5 comments about Teach Yourself Polish Complete Course (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Complete Language Courses).

1. As a language instructor of English and French(MA in TESOL) I found this book to be problematic. There are not enough listening and vocabulary activities on the c.d. As a total novice in Polish I need a lot more chances to hear the pronunciation. Each chapter gives you a very brief dialogue and doesn't even review the pronunciations of the lists of new phrases and words from the book. Then, in the chapter review they include new words and phrases not yet introduced!! Hello? How can you review something not yet introduced? My fiancee is Polish and I will be going to live and work there next year. If anyone can recommend a decent polish workbook with grammar for beginners I would really love to hear about it!



2. I bought this yesterday the local bookstore. The packaging on the outside reads "Includes Two 60-minute CDs". CD #1 contains 48 minutes of audio and CD #2 contains another 22 minutes. That comes out to 1 hour and 10 minutes...NOT the 2-hours proclaimed on the packaging! Very misleading.
   
   On top of that, this book/CD set jumps into the language as if you know some of it already. Little discussion/explaination of the nuances of the Polish language. It jumps into dialogue immediately with very fast speakers (instead of slowly exploring the pronunciation in depth) and I missed several consonant sounds. The alphabet was glossed over so quickly that I had to hit "rewind" on the CD player every 10 seconds. Bad investment. I'm taking it back and hope I can exchange it for a better program!



3. THEY NEVER ARRIVED....I HAVE TRIED TO TRACK THEM DOWN THROUGH THE USPS.
   please help.... i need these tapes !!!!! PLEASE HELP.



4. I think this course has some good features - it teaches you some useful phrases, without too much attention to the grammatical reasons behind them, eg., so if you wanted to just get out and have a go, you'd have something to work with. But my complaint is the same - if you want to start to understand, learn and apply rules, the grammar is spread all over the place, and only part of it - the 'easier' bits - seems to be included in the book at all. It does a bit of the accusative, eg., but not the more complicated aspects, and nowhere does it bring all the rules applying to any case together in one place, so you're left guessing a bit what the rules might be (eg. instrumental). If you wanted a phrase book, you'd buy a phrase book. You can learn some vocab, of course, but it's hard to apply it more broadly without the knowledge of the grammar to do so. The CDs are useful as far as they go, but they're not great. It's OK, but I'd expect more for the price.



5. This was a terrible waste of money. My wife and I are moving to Poland in 6 months and wanted to begin learning Polish so that we can get around Warsaw without much help and to be able to communicate effectively. This CD and book set was practically useless for beginning language students. After 3 weeks with the CDs we are still on Lesson 1 and cannot understand half of what is said. The book as a great deal of information that is not even included on the CDs. No phonetic pronunciation guides are included in the book so new vocabulary that is introduced is a guessing game as to how you should pronounce it. A native Polish speaker that I know looked at the book yesterday and told me that there are incorrect sentences and slang introduced in the book as "correct grammer" and that we should not use this series to help us to transition to life in Poland. I would not recommend this set to anyone.

2 comments about Langenscheidt Turkish Pocket Dictionary: Turisk-English / English-Turkish (Langenscheidt Pocket Polish Dictionary).

1. BESDIDES THAT IS MADE BY A GREAT COMPANY LIKE LANGENSCHEIDT, IT'S A REALLY GOOD, PRACTICAL DICTIONARY, I RECOMMEND IT!



2. As with all Langenscheidt dictionaries, this one is good. It's easy to use, durable, and reflects accurate modern usage (as far as I can tell). This one in particular, however, is on the lean side. Compared to the pocket German-English dictionary this seems to have far fewer entries and isn't even suitable for a first-year student of Turkish.
   
   Great for vacation, not as great for the classroom. So go ahead and get this to carry around, but look for a larger desk reference to back it up.

