Month: November 2008

City guide and language section for the world.
City name	Language	Highlights
Czestochowa	Polish	Miraculous shine to the Madonna
Gdansk	Polish	Seaside paradise and birthplace of solidarity
Baltic coast	Polish	Amber capital of the world
Nowa Huta	Polish	Communists tried to build a city that rivaled Krakow, they failed, now part of Krakow
Podgorze	Polish	Austrians tried to build a city that rivaled Krakow, they failed now part of Krakow
Krakow	Polish	The ancient royal city of Europe. The largest and oldest market in Europe. Magical city where fairy tales come true.
Lublin	Polish	Ancient eastern Polish city with beautiful old streets.
Poznan	Polish	Beautiful city where Polish is spoken with a musical accent
Warsaw	Polish	Polish capital city full of excitement, shopping, and monuments to the brave rising ’44.
Wroctaw	Polish	Baroque center in Silesia, close to Germany and Czech Republic
Lodz	Polish	Famous film and Polish cultural center
Zakopane	Polish	Polish “Alps”, but less commercial and more charm.
Zamosc	Polish	400 year old, “off the beaten path” Polish cultural center, featured as a “Unesco world heritage city”.
Torun	Polish	Torun is the birthplace of Copernicus, Hanseatic-Gothic center
Malbork	Polish	Castle home of the Teutonic knights, 1475 the Poles defeated the Germans and captured the castle.
Biskupin	Polish	1300 BC Bronze age city. Amazing for those interested in pre-history.
Sandomierz	Polish	You would think your in Italy but this is the center of Poland.
Mazury	Polish	Beautiful Polish lake district
London	English	Second largest city next to Moscow with great royal buildings
Dublin	English	Capital city of the Irish.
Edinburgh	English	Capital city of Scotland
Manchester	English	Home of the famed Manchester United football team.
Boston	English	400 old city in America, founded in1639
Philadelphia	English	Birthplace of America
Paris	French	Spared from destruction in ’44, has a romantic gothic feel
Brussels	French	Cross roads between Romantic Germanic languages
Montreal	French	Second largest French speaking city in the world. A cultureal Mecca for North America
Quebec	French	Old world charm in Canada
Orleans	French	Home of Joan of Arc
Ruhr area	German	Industrial center of Germany
Frankfurt	German	Financial capital of Europe during the cold war.
Zurich	German	Capital of the peaceful nation of Switzerland
Munich	German	International Bavarian city with 10% foreign population.
Vienna	German	Violins, angel trumpets and devil trombones fill the air in this musical city, home of the Habsburgs
Berlin	German	Very unusual underground night life.
Milan	Italian	Fashion capital of Europe
Rome	Italian	The center of the world for 1000 years
Naples	Italian	From Amalfi to Pompeii to the bay of Naples, on of the most stunning cities. Red Coral capital of the world.
Sicily	Italian	Sicily was inhabited by the Latins, Moors, Normans, Greeks and more. Each culture left its impact on this exotic and unsual island.
Madrid	Spanish	The nexus from which Spanish culture and language spread from.
Barcelona	Spanish	Beautiful Spanish coastal city.
Valencia	Spanish	The Valencian or siglo de oro (Golden Age) of Spain leaves its marks on this beautiful Spanish city.
Buenos Aries	Spanish	Home of the tango and 1920’s fashion center in the Americas
Lviv	Ukrainian	The last city in Europe, center of Europe geographically, Western Ukraine.
Kiev	Ukrainian	Ancient fairy-tale city. Famous 1000 year old cave monasteries. Ancient jewel of the East.
Moscow	Moscow	Russia

Noun Case endings in Polish

Końcówki w poszczególnych

Polish noun cases endings are not as hard as they look. We have create a table to display the noun case declinations. Not every single ending is included as this would confuse you and few Polish native speakers know all the endings and exceptions for Polish cases. However, if you want to practice noun case endings I recommend my www.polishgrammar.com site. These are exercises in noun case ending in Polish..

