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Polish
Book by Corbridge-Patkaniowska, M.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
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June 16, 2021
This version of Teach Yourself’s Polish course was originally published in 1948 and, rather astonishingly, reprinted all the way to the early 1990s in spite of its language becoming slightly outdated as things like ballpoint pens replaced fountain pens.
Like other mid-century Teach Yourself courses, but unlike ones from the 1990s on, this book does not teach you the language through one practical situation per chapter (e.g. eating at a restaurant, then booking a hotel room, then going to the doctor). Rather, each chapter focuses on grammar and then gives reading passages with a list of new vocabulary so that the student can apply the new grammar, followed by English–Polish translation exercises.
This old school approach makes the book less than ideal as one’s main introduction to Polish, even for those who already speak another Slavic language and can pick up Polish fairly quickly. Colloquial Polish can be recommended as a better primary textbook. However, what this book does have going for it is its wealth of translation exercises, which will gives students additional practice as they e.g. prepare for Poland's state B1 language exam.
Like other mid-century Teach Yourself courses, but unlike ones from the 1990s on, this book does not teach you the language through one practical situation per chapter (e.g. eating at a restaurant, then booking a hotel room, then going to the doctor). Rather, each chapter focuses on grammar and then gives reading passages with a list of new vocabulary so that the student can apply the new grammar, followed by English–Polish translation exercises.
This old school approach makes the book less than ideal as one’s main introduction to Polish, even for those who already speak another Slavic language and can pick up Polish fairly quickly. Colloquial Polish can be recommended as a better primary textbook. However, what this book does have going for it is its wealth of translation exercises, which will gives students additional practice as they e.g. prepare for Poland's state B1 language exam.
Displaying 1 of 1 review