Don't be scared of making mistakes
I set off to Poland shortly after finishing my degree as I had managed to get an EFL job. Only at the airport did I start to think about the language - I had no idea what it would be like or even what kind of alphabet Polish uses. So, it would be fair to say that I totally jumped in at the deep end. Still, it didn't seem to matter - even though the language is very difficult and seems impossible to understand. I found that the Polish people I talked to in shops where more than helpful. They honestly seemed impressed that an English person was making the effort to learn the langauge. The most important thing that I learnt, and still encourage students to do, is not to worry about being embarrassed or making mistakes - it's about the best way to learn. After doing a chicken impression in my local shop because I had forgotten the word for egg I found that the shop assistant was always nothing but smiles and helpfulness. She certainly knew who I was!
Sent by: Harry
Comments
I had much the same experience. I only tried to learn Polish "properly" having come home again, and realised what grammatical howlers I had been committing on a daily basis - but the Poles were unfailingly helpful. Apart from in the tourist offices!!
I would like to speak French and I can't find any sites on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ website and I was wondering if you could help me find one please. Thanks.
Ed's note: You could try the French homepage on the following link:
www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/
Haha! Very nice story!
Polish is my native language and I am aware that it isn't easy to learn in a very short time because of many expressions of this 'false friends' kind. We really appreciate each attempt to speak our language.
Good luck with the Polish language and people.
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