How to learn Polish effectively

I have a few tips for you:

1. Try to passively learn Polish outside of the course: listen to podcasts or radio in Polish, watch movies and series on streaming services or videos on social media.

2. Learn Polish music: songs with previewed lyrics are a very enjoyable way to learn Polish.

3. Keep a notebook of class notes on paper or online, and return to it consistently.

4. Use memory methods: stick colorful word cards or grammar tables on the refrigerator; make word fiches in the form of double-sided cards.

5. Talk to Poles you know: your partner, family, workmates, courier, saleswoman or cab driver.

6. Follow Polish social media channels related to your interests, such as news feeds on Facebook or Telegram, profiles on Instagram, videos on YouTube.

7. Play computer games with Polish language versions.

8. Use translators judiciously, but not mindlessly: remember that when the algorithm translates your text, you are not learning at all - it is better to write the text yourself, and then verify it in the translator. Every sentence you write, even if with an error, is a better learning experience than copying from a translator.

9. Do homework - even if you don't always do it regularly, it's a great opportunity to repeat and consolidate the material.

10. Use the app with the understanding that it is passive learning. Repeating vocabulary in Duolingo, Busuu, Drops or Babbel is great fun, but remember that working with an app is not equivalent to a lesson with a teacher, it only allows us to maintain contact with the language, learn new phrases and grammar rules.

11. Agree with the fact that some stages of learning the language will be neither easy nor particularly interesting - learning a new language means getting out of your comfort zone, but in order to speak Polish really well, you need to get out of that zone repeatedly.

12. Be consistent - learning Polish is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.

13. Have some fun out of it!