Tatra Mountains

Polish flashcards

Why Polish flashcards?

Do you want to download a language to your brain? It is simple. I taught myself Polish. Based on my experience, flashcards are not a gimmick but a tool that works.

People ask me have your tried Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur or a school, or a book. Yes to all. But they did not do much for me. What worked best for me were simple Polish language flashcards. If you want to download a language directly to your brain, my Polish language flashcards are the closest thing.

They are visual cards. Not word to word, or word + picture to word, but picture only to word. This is what makes them effective.

Are flashcards are a little retro and old fashion?

Yep.

  • Worked in the 1960s – They worked when I was a kid and they work today.
  • Better than on your computer or iPod –  I am a geek and techy, but I actually prefer flashcards better than staring at a computer screen with a multimedia program. I am on the computer all day and who wants to add additional hours. Life is too short to spend on your computer. Good for the companies that make them but do they work? I prefer tried and tested flashcards that are a fraction of the price.
  • Use your imagination – With flashcards you can take them anywhere or leave them around the house like on your bathroom mirror. You can play with your kids or in your draw at the office.
  • Real vs Virtual – They are real physical tangible tools. I like real. Your brain likes real.Your brain needs something real and tangible to learn a language, better than simply software images. This is the way kids learn and why you learn better in another country as your brain likes to learn from real better than just an mp3 a video or software (all of which I write mind you, but real is best, like printed flashcards).
  • Books do not work – Flashcards are better than a book because books are boring. I do not know anyone who learned a language with a book. Books are works and clumsy. You need a tool. You can not learn to play a sport from a book, nor a language. However, flashcards are active, like drills. You can learn a language drilling.

You need to understand Polish is one of the hardest languages to learn in the world. The pronunciation and grammar is 100 times harder than English. Most people I know get very frustrated learning Polish.

Therefore:

How did I design these Flashcards?

  • Verbs are the soul of a language – Most programs are heavy on nouns. Further, nous that are not conversational like horse or carrot (these nouns you will learn anyway). Verbs are more important.  If you understand and can use verbs, you can convey any idea, fluency is gained faster. Therefore, I designed verb flashcards.
  • Less is more – There are 210 of the most useful, that is abstract verbs. Not just any verbs like ‘to dance’ (which you will pick up anyway) but abstract conversational verbs. I purposely made the program short and sweet. Because if I put in 2000 verbs you would learn 20. This is my experience, people give up when they are overwhelmed. Learn these 210 verbs in their various forms and the sentences and nouns with them and you will have a very good start with Polish. You will be able to communicate  very quickly. Yes if you learn what is on these 210 cards you will be better than many guys I know who have taken course and used programs and in my experience even lived in Poland for a few years. I give you exactly what you need, a tool.
  • Transliteration or phonetics is better than audio – Polish is almost impossible to pronounce at first. I give you the pronunciation mapped out. You need to see this, not just hear it. Believe me. Your brain needs to latch on to something and Polish is to complex to do just with sound. Poles pronounce every single letter perfectly. Not like in English, which has short words. If you try to repeat a five or seven syllables Polish world you will be lost. You need to see it broken down and practice it. Make a personal mnemonic and own the word. It takes time. You need to see it on paper and work with it. Much longer than for Spanish or French which are easy languages. If you learn to speak basic words in Polish your brain will grow. I promise. I give you the keys, from someone who has learned (and no I am not good with languages).
  • MP3 Polish – I give you MP3s anyway with this program.  You can practice, the verbs, sentences and nouns.
  • Polish Art – The art was created by a real Polish artist. They are real art. That alone gives them value. These are picture to word cards. More economical and eloquent than Rosetta. At first your brain will fight a little to place the meaning to the word as they are abstract words and ideas, but that is the point. They were not created to be childish images of an apple and the word apple. They are for your brain to try to grasp and understand.

I could go on, but order my Polish language flashcards and learn Polish today. They are a fraction of the price of large program or a school, the only difference is these flashcards work.

How do I order? This is still a work in progress so they are not ready yet. They will be $49 dollars, which includes shipping and handling etc. You get a box of cards and the rest is up to you. Write me if you have interest.