Polish Nominative case- noun endings

Singular: Liczba pojedyńcza:

Masculine: Ø; -a dom(Ø); mężczyzna

Feminine: -a książka; kobieta

Neuter: -o drzewo; dziecko

Plural: Liczba mnoga:

Masculine: -y; -i domy; mężczyźni

Feminine: -y; -e; -i książki; kobiety

Neuter: -a; -i drzewa; dzieci

Polish Accusative case- noun endings

Singular: Liczba pojedyńcza:

Masculine: Ø; -ę; -a dom(Ø); mężczyznę

Feminine:-ę książkę; kobietę

Neuter: -o drzewo; dziecko

Plural: Liczba mnoga:

Masculine: -y; Ø; -ów domy; mężczyzn(Ø)

Feminine: -y; -e; -i książki; kobiety

Neuter: -a; -i drzewa; dzieci

Polish Instrumental case- noun endings

Singular: Liczba pojedyńcza:

Masculine: -em; -ą domem; mężczyzną

Feminine: -ą książką; kobietą

Neuter: -em drzewem dzieckiem

Plural: Liczba mnoga: Masculine: -ami domami mężczyznami

Feminine: książkami; kobietami

Neuter: -ami; -mi drzewami; dziećmi

Polish Locative case- nouns’ endings

Singular: Liczba pojedyńcza:

Masculine: -u; -ie domu; mężczyźnie

Feminine: -e; -y książce; kobiecie

Neuter: -ie; -u drzewie; dziecku

Plural case: Liczba mnoga:

Masculine: -ach domach mężczyznach

Feminine: -ach książkach; kobietach

Neuter: -ach drzewach; dzieciach

Polish Dative case- noun endings

Singular: Liczba pojedyńcza:

Masculine: -owi; -ie; -u ; mężczyźnie

Feminine: -e; -ie; -y książce; kobiecie

Neuter: -u drzewu; dziecku

Plural: Liczba mnoga:

Masculine: -om domom; mężczyznom

Feminine: -om książkom; kobietom

Neuter: -om drzewom; dzieciom

Polish Genitive case- noun endings

Singular: Liczba pojedyńcza:

Masculine: -u; -y; -a domu; mężczyzny

Feminine: -i; -y książki; kobiety

Neuter: -a drzewa; dzieckan

Plural: Liczba mnoga:

Masculine: ów; Ø domów; mężczyzn(Ø)

Feminine: Ø książek(Ø); kobiet(Ø)

Neuter: Ø; -i drzew(Ø); dzieci

The Polish alphabet comes from the Latin alphabet and it is basically the same. The main difference is the extra letters. The good news is once you learn the Polish alphabet spelling and proconciation in Polish should not be a problem as the language is 100% phonitic as are the other Slavic languages. Therefore the Polish aphabet is your key to pronuciation and spelling.

Polish Alphabet – polski alfabet

A Ą B C Ć D E Ę F G H I J K L Ł M N Ń O Ó P R S Ś T U W Y Ź Ż Z

a ą b c ć d e ę f g h i j k l ł m n ń o ó p r s ś t u w y ź ż z

Polish Alphabet contains 32 letters. Specific for polish language are letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż.
Old polish alphabet contained 42 letters and 7 “double-marks” dwuznaków, which are still existing in polish.

Pronunciation of Polish letters

A – sounds like “a” in the word “Amish”
C – sounds like “ts” in the word “Tsar”
E – sounds like “e” in the name “Elisabeth”
G – sounds like “g” in the word “fog”
H – sounds like “h” in the word “hello”
I – sounds like “ea” in the word “jeans”
J – long “i” sounds like “e” in word “bye”
K – sounds like “c” in the word “colour”
O – sounds like “a” in the word “tall”
U – sounds like “oo” in thw word “pool”
W – sounds like “v” in the word “love”
Y – sounds like “y” in the word “itty bitty”

Ą – nasal A, sounds like french “bon bon” or “ow” in the word “own”
Ć – sounds like Chinese “chi”
Ę – sounds like “el” in the word “elm”
Ł – sounds like “w” in the word “wedding”
Ń – sounds like the word “knee”
Ó – sounds like polish “u” (pool), it matters only in written polish
Ś – sounds like “shee” in the word “sheets”
Ź – sounds like “ge” in the word “genie”
Ż – sounds like “g” in the word “mirage”

Polish alphabet – Other letters are pronounced in similar way in both languages

Dwuznaki (double-marks) in polish: CH CZ DŹ DŻ DZ RZ SZ sound like one letter, with the exception of DŹ DŻ DZ which are read in usual way.

