Struggling with your child’s Polish?

May 3, 2017 | Culture, Polish Communities

I know from experience it’s hard to manage in a bilingual home, especially if only one of you speaks Polish. What with work and school, it’s sometimes easier to just cope in English and hope the bit of Polish conversation you do manage, seeps in at the edges of life.  I keep reminding myself that this is an uphill struggle which will never see me reaching perfection. Yet, it will be worth it in many years time when maybe I get a ‘thank you’.

Surely, one of the great things about Europe is how many of its citizens speak not just one language, but two, or three or even more. A friend of mine spoke Polish at home, Lithuanian in the playground and Russian at school. So surely we can manage just one other? Besides, speaking ‘Ponglish’ (is that the term?) can be such fun, and all those words we thought were just made up have made it into modern Polish language like eventy, klipsy and adidasy.

I was thrilled to see that recently, the Polish Cultural Institute has launched a Learn Polish kids’ site with podcasts and videos. It has videos on meeting and greeting, animals, the body and even deals with “cz” words through a little Minecraft journey. The clips feature children speaking English and Polish and it’s done in a really simple, accessible way. Try it. I think it’d work for most grown-ups too.

Download Learn Polish free podcast from Fun Kids!

Add a comment

Related Blogs

Posted by Anna Kucewicz | March 29, 2025
The poetry of a Polish Spring
Finally everything is coming to life. In Polish culture, spring is a time to reawaken in ourselves the poet, the artist. Polish poets of the 20th century used spring to...
Posted by Anna Kucewicz | December 15, 2024
Polish Books translated into English – Gift ideas
The twelve dishes of Wigilia are a wonderful mix of savoury and sweet delights some with a hint of spice. So here are twelve books variously seasoned to keep you...
Posted by Anna Kucewicz | September 29, 2024
What links our “dożynki”- harvest festivals with harvest time in Poland?
Each August or September the harvest takes place, according to the laws of nature. Our traditional dances and processions often now taking place in October are based on this end...