 

If you would like to learn Polish I made this free online course for grammar. Go to -> Learn Polish grammar for free online. However, I am also creating professional high quality Polish language flashcards, that work. These are beautiful hand drawn flashcards focusing on Polish verbs. Write me if you have interest and I will let you know when they are ready. Fastest way to learn Polish known to man Also write me if you have any questions about Poland in general, as I am an American that has lived in Poland many years. I am also a Polish citizen and it is a country which I love.

Comments

31 responses to “Polish flashcards”

  1. Ken Edwards

    My wife and I are going to Poland this summer.
    What do you suggest we try to learn given the period of time can spend before we leave.

    1. admin

      I would work on single words, that is vocabulary because, Polish is a hard language and even phrases and the grammar is hard. Start by creating word lists for yourself.

    2. K

      Things that have to do with action like I need something or the word for please repeat or can you say it differently.Also I would learn words for where, what, when, how much, and such. BTW pronunciation wise: sz which is said like sh is shush and rz which is said like the hard s in pleasure, w which is like v in vodka. I have no comparison for the c or z with the apostrophe, sorry. . Don’t feel bad I still struggle with the English th.

  2. jeroen

    Interesting website. I am Dutch my fiance is Polish. She learned Dutch, no it’s my turn. I would be interested in flashcards. A book that’s also nice during a course( I have private tuition) is 301 polish verbs by Barron’s educational series, inc. Cheap and really good, all conjugations per verb per page. Although some are missing like wchodze ( enter), do you also have a list ?

    gr,

    Jeroen

    1. admin

      I am designing Polish flashcards that will have the most important verbs. I am not a big believer in tables from a book, I can not learn this way, but if it works, use it. I like the idea of flashcards, real physical flashcards not just computer flashcards.

      I think it is great you are learning Polish. I am American and my wife is Polish. We speak both languages and it is very useful depending on where we travel.

    2. K

      Wchodze, whodzisz, whodzi, whodzimy, whchodzicie, wchodza. For me, you, she or he or it, than us, and than for they like others. I think I missed one? This is in active tense like right now ..whole different word for this in past and in the futurebut hey,I heard Arabic is super hard plus a whole different alphabet. Ooh, Chinese too. I think even if ur grammar isn’t perfect the context of ur talk will help.

    3. K

      Native Polish speaker, left u some tips.

  3. Yes! when can I order them? 😀

    1. admin

      In a few months, I have a bit more time as my teaching responsibilities are less and I am focusing more on the flashcards now.

  4. Thomas

    Hello, are the flashcards ready? My mothers family is from Poland and Czech, but both sides spoke Polish fluently and I would love to learn. I am trying to tell myself I can learn it, because hearing about how hard it is gives me a mental block and I think it is impossible. Looking forward to your flashcards.

    1. Mark Biernat

      Very interesting than you know of course you can get an EU visa or even citizenship? I will let you know when they are ready. The artist just told me in about August the images will be complete and I am working on the linguistic stuff now.

  5. Jasiu

    When will the cards be ready. I would like a set,ASAP.. My mother was born in Crocow (Krakow) my father was born in Minsk, Russia.. I was born in Brooklyn, New York.. I went to polish school until I was 12 years old.. Now 50 years later I want to relearn polish.. I plan on going to poland in the near future… Crocow…. I live in Florida now and I’m retired and have plenty of money, and time on my hands… Do Nastepnego Razu

    1. Mark Biernat

      Hi Jasiu, I am living in Krakow, I think you will love it here. If you need any advice about travel just ask. I am meeting the artist next week. So I really hope in a month or so for the flashcards. The pictures on the cards will be real art by a real artist so they will be fun to use but also interesting. Polish is a great language. I think you will remember a lot of it. My Uncle who lives in Florida also went to Polish school when he was young. He is 96, and when we visited him this spring, his Polish was very good. My father who is 82 had less exposure but was a native speaker. When he came here and before, he was learning it a little and it all started to come back to him. So I think the Polish flashcards will help. I can let you know when then are ready.

  6. Jeremy Nichols

    Hi – please can you let me know when your flashcards become available?
    Many thanks.

