Melnychuk:
Witaj ! I am Roman and I was born 30 miles from Polish border in Lviv or Lwow in Polish and I like Polish a lot. I am a Ukrainian who speaks only Ukrainian and i think the more I hear Ukrainian in Ukraine as it sounds more to Russian, the more I want to learn Polish to help me to understand my own language.