CH – sounds like a polish “h” and the differend it matters only in written polish;
CZ – sounds like “ch” in the word “chocolate”
RZ – sounds like polish “ż” and the differend it matters only in written polish
SZ – sounds like “sh” in the word “gosh”

Dwuznaki in use – examples:
chleb (bread) , dach (roof)
czas (time), paczka (package)
śledź (herring, tent-peg), chodź (come)
dżem (jam), odżywka (nutrient)
dzwonek (ring), dzbanek (jug)
dziecko (child), godzina (hour) in some “i” folowing “dz” makes it softer and makes it sound like “dź”.
rzeka (river), korzeń (root)
szafa (wardrobe, closet), kosz (basket)

Letters: Q, V, X don’t belong to polish alphabet, yet they’re use in foreign words or loanwords

Pronounciation of polish words is usually very difficult for foreners in the beginning. Besides the spoken polish it may be pretty hard to learn speling rules
in written polish language called “ortografia”. Some letters as you can see above sounds the same but we can’t use them alternatively and we have to follow
a proper rule. This letters are:

“CH” = “H” in spoken polish sounds the same but we have to know which use in written polish
“Ó” = “U”
“RZ” = “Ż”

Examples of words using the Polish alphabet:

CH : Chyba (probably), chętnie (with pleasure), chociaż (though), chwila (moment), chrzan (horseradish)
H : Huta (foundry), hałas (noise), hak (hook), huragan (hurricane), huśtawka (swing)

Ó : Ogórek (cucumber), łódka (boat), kłódka (padlock), łóżko (bed), ogród (garden), lodówka (refrigerator)
U : Buzia (face), usta (lips), ludzie (people), smutek (sadness),budzik (alrm clock), okulary(glasses)

RZ : Morze (sea), rzadko (rarely), rzeczywiście (actually), trzeba (it is necessary), twarz (face)
Ż : Może (maybe), plaża (beach), już (already), książka (book), bliżej (closer), koleżanka (girlfriend), mąż (husband)

Where to go on a date in Krakow

It is no scecret that Krakow is a romantic gothic city. It is a city that dates back actually about 50,000 years if you include pre-Slavic history. However, the golden age was in the Middle Ages. The time of castles and knights and damsels. Therefore, if you have any romantic notions or ideals, it is an excellent place for a date.

I actually meet my wife in Krakow and we were married here in a small church at the base of Wawel Castle. So if you want to know where to take a date in Krakow, I know a place or two.

If you are traveling with your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or wife, Krakow is the place. Krakow’s wandering streets were almost designed for romantic walks, flowing like paths through the city rather than traditional linear grids.

Here are some romantic ideas to explore in magical Krakow.

Take a date in to a real castle. In Krakow on Wawel hill is an ancient castle. You could spend the whole day there seeing the  Royal apartments and the cathedral. Stand on the top and you will see most of the valley.

You can explore the dragon’s cave or sit in outdoor cafe’s. There is even an ancient energy plexus, that is connected to the second Chakra.

The Castle was the center of power for hundreds of years in Europe and the Polish sphere of influence extended from Russia to Western Europe. It was where the Polish kings were crowned and married. Today on any Saturday you will see beautiful Polish lady friends taking pictures there. I took my lady friend there on our wedding day.

Walk with your girlfriend along Planty – the park around the old town is another romantic walk. Remember Krakow was a walled medieval city and in the walls and underground caverns and tunnels are more magic than any Harry Potter book.  Although most of the city walls were taken down over the centuries there are still traces left. The walk around the city is actually a beautiful circular park, these walls and countless historic sites are part of the walk called the “royal way”.

Find a nice Polish girl in a cafe. If you are hip and cool, I am not, Kazimierz is the place to hang out if you want to escape the tourist scene.  The Polish Jewish quarter was once an island but not part of the city as the river Vistula has changed course.

Polish Jewish population lived here for hundreds of year and developed an interesting culture. The traces of this culture can be seen everywhere and give the area a bohemian feel.