  7. farouk

    I feel i am the most frequent visitor to this site. Been coming here on a daily basis since it was the old design, anyway Where are the flashcards?

    1. Mark Biernat

      Farouk, thank you for coming to my site, I like your name I think there it means royalty? Anyway, my wife and I are working on the card design, the artist is drawing each card by hand and it takes a few days for each card so this is the delay. When he gives me the images I will have them. I am very sorry I do no have any more information, but he is a talented artist and I do not want to upset the artist. 🙂

  8. Nikki

    Hello, i’m happy I found this website. I’m also a teacher, working in Lublin. I have the advantage of being half Polish but unfortunately this has not helped my learning, nor my understanding of the language! I am very interested in these flashcards, they sound great. Happy New Year! N

    1. Mark Biernat

      Lublin is a beautiful city. If you are half Polish maybe somewhere in your brain, it will be easier to learn Polish. I know this sounds crazy but they did a study that children never exposed to the language of their ancestors pick it up faster than those who do not. I know this sounds strange, but generations of environment might have an effect on biology, like hair color for example.

  9. Nikki

    You’ve given me hope! DziÄ™kujÄ™

  10. Christian

    Hi Mark!

    I am a swedish medical student studying and living in Gdansk, beautiful city. Sound amazing with the flashcards. Do you know a date when these flashcard probably are going to be finished?

    Best regards christian

    1. Mark Biernat

      Hi Christian I think for a start my flashcards will be very good. The problem I have had all along is each image is hand drawn. Not photos from a photo stock etc. I did not want to have some manufactured look. We will have over 200 unique images – with a lot of other things. So if each image takes a day or two to create because it is drawn by hand the old fashion way, it has taken time.
      I have a few images to redraw in with the artist this week and I think that will be it. When will it be done? I hope in April but no promises. Gdansk is beautiful. You will like Poland, but watch out the girls here are really something else, and I mean that in a positive way.

      Also Polish medical school is good, I know a lot of foreigner students here say good things about it.

  11. John

    Hi Mark,

    Any websites, books, etc. besides flashcards that you could recommend to learn Polish would be appreciated. Also, can you direct me to a website that teaches Polish to foreigners in Krakow?

    Thanks

  12. Agnieszka

    Hello Mark,

    I’m really excited about the flashcards, my Scottish boyfriend is learning Polish and I would definitely buy them for him. Do you think they will be ready before Christmas 2012? Seems like a perfect gift.

    Thanks

    1. Mark Biernat

      They will be great when I am done. But it has taken more work than I could have ever imagined. In theory it is easy to create but trust me it is a lot of work if you are doing it right. I am also a director of a Luxary resort hotel so I work right now on the weekends only. I wish it could be done that soon, but the reality is a few months after Christmas is more realistic.

  13. Agnieszka

    Hey Mark,

    how are the flashcards coming along? Really can’t wait to be able to purchase them.

    Agnieszka

    1. Mark Biernat

      I have taken so many detours moving to the USA partly and getting a ‘real job’ – yet I left and will focus full time on flashcards and MP3 so this summer. Sorry for the delay, it was a matter I was working like six days a week and that was all consuming. I was the director of a hotel. I like working on language things better.

  14. Mary Ellen

    Hello Mark,
    I don’t see a place to order flashcards online. Can you suggest another place to order them.
    Thanks

    1. Mark Biernat

      I have developed so many resource to learn Polish over the years, which I have fine tuned and honed based on personal experience. Yet none are ready for market yet as I have spend an inordinate amount of time doing other things that have distracted my focus. However, I will eventually release all these product as I hope to have a bit more free time in the future.

  15. David Manning

    I am polish american my grandfather came to this country and I was raised by him I learned some phrases growing up but want to continue on. If anybody can help in any way please let me know

  16. PaulGlynn

    Mark…

    So how do we order these Flash ~~ cards? I will be moving to Warsaw from USA n the next 3 to 4 months. I could use a Head Start on the language.

    1. Mark Biernat

      Sorry I can not get them done sooner, I teach Economics and moving this at a snails pace. But this will get done this year.

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