5 comments about Basic Polish: Learn to Speak and Understand Polish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. For what they try to accomplish, these CD's are well-designed. After the series, you should be able to pronounce and speak many basic phrases and combine words you know to form sentences. This will certainly help you in your travels in Poland. However, if you intend to learn the Polish language (or any language), you will need more than these beginner audio tapes. But to start out, it is fun to listen to the conversations and get yourself speaking some Polish.



2. I tried Rosetta Stone Polish 1 with NO sucess
   Pimsleur is the BEST way to learn Polish
   I used it for two months before traveling to Poland and did very well speaking and understanding the basics of this difficult language to learn.
   Polish natives thought that I was REALLY FROM POLAND and not the USA
   Thanks Pimsleur
   I recommend you most highly and effective



3. I can't understand if anybody can learn polish by this course. Without any written material, I think it is impossible. Stay Away!



4. Although very repetitive, these CDs make you memorize difficult polish phrases and words. Polish is definitely a very difficult language to learn, and this CD is very helpful.



5. This item was a gift for my 17 year old nephew, who is of Polish extraction. He hopes to visit to Poland next summer. Apparently he is really excited by it and is enjoying the learning process.

5 comments about Beginning Polish: Revised edition, Volume 1 (Yale Language Series).

1. For some years I have STARTED to learn the Polish language as a mental exercise. Didn't think it would be too difficult, since I had already taught myself German and Italian and used these languages when visiting Germany and Italy: and had used my high school French and Spanish to good effect when visiting France and Mexico. So you can see that I thought of myself as a natural linguist without formal training. Wanted to learn a slavic language, but not Russian because of the cyrillic (sp?) alphabet, so settled on Polish. I started with the Hugo series. Was baffled. Went on to... shall I name them or only count them? FOUR other teach-yourself methods. I think the trick was the organisation. I'd almost given up hope when I ordered Schenker's Beginning Polish. I opened on Page 1 sometime in October 1998, and now, in January 1999 I am starting on Lesson Eight on page 117 and going to the races. Gentlemen, I raise my proverbial hat to a text which is slowly and inexorably opening the mystery of slavic language to me. The complexity and beauty of Polish are evident even at this early stage. The lessons are so subtly organised, so logically presented, that I am only held up by the need to memorize words that used to leave me baffled and upset, but which in this text gain for me an expanding picture of the interrelationships of words that have very little reference in the languages I already know. Am I making sense? Alexander Schenker in a master at putting the puzzle together in logical baby steps. The only possible problem is that the student had better read EVERY WORD of the explanations, because every word is vital. And when we study alone like this, we don't have a professor to answer questions, but the answers are there if you read carefully. My only regret is that I cannot seem to obtain Volume Two, which is no longer in print.



2. i have purchased several other books from amazon in order to learn polish in addition to the few that i have picked up on ebay. most of them have been helpful to an extent but NOTHING has come close to helping as much as this book. after reading the other person's review, i purchased this and everything that was mentioned was completely correct. you will learn a tremendous amount in a very short amount of time when studying this book. there are exercises that will test your knowledge and will benefit you greatly. 1000 people could purchase this book and have a money back refund and none would send it back. this book is invaluable. don't spend your money on 12 dollar books because you think it's a better value. just drop the 30 dollars and this is the only book you'll need.



3. This is without a doubt the most useful and versatile Polish language instruction book I have found. It's not the colorful, cartoon-filled textbook you might remember from high-school or college French class; rather, it's organized in a way that makes it wonderful for independent study for anybody beginning Polish.

   Each chapter begins with a large number of mini-dialogues one sentence in length. For example, "Co to jest? To jest pioro." Translations are included with each example, of course. The earlier chapters then proceed with sections describing spelling and phonological rules of the Polish language. Following that is my personal favorite section, grammar! Grammar is explained in a way that may perhaps be a little unclear in the beginning, but as your familiarity with the language improves, it WILL become clear quickly.

   Nearly every topic you could want to learn about is covered by Mr. Schenker in this book, including noun and pronoun usage, verb inflection, verbal particles, prepositions, dependent clauses, conditional phrases, and so on. I don't think I would be exaggerating to say that you could pick up this book with no knowledge of Polish whatsoever, and with a reasonable effort become quite capable of conversing, reading, and writing in Polish.