The cafes in the old center of Krakow are frequented by the German and UK tourists. The pubs in Kazimierz are where the young Polish hipsters and Krakowians go. It is the Tribeca of Krakow, artsy and trendy. The focal point is the club which is a club with no lights, only candles.

Enchant a girl along the river. Another activity I do is, stroll along the river Wisla (pronounced Veeh- in Polish transliteration).

This is a walk for all four seasons and as many times (maybe over 100 times), I do it and it still enchants me.  In Europe you see couples, in the USA I do not see many. For example, most of the people walking the Vistula are couples arm in arm. I do not see that in the USA.

Along the walkway are numerous views floating coffee shops and even a beach as well as flowers, trees and benches, and magnificent bridges the newest being only for walking, it is the one I use everyday to go shopping.

However, the best spot to hang out is to simply sitting along the river’s grassy slopes reading a book and watching the sun go down, some even drinking wine.

The Wisla river spins and weaves through the romantic city of Krakow, separating it from the ancient fishing town and now of Podgorze.

The river Wisla actually flowed directly though the middle of Cracow in the last century; however,  clever Polish engineers shifted the course and flow of the Vistula to save the old town from potential flooding which happens every ten years. Next to Hala Targowa there is a bridge which crossed the river’s old flow.

Nature is always romantic as it is instinct. Las Wolski is the large green area in Krakow. In this forest you can find wild animals and even boars as well as a Zoo and historical monuments.  There are endless paths to saunter along.

Deep in the forest the Kamedulków monetary are some holy shines and peaceful chapels.  However, girls can visit only a few days a year.

In a room  if you whisper something on the other side of the room someone will hear you because of the dynamics of the way it was built. It has whispering walls which will take the expecting by surprise.

Real love comes from God and spirit. A place to go on Sunday for Church for acceptance and unconditional love is the Dominican church-Although not romantic in the Cosmo or friendship in the city meaning of romantic, it is in the Medieval sense. It is a church that dates back to the 12th century.

It is an example of gothic architecture which is maintained and shines. It is a monastery from another time and place. The church has magnificent architecture and gothic spirals. If you want a look around be aware that during mass times it is standing room only and out the door on a Sunday, go during an off hour.

The Monks and priests in this community are legendary in Cracow for their wisdom and kindness as well as making you laugh.

If you want to know how to find a date in Krakow just ask

Let me know if you are coming to Krakow and I can recommend the insiders tour and things to see. Just leave a comment and I can give you ideas as I live in Malopolska.

Rosetta Stone | A personal experience –  Rosetta Stone what you need to know

My name is Mark Biernat and I learn and teach languages in Europe. I am creating LearnFast mp3 and LearnFast software programs for learning languages. The reason I created this page is I get many the people who ask me about purchasing a commercial language program because I write them myself. Most people have heard of RS and are tempted to try it. At first, I said ‘sure try Rosetta Stone’. It is expensive, but if you want, try it. However, it did not work for me and people I know who tried Rosetta Stone. All that I write about Rosetta Stone is based on my own personal experience and my opinion. Further, since I am writing language learning material so I am partial towards my program. However, that does not mean what I write about Rosetta Stone is not valid. If anything it gives me a good perspective. I am not currently in competition with Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone has like 31 languages, I am focusing on Slavic languages. In fact, I do not have anything even for sale yet. Further, my first product will be learning a language with music and mp3, very different from the Rosetta Stone. What I write about Rosetta Stone is all for your information, and take it for what it is worth.

Rosetta Stone did not work for me because although the idea sounds great as does Rosetta Stone’s marketing, however, the content and the design of their lessons are horrible if you are trying to learn a language. I know people who bought Rosetta Stone, spent a lot of money and more important time and it did not work. It caused them to be frustrated. I would rather be honest and tell my story, so others do not waste so much time on something they will not be happy with. However, ultimately you can spend the money and try Rosetta Stone for yourself. I would be curious to hear your feedback.

Learning a language is blood, sweat and tears no matter what approach you take. If you buy Rosetta Stone or if you take classes, I think to learn a language you have to try a lot of things and find what works for you. But with Rosetta Stone, there will be more blood, sweat, and tears than there has to be.

