Learning Polish with Fire and Sword

More blogging arrhythmia caused by a pretty busy week, public holidays and a very intensive set of Polish classes at my new school. I promise to put in a pace maker and revert ASAP. Speaking about my new course, compared to my last school, which to put into a military metaphor felt like taking a stroll over a hill with two beautiful female lieutenants from the Danish Army, the new school is a SAS safe-house-busting flash-bang of a ride. But no pain, no linguistic gain.

So this blogpost is for all the English speakers who are currently fighting the good fight and learning Polish. Over the course of Easter I spent a delightful 4 hours watching Ogniem i Mieczem, based on one of a trilogy of books by Sienkiewicz, over on TVP Polsat. It's sprawling epic full of fighting, horrific murders, intrigue and beautiful princesses. Glorious stuff. It's available on YouTube with english subtitles here and I can't wait to start reading Siekiewicz in the original.

I've tried watching Polish TV without English subtitles or with lector but I find that although I understand large parts I quickly switch off mentally.  I still think it's useful to listen to (in the hope that if I ever slip into a coma I might wake up speaking perfect Polish - yes, I really do fantasise about that linguistic short cut sometimes) but I don't make a conscious effort to concentrate on it. Perhaps in another 6 months when I hope to be approaching advanced intermediate stage. In the meantime I prefer to read articles and search for things online with English subtitling. Any suggestions - get in touch.

On a sidenote, whoever "The Lektor" is, and he appears to be the same deep voiced guy in every single programme, I hope he's due retirement soon. He drives me nuts! It's impossible to hear the actors speaking underneath his monotone burr. It's not helpful for Poles learning English or vice versa. It's also less funny, as anyone who's watched dubbed English or American films can attest. I'll never forget the shock I got when I first went to France at age 11 and saw Harrison Ford - Harrison Ford for the Lord's sake! - speaking out of sync French in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Hilarious.

Last Friday I went to see Legia vs Lodz Widzew. What an astounding experience. I wrote a few notes and hope to have a full unexpurgated digest up soon.

Ps. for those who like non-English language films about history, there are also two Russian filns - "1612" and "Attack on Leningrad" that are also on YouTube. Both have got lots of fighting in.