   Whether you're looking for a starting point or have studied some and want to improve, this is an invaluable resource.




4. I needed to cram some Polish fast and since the reviews here have been raving about this I bought this book for self study. However, I found that I was stuck in the first lesson because it is about pronounciation and it's impossible from the text to figure out the pronounciation from the text alone.

   Not wanting to give up, I contacted the Yale Center for Language Study which, according to the book, has a set of tapes you can obtain. After a long and drawn out request that took a month (and maybe would have even taken longer if it hadn't been for a friend in Yale who physically went up to the center to get the tapes and post it for me) I listened to the tapes and found they were actually drills to Volume II (the classroon drill book). Which meant they were useful but not as useful as I had hoped.

   I think this book, if you stuck with it, maybe could be a brillant course. I'm going to try it some more. The fact that it has no pictures and is not 'fun' makes it less appealing for me than other self study courses. After surveying a bunch, I think the Pimsleur tapes - expensive as they are - were the best in getting me started.




5. Not the best book for beginners. But once you get the basics down online or elsewhere, this book can give you an all-out fully comprehensive overview of the general language designed for intermediate level students. You'll need to be very dedicated to the book if you really want to learn.

No comments about Pocket Oxford PWN Polish Dictionary.

5 comments about First Year Polish.

1. I worked through this book from cover to cover before a trip to Poland several years ago. The vocabulary is colloquial and current. The book turned out to be an excellent preparation for my trip. I found that I could make myself understood in most everyday situations.

   I found First Year Polish to be so useful, that I bought Intermediate Polish...also and excellent book.




2. This was a very useful book for learning Polish. I lived in Poland for a year and a half. This book was one of the things that helped me become fairly fluent in this hard language. I also reccomend the the Intermidiate Polish by Swan.



3. I had the pleasure of studying under Dr. Swan, the author of this book. He has a new version of this book for every single semester of classes, but they aren't officially published versions. He used to have the print center make course guides, but now (for the first year book) he has put the book online at http://polish.slavic.pitt.edu/. It's always his most up-to-date version. Also, instead of doing the drills at the end of the chapter on paper, he has a free computer program called Lektorek. It tells you when you are wrong so that you don't learn something incorrectly. It's sort of buggy sometimes, but for the most part it's much easier to learn Polish with this program. Another advantage to the online version of the book is that you can click on the drills that you'll have to do in the Lektorek, and it will pronounce it for you. The conversations border on the surreal, but all in all, I did learn a lot from the Lektorek and online pronounciation.



4. This book is outdated and it uses an old style of language teaching. However, it is a good book to start learning Polish. The vocabulary and the expressions used throughout the book are very useful, and in no time you will be able to say many things in Polish.
   The exercises can be repetitive and sometimes boring, but they do help you reaffirm the grammar you have learnt in each lesson.
   
   If you are looking for a more up-to-date version of this book, it is available online and free of charge. You can also purchase an audio CD for the online version this book.



5. It's hard to find good materials for teaching Polish. This book has the advantage of being simple, clear, and inexpensive. The method of teaching is traditional. It will give you a good foundation in grammar.

3 comments about Polish: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. This phrase book is meant to provide Berlitz some competition. I consider LP to be slightly more useful because i) short paragraphs are included about important social behavior and ii) there are more words in the dictionary. I found the arrangement in LP better for studying. Berlitz addresses a greater variety of situations.



2. This little pocket book contains solid Polish grammar and vocabulary information; it concentrates on popular phrases that one would need when traveling. It's small size is very handy and graphics help follow the book without confusion.



3. As a phrase book, it's great. I found it quite helpful in our short visit to Poland. However:
   
   As a source of definitions for many commonly used words in Polish,it could be much better. When I tried to use the dictionary section with a Polish family we were living with, they decided it was not very useful to them.
   Also, many of the words used in the phrases (and their English equivalents) are not included in the dictionary portion of the book, so sometimes it's difficult to find the phrase you want to use.