Rosetta Stone did not work for me because:

• Rosetta Stone’s lesson vocabulary is not useful. Rosetta Stone has, “boys jump” for example instead of “how are you?”.
• Rosetta Stone pictures are unclear. You spend too much time guessing the meaning of the image than learning the word.
• Rosetta Stone has no grammar explained. I am not big on grammar, but adults need some understanding of what is going on, why nouns or verbs are changing. You can buy other programs or books but you need the explanation parallel to the lesson material you are learning. Not Rosetta Stone’s lesson in one direction and a grammar book covering other material. Why spend all that money on Rosetta is you are going to have to buy other things.
• Rosetta Stone’s translations are in PDF. Any translations Rosetta Stone has is in are in a large separate PDF file, so when you scroll through it takes forever to find what you are looking for.
• Rosetta Stone is more about guessing than learning. Many people can go directly to Rosetta Stone level 3 in Spanish for example, and guess what picture is correct but that does not mean they can speak the language. I tried this for Chinese, I know no Chinese and at a high level, I was guessing the picture. So a correct answer is more dependent on your ability to test or guess than your ability to learn the language.
• Rosetta Stone has this voice analysis software, that is only for sales. For me, it never worked and I am techy. It is a joke. My friend who is a native speaker in Polish scored badly for the Polish language and I scored good, and I am not a native speaker. It is just a sales point for Rosetta Stone, but it is not real.
• Rosetta Stone is a very boring program. Nothing going on except the same old same old pictures. Most people get really tired of doing a few lessons and give up. I was bored out of my mind.
• Pictures are cheesy. The Pcordialos look like they are from the 1990s, almost comical.
• No ability to put the Rosetta Stone program to an mp3. Therefore, you are chained to your computer, and if you are like me, you want the option at least to have it on mp3 so you can take it with you to the park or other places with easy, not spend more time on your computer.
• Rosetta Stone installs only on a disk not directly on your computer, so the disk will spin around when you use it and for me, it is mildly irritating. There are many more reasons, but I was frustrated after trying to learn Polish with Rosetta Stone. It was more a waste of time than money.
• Rosetta Stone is a cookie cutter. Rosetta Stone is manufactured by a large company with every language structured the same. A cookie cutter approach. To fit all languages into one framework as Rosetta Stone does is beyond me. The cookie cutter approach fits well into Rosetta Stone’s marketing model, however, it does not work if you want to learn a language. For example, Polish is very different from English and English is different from Chinese, but for Rosetta, it is all basically the same. I learn and teach languages. I tried Rosetta Stone Polish and it was ridiculous. In the first lesson three noun cases with no explanation. I think with the Rosetta Stone approach you will get confused and frustrated when you try to learn your target language. But try it if that is what you want to do.
• Rosetta Stone is a marketing company. Rosetta Stone has good ideas and the creator of Rosetta Stone was innovative, but Rosetta Stone’s forte at this juncture is marketing. It is a marketing company with bright shiny yellow web pages and a big sales budget. On the other hand, LearnFast took years of personal work and creativity on my part to create.
• Rosetta Stone did not work for me. I have never known someone that Rosetta Stone has worked for.

An alternative to Rosetta Stone

My program is the best alternative to Rosetta Stone. In fact, there is no comparison if you want to learn a language. My program has taken five years of my life to create. I am an American that teaches and learns languages in Krakow, Poland. I used my own creativity and brain to think of a way to help you learn languages. Further, I live in a flat in Krakow (Podgorze), Poland and have had the help of amazing creative talent here in Poland to make something really unique and special. I am not a marketing company. I simply have a love for languages and created something to help others. I can not touch Rosetta in terms of their marketing machine, however, they can not touch my product in terms of effectiveness and my personal creativity. I am using the beta of my program (actually the alpha) to learn Russian.

Rosetta Stone cost

The cost of Rosetta Stone is very high, their idea people like to pay( believe it or not). If you pay a lot, then people will value it more. But there is no correlation between the price and its effectiveness.

Is Rosetta Stone bad?

