Learn Polish like children
Many of our students note that their children, having moved to Poland and lived here for a short time, already have a good command of Polish and quickly integrated into the new language environment. “If only we had that!” they complain. And we decided to figure out what children can teach us so that we, adults, can so easily integrate into the Polish environment.
Errors
Children, when they make mistakes, quickly forget about them and are not afraid to make language blunders.
Advice: You should also act according to the principle: made a mistake - corrected it - try again.
Communication
Children are easy to contact, look for new friends and are not afraid to communicate with those who speak a language unfamiliar to them. When a child does not understand the interlocutor, he tries to explain himself “on his fingers”, uses associations.
Advice: Don't be afraid to communicate when communicating in Polish. Visit a conversation club, boldly engage in conversation with strangers in a store, on public transport, communicate in Polish groups on the Internet.
Age
Children never think about their age. No child will ask you if they can learn anything at 5/7/12 years old. Most likely, the kid will go and try.
Advice: Don't be embarrassed by your age! You can start learning foreign languages at 30, 50, and 70. From personal experience: test results for students over 40 are often higher than those of twenty-year-olds.
Curiosity
All children are “why- ...
Advice: Ask your teacher questions, don't be shy about asking again, translating an unknown word or explaining the material you've covered once again. You're learning and taking your first steps in learning Polish, and your teacher should support you and make your steps confident and firm.
Game
Psychologists say that children learn about the world through play.
Advice: We strongly recommend using games in the learning process. In our center, we use game methods that help overcome the language barrier and increase vocabulary. We also advise you to use educational games, mobile phone applications that will help improve your knowledge. You can play at home, in transport, during your lunch break. The main thing is that you find it interesting. After all, boredom is the worst enemy in learning a language.
Trust
Children trust adults unconditionally. They do not question the words of their parents or teachers.
Advice: Learn to take on faith what your teacher explains to you or what is written in your textbook. Don't try to explain everything logically.
Copying
Have you noticed how children love to imitate adults?
Tip: Find a role model, such as a teacher, actor, or colleague. Copy his or her intonation, memorize the expressions he or she uses.
Joy
Children know how to enjoy little things and be proud of their victories. If you give them a candy, buy them a balloon, or praise them at school, this is enough for them to enthusiastically talk about it and be proud of themselves.
Advice: Follow the example of children! Learned ten words - praise yourself. Passed the test - tell your loved ones about your success! Let it be a small step towards perfect knowledge of the language, but this is a step forward!
Enjoy the process
It is difficult to make children play something uninteresting. If a child chooses an activity himself, he does it with pleasure and enthusiasm.
Advice: Adults should approach learning Polish in the same way. Choose additional learning methods that bring you pleasure. For example, if you like to read a book or a magazine in the evening, then replace the book in your native language with one adapted into Polish with an interesting plot or buy a magazine. Or maybe you like funny stories? Read Polish jokes. You can also listen to songs, watch TV series, entertainment shows on Polish television. The main thing is to do it with pleasure.
Creative approach
We don't need to tell you that children don't like doing boring things. But if you approach even the most uninteresting activity creatively, the child will get excited about it.
Advice: Fantasize! Use the associative method of memorizing words and expressions. Write words on stickers and stick them around the house, make a dictionary of interesting words or sayings, etc.