2 comments about The Oxford Picture Dictionary English/Polish: English-Polish Edition (Oxford Picture Dictionary Program).

1. A picture dictionary can be a great tool for language-learners, giving access to details that words alone can't get at as quickly or elegantly. Oxford's illustrated Italian-English dictionary is an example of some of the best work this type of volume can do. The pictures label specific parts of machines and scenes in a depth that's really useful. On the other hand, the Polish-English volume clearly falls short of the mark. Its first and greatest sin is that it often gives the plural rather than the nominative singular form of Polish nouns, so it's often impossible to determine the gender of the noun. Second, it's clearly a generic volume made to be recycled into many languages at minimal cost. Third, the pictures are nowhere near as detailed as those in the Italian-English volume (which isn't made from the 'generic' mold). The pictures look like they come out of the "See Dick Run" school--this volume just isn't up to snuff for someone seriously interested in studying Polish. Finally, many of the "helpful" phrases associated with various vocabulary topics are given only in English.
   
   If you're studying Polish and looking for a serious learning tool, keep looking. This isn't it. If you're Polish studying English, some of these criticisms obviously don't apply, but it's still not a great dictionary.



2. Have you ever wanted to learn Polish, and had no idea where to start? Or have you been studying for a while, but there are certain basic words that you never really learned or remember? Then this is the book for you! Full of colorful images and great details, this Polish-English dictionary surpasses any other one I have seen. And I even use it to helo teach English. Well worth the money spent!

4 comments about Polish: An Essential Grammar (Routledge Grammar).

1. This book is especially helpful for those who have completed at least their first year of learning Polish. It is a good review of most of the basic grammatical structures a learner needs for comprehending this difficult language. The book's only short-coming is its sometimes confusing organization. A frequent user, as I am, may have to resort to tabbing some of the pages.



2. I love this book, it has helped me to learn the language. He breaks it down into small enough chunks so anyone can learn. I also recomend his smaller book, "Basic Polish A grammar and workbook." I have used them together to learn the language.



3. What a great resource. Bielec's book provides the most succinct and clear grammar of Polish I've ever read. As an upper-intermediate/lower-advanced speaker, I've found this book invaluable in helping explain the ever overwelming nightmare of Polish declination.

   The organization is in legal style, which means each chapter is a point, and within that is a sub-point, and a sub-sub-point, etc. (6.5.6.6.2) I like that; others might not.

   Summarizing, this book would be useful for beginners, yet is an absolute must for intermediate and above.




4. I bought this book after having looked far and wide to discover that there is not a single good Polish grammar book in the English language. This one is at least comprehensive and well organised.
   
   On the other hand, it has instances of language so obsolete that no Poles use it at all and many Poles do not even know about it (e.g. 'miê'). It's clear the author has relied too much on written sources and lacks an intimate knowledge of the language, which is a pity, considering the reputation of the university she works for.
   
   Worst of all is the contextualisation of the grammar. 'There are no trees in this forest'. So where's the forest then? It was proven decades ago in the English language teaching industry that poorly contextualised examples hinder the acquisition of language. When will Polish book writers learn this?
   
   So why not only one star? Because it's the best on the market. If you hope to learn Polish grammar with the help of a book, I strongly reccommend this one and only this one. It helped me immensely.

2 comments about Langenscheidt Polish Dictionary: Polish - English English - Polish (Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary).

1. Didn't have a secion full of daily phrases or a section on verb conjugation. A bit unhelpful for anyone who has not taken at least two years of college level Polski.



2. I found this edition as good as the one I have used since 1991.
   The only thing that I don't like about it is that it starts off
   with the Polish translations. If you're an American, it is easier
   to start off with the English,(like the old edition) so that if
   you're travelling in Poland you can find what you want to say
   a lot quicker.