Rosetta stone is not bad, however, I have used their products personally, spent a lot of money and time using Rosetta Stone, and it did not get me anywhere, except frustrated. I could guess the pictures during Rosetta stone lessons, but It did not help me speak the language. Rosetta Stone looks good and has excellent marketing, but it did not work for me. Rosetta has a very good idea, but it does not work, at least for me, nor anyone I know who bought their product. However, the idea is interesting.  I would recommend it if you have a lot of money, it is on par with a gadget. The company is respected and nothing wrong with it, yet I just do not have the money to be spending on such things. It is a cost-benefit analysis as well as a practical one.

• All thoughts have a basis in the physical brain (although I believe in a soul).
• To change the physical brain you have to stimulate it with the external senses.
• Stimulate the brain’s via correct sensory input and you will learn.

So if the mind is governed by the physical brain and all other physical processes of the body, all we have to do is identify what is the most
way to stimulate the brain via the optimal sensory input to develop language skills, correct? Yes. It is that simple. There is always an optimal way in everything in life.

What does language involve?
It involves Memory, memory recall, working memory, the ability to imagine and construct ideas, to create metaphors and think in abstractions. 

Numerous areas of the brain are used. Broca’s area is
the base but virtually every area of the higher cortical regions are used.
Some languages use more than others depending on the construct of the language. For example, the Chinese spoken by a native speaker uses a much broader area of the brain than English spoken by an English speaker.
So how can you train your brain and all these areas of your
brain to think in a new language? The good new is if you have learned
to speak once you can do it again in another language, even
fluently. If have never learned a language after the age of 8 you never
will. Early on you did most of the work to learn a second language when
you learned your first. The imaginative, abstract, metaphorical
components of language are in place. You have to now learn the
vocabulary and basic grammatical structures. For example, knowing only a few words in Polish, I was able to write a simple poem in
Polish. Here is the English translation.

I am waiting
I am waiting
Every night I see you in my dreams
When I awake you are gone
I am waiting

My point is you already know 99% of what you need to know to learn a
foreign language. I was able to think abstractly and imagine and to construct the poem with the thinking skills I learned as a child, just use new vocabulary.
You also know how to think in abstractions,
put ideas together. What is left?.  Really just the vocabulary and grammar.
The grammar will come when you listen to the language if you learn the words. You are 99.9% of the way there then right? Yes.
What physical part of the brain is the most important for learning a second language? I would nominate the sea horse shaped area called the
hippocampus. This is a component of the limbic area or midbrain involved in memory formation and recall.

So again what is the best way to learn a language?
What is the best way to learn a language is to learn the words.
How? Memory. Memory and memory recall. What is the best way to memorizes? Exercises . You can use memory tricks such as association or visualization found in any memory book; these are great, but without testing and retesting you will not make great progress. Since the brain responds to sensory input. The only practical way to stimulate the brain is through sensory receptors such as eyes and ears.
Its the way we are built. As much as science progresses our brain still receives information through our
eyes and ears etc.,  life after all is a sensory experience.

When the top universities and hospital retrain areas of the brain after tragic stoke or damage, how do they do it? Not through tricks or gimmicks, but through exercise. With new confidence iny universities are using basic exercises, training and retraining and getting great results. Rehabilitation does not include repeating tapes
or reading long dialogues or memory tricks. To build and rebuild ECPs
and new neuro path ways, neuro science uses focus concentrated
exercise.

With no tricks at all, testing and retesting will build your natural memory and working memory which are critical components for IQ and higher cogitative function. With exercise, your brain will respond faster than your body does to weight lifting or aerobics.
It will naturally secrete nerve growth factors or NGF. When your brain receives external stimulation from the , such as the ears,
a neurons creates a electro-chemical connection or a pathway. This stimulation changes the physical brain. If you had an electron microscope that could somehow observe this in the
, you would actually see your brain growth on a micro level,
with each new byte of information it stores. However, your brain is
if it wants to keep this pathway in use. brain tries
if it will ever use this byte of information again.

The neuro connections are like a small path through the woods that will be quickly overgrown. However, with repeated use, it will become a well paved bike trail, then a road, then a superhighway.

