{"id":562,"date":"2009-06-12T01:55:05","date_gmt":"2009-06-12T05:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/?p=562"},"modified":"2009-06-12T01:55:05","modified_gmt":"2009-06-12T05:55:05","slug":"concise-polish-grammar-%e2%80%93-a-handbook-for-foreigners-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/concise-polish-grammar-%e2%80%93-a-handbook-for-foreigners-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Concise Polish Grammar \u2013 A Handbook for Foreigners – book review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I finally managed to get my hands on \u201cConcise Polish Grammar \u2013 A Handbook for Foreigners\u201d by Magdalena Foland-Kugler<\/strong> (ISBN 978-83-89913-51-7) published by Exlibris.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t read this book from cover to cover yet, just briefly paged through the sections that interested me the most. What immediately jumped out at me is the fact that the examples in this book are not translated into English.<\/p>\n

Yes, I get it, if someone is reading a Polish grammar book, he\/she should have some sort of basic vocabulary already mastered. But on the other hand, if you\u2019re preparing a Polish grammar book for English speakers, why do you treat the examples as if they were written for Poles?<\/p>\n

The book was written by a native Polish speaker in Polish, and then translated into English. As such, it has a point view of a native Pole, as well. And unfortunately, because of that and despite its best intentions, it is barely adequate for a non-native speaker. However, it\u2019s a very good reference for a Polish person who wants to learn Polish grammar in English. Though I\u2019m sure this is not what the author had in mind.<\/p>\n

The book is not totally useless, though. The grammatical tables are simple and concise, to the point of being too simple at times.
\nI have a feeling that the author was given a certain number of pages for this project and desperately tried to cram as much information onto them as possible. Unfortunately, our wonderful Polish grammar doesn\u2019t take too kindly to cramming and the book is simply too short (142 pages and that includes the preface and index!) and too basic.<\/p>\n

As most grammar books the world over, this one is also written in grammaticalese, and woe upon those who attempt to read it not knowing what analytical gradability is, for example.<\/p>\n

I find this book to be an easy read, and the explanations \u2013 clear and adequate. But then again, I don\u2019t have to translate the examples to understand what is being said, and I know a lot about Polish grammar already.<\/p>\n

However, my resident non-Polish speaker hated it and even though I had ordered him to read it, he only got as far as chapter seven before demanding \u201cthat Bielec book.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I finally managed to get my hands on \u201cConcise Polish Grammar \u2013 A Handbook for Foreigners\u201d by Magdalena Foland-Kugler (ISBN 978-83-89913-51-7) published by Exlibris. I haven\u2019t read this book from cover to cover yet, just briefly paged through the sections that interested me the most. What immediately jumped out at me is the fact that…<\/p>\n

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