Learning the Polish alphabet as an English speaker in Poland feels like solving a complex code. In over ten years, I’ve faced many challenges. From getting my permanent stay to dealing with surgery and legal issues. These experiences forced me to learn the peculiar sounds of the Polish alphabet. The unusual ‘ą’ sound and knowing… The post Mastering the Polish Alphabet Without Losing Your Sanity appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

Learning conversational Polish has been a journey of over ten years. It’s full of milestones and memories. As an English speaker living in Poland, I quickly saw that rote learning wasn’t going to work for me. Life’s daily tasks turned into my classroom instead. Applying for residency, talking to doctors in hospitals, every interaction taught… The post How to Speak Polish Without Feeling Overwhelmed: My Personal Strategy appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

I started my journey with the Polish language over 10 years ago. It was more than memorising grammar and hard to pronounce words. It involved understanding complex forms and decoding conversations with law officers. For an English speaker, this experience was like solving a complex puzzle. My learning path was unique. I avoided traditional classroom… The post Understanding the Polish Language & What Makes Polish Unique. appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

Learning a new language is both exciting and hard. As someone who started learning Polish over ten years ago, I can share some insights. The journey to master Polish is neither quick nor straight. Whether your goal is to learn Polish daily or find out how long does it take to learn polish language thoroughly,… The post How Long Does It Take To Learn Polish? A Month, A Year, A Lifetime? appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

I’ve lived in Poland for ten years. It’s been an amazing journey learning Polish. This adventure changed my life. I started speaking only English. Now, I use Polish daily. I’ve dealt with many situations in Polish, like getting residency and chatting after surgery. Traditional learning methods weren’t for me. I like learning by talking and… The post Polish Language for Beginners: How to Get Started with Confidence appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

I moved to Poland over ten years ago, starting an adventure in language learning. My Australian background didn’t help much with my Polish language skills, a language spoken by about 50 million people. It was more complicated than English. But now, I can proudly say I’ve learned Polish in some surprising ways. I found myself… The post Learn Polish Fast: What Worked for Me and How It Can Work for You appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

Art, in all its forms, can deeply communicate human emotion. But there’s one piece that displays the emotion of melancholy in a potent way. It’s the story of “Stańczyk”, a masterpiece by Polish artist Jan Matejko, completed in 1862. The full title of the work: Stańczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona… The post Stanczyk. The Story of the Sad Polish Jester Painting appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

In a quaint Polish village, Zosia, aged 87, beamed with joy as she cradled her great-granddaughter, little Zosia. The two women share a bloodline and a common name. One was named early in the 20th century when Polish culture was modernising, and the other in a country that’s starting to look back to those pre-war… The post Traditional Polish Names & How They Capture Cultural Significance appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

Imagine you’re about to do a walking tour of Warsaw and you’re feeling the history and culture around you. You meet your local tour guide and he’s wearing a name tag with this on it: Is that an L or a small t? Sz? sss then zzz? Your trip through Poland doesn’t require learning the… The post How to Pronounce Polish Names (Without Hurting Yourself) appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more

Polish last names tell stories of family, work, and places. They show Poland’s rich history. Names ending in—ski were once for nobles but became popular among all people in the 13th century. Having lived here in Poland for almost 10 years, I’ve met many Poles with long, complex surnames that are difficult to pronounce. My… The post Polish Last Names: Common Origins and Meanings appeared first on EXPATSPOLAND ..read more