In conclusion, the brain responds and learns through repeated mental
challenges, if they are fun all the better, if you have a passion
this is the best. “All great things in life are achieved with
passion.” – Hegel

Here is the key to learn a language: Learn words

Before you learn grammar, take classes, watch foreign TV, work from books, learn 2000 words using native speaker audio file. What good is grammar without words? How can you get anything out of a class without knowing the words. You will get frustrated and think you do not have a gift. But the truth is everyone has the gift to learn languages. How can you understand or speak to anyone without the words of a language? Learn the words anyway you can. Eveyone finds their own way.

I like flashcards, like in my program. But mnemonics is good, or word list, but drill the words until you know about 2000 individual words. Then you can learn the grammar or anything else in a month or less. That is the secrete to learning a language fast. I promise.

The 7 specific ways how to learn a language fast and easy: These techniques are time tested ways to learn a language fast, and they work. If you know a better technique to replace any of these, please write me. However, to date, these are the best ways to learn a language fast and easy. My software incorporates many of these and is based on audio visual associations of words and audio.

1. Acquisition

Theory:

Second languages are learned, while, native languages are acquired. What does this mean? When you learned your native language you did not learn complex grammatical structures or rules. Your brain put together and extrapolated patterns of speech based on subconscious learning.

Application:

The key component of language acquisition is a low stress encouraging environment, this helps subconscious learning. This is most important. It must be fun, low stress and sensory rich. A child’s world is low stress and has a lot of sensory stimulation. In this program we use brainwaves and rich hots, this helps further to achieve this state. Acquisition is really subconscious learning.

2. Word Frequency

Theory:

If you learn 1000 words will know about 80% of the words spoken, 1500 words are about 85%, 2000 words, 90%, and 3000 will be over 95% of the words you hear and use. This is the language.

Application:

Study the high frequency words. How? Flashcards. Set a goal, of about 50 words a day for a month. One month at 50 a day will bring you to 1500.

What are the most common words? Question words, prepositions, basic verbs and adjectives. For example: why, what, who, when, how, on, over, in, by, in front, behind, I love, I want, I see, I said.

Have trouble with pronunciation, try speaking with an accent. What do I mean? If learning French, practise speaking your native language with a French accent, every word. Many words are the same, only the accent if different, because these are words that come from antiquity, that is ancient Latin and ancient Greek.

3. Mnemonics

Theory:

‘An old man does not forget where his wallet is.’ What does this mean? If it’s important to you brain will remember. Why? Because a large component of memory formation is based on emotional or limbic responses. How can we use this to learn languages? We can use mnemonics.

Knowledge is a tree. That builds on what you already know like branches extending outward. Your neurons are branches, they need something to grow from and connect to. This is what mnemonics does.It gives you something for your brain to connect and grow from. When charged with an emotional component then your memory is reinforced.

Using your imagination is fun. Sit back close your eyes and learn.

Application:

Using mnemonics an association of words help retention and recall. Make up your own mnemonics, these will be more meaningful, if they are absurd or funny this will add an emotional component, that will assist memory retention.

If you are good at making associations and study hard you would learn your first 1500 words in about a week.

What an example of a mnemonic? The Polish word for fame is Slawa Pronounced swava . Imagine only that only the most Sauvé actors and actresses become famous.

If they are funny and charged with emotion all the better.

Now we must emphasize that these are only helpers, used in conjunction with image-sound associations, not a pure replacement. We use our program to see and hear the words, and when they get stuck, we use a mnemonic. This makes the learning synergistically powerful. You need native speaker sounds or your pronunciation will be unrecognizable. I recommend mnemonics as memory helper, because used as the only method then your language will be slow and staccato, that is why we developed this program.

Another mnemonic technique for learning grammar: The grammatical zoo.

Take a grammatical trip to the zoo or botanical gardens: Associate word endings (which really is what most of grammar is) with the first letter in an animal or plant name.

Imagine you take a trip to a zoo. Grammar cases, for example, imagine the area you see in the zoo has a sign “the accusative case”. And if the accusative case has noun word endings of “E” and “A”. then the animals name should start with these letters in that part of the zoo. For example, if the accusative case ends in “E” and “A”, then you see animals that start with “E” like eagle elephant and eel. Or “A” like aardvark. In the plural form imagine you see several aardvarks, this means the plural form of the accusative case takes “A” as the ending. This is a fun way to learn Grammar. Use your imagination.

