How to learn Polish online

Over two million Polish speakers live outside Poland, in countries such as Canada, Germany and the UK. Polish is considered by many linguists to be one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn, because of the many differences between the two languages; sounds are pronounced completely differently in Polish, and there is an extremely complicated gender system to get to grips with. The Polish alphabet consists of 32 letters: 23 consonants and 9 vowels.

• 1
  Make sure you go for a course offering value for money. Accounting and finances image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com

  Research the different online language course providers, finding out what ones offer Polish as an option. Choose the one that appeals to you the most. Go for a company that seems reputable and offers a money back guarantee. Compare the cost of different courses and decide which one offers the most value for money. Popular course providers include Rosetta Stone, Verbal Planet and Language Exchange (see Resources below).

• 2
  It is easy to pay for the online course with a credit card. credit card image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com

  Pay for your course and receive the materials; some websites email you with attachments to download, others have the documents ready for download on their website. You may also be sent CDs, which allow you to learn through your CD player as well as your computer.

• 3
  You can work through the course at your own pace. old calendar image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com

  Work through the course at your own pace; there are no deadlines so you can work as slowly as you need to.

• 4
  Your local shop may have a community notice board. Heritage Barber Shop & Grocery Shop image by spi4u2 from Fotolia.com

  Practice your Polish as often as possible; place an advert in your local shop or post office seeking local Polish speakers who may be willing to help you with your learning, perhaps in exchange for practice with their English speaking skills.