Is this not the most enjoyable way to learn grammar?

4. Drill grammar

Theory:

Adults think in abstractions. This is an advantage over children. Therefore, some could argue that children learn languages slower than and adult because they do have the ability to think abstractly about grammar or vocabulary.

Application:

Review the basic grammar rules and verb congregation, not just using charts but do some drills. Just get a basic understanding of these, do not go over board at first. Just the basics as more will slow your progress on learning words. Reinforce grammar and verbs with drills.

5. Word building

Theory:

Words have roots. From these roots often are build numerous variations. So if you learn one root words this would equate to 5 or more other words. Further most European languages will give you a lot of free vocabulary because of Latin’s influence. So once you learn the basic words many of the scientific or academic words are the same in all languages.

Application:

While reading try to see other words from the root word.

6. Context- translations/TV

Theory:

We all learn and like to learn in different ways. Trying many things will help your brain build a horizontally integrated memory. That is your brain will store parts of you memory regarding your language in more areas of your brain.

Application:

Watch films and media. Read children’s books translate things, listen to music. Every little bit helps.

7. Speak – image streaming

Theory:

“Your get more of what you reinforce.” The more you do something the more it is reinforced. Practice speaking the language. Bring more of what you have in your subconscious online with a technique called image streaming.

Application:

The most important thing is to converse with whomever you can, whenever you can. If you have no one, use a technique called “image streaming”. This technique was developed by Win Winger. It is as follows: close your eyes and describe out load in rich sensory detail what you see in your spontaneous, that is, undirected visual images you see in your mind’s eye or imagation. These images must be something that your mind spontaneously creates, not something you are trying to visualize. Another important aspect of this technique is, that you must speak to an external object, either a person or a voice recorder. Win Winger invented this technique call “image streaming” which claims to increase IQ with this technique. It works because it connects radically different parts of your brain, spontaneous visual imagery and speech centers, bringing more of your subconscious online. When you describe in sensory detail to an external object or person what you see in your imagination’s spontaneous, non directed imaged, then your brain makes connections that are deep and rich. Whether you use image streaming or people, speak.

The purpose of this post is to tell you about marriage in Poland and wedding vows in Polish. I was married in Poland so please if you have any questions just ask.

The question of choosing wedding vows is an interesting one. I love traditional wedding vows, that is the vows most likely your parents said and their parents before that.

Polish weddings can be two days, I had a simple wedding in an ancient Church.  I did not have much drinking at the reception.

Wedding vows in Polish

Ja …(imię Pana Młodego) biorę Ciebie…(imię Panny Młodej)
za żonę i ślubuję Ci miłość, wierność i uczciwość małżeńską
oraz to że Cię nie opuszczę aż do śmierci. Tak mi dopomóż
Panie Boże Wszechmogący w Trójcy Jedyny i Wszyscy Święci.

Ja biorę Ciebie… za męża i ślubuję ci miłość, wierność i
uczciwość małżeńską oraz że cię nie opuszczę aż do śmierci.
Tak mi dopomóż Panie Boże Wszechmogący
w Trójcy Jedyny i Wszyscy Święci.

PRZYSIĘGA W USC

zaczyna Pan Młody:

Świadomy praw i obowiązków wynikających z założenia rodziny,
uroczyście oświadczam, że wstępuje w związek małżeński
z (…imię Panny Młodej) i przyrzekam, że uczynię wszystko
aby nasze małżeństwo, było zgodne, szczęśliwe i trwałe.

English translation of wedding vows in Polish

I … (name of the Groom) take you … (name of the Bride)
wife, and swear you love, marital fidelity and honesty
and the fact that you will not leave until his death. So help me
Lord God Almighty in Trinity and All Saints.

I take you … the husband and swear your love, loyalty and
integrity of marriage and that you will not leave until his death.
So help me, Lord God Almighty
in Trinity and All Saints.

Oath USC

Groom starts:

I am aware of the rights and obligations of a family,
solemnly declare that enters into marriage
of (… name of the Bride) and I promise that I will do everything
that our marriage was in line, happy and lasting.

But there are many versions of course.  I had a slightly different version.

If you have questions about wedding vows in Polish or marriage in Poland let me know.