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Have / will you learn Polish?

24

Comments

  • #32
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    I wouldn't be interested in learning a language that is not that widely spoken. But if you're interested in it then go for it.

    I don't agree with the statement that "all" Polish people speak English though. Of the Polish students I teach (all of whom have good English themselves), more than half of their parents have little or no English.


  • #33
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,964 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Gatling wrote: »
    I know a few polish kids in gael scoils that don't speak a word of English neither do there parents,
    I read in a thread on here where a polish lad was saying he couldn't believe how much English is translated into polish ,car tax, insurance,social welfare forms all in Polish reckons it does no good for integration ,
    Somebody else was asked at a job interview if he spoke polish for a job here ,as the company employed a high percentage of polish workers

    You've hit it on the head there.

    It's great that so many different nationalities come here to work and live but there is very little effort made to integrate into the native society - either from their side or the government.

    Any wonder then we end up with "ghettos" and the "us vs them" attitude.

    As I said above, if you moved to Germany and decided you weren't going to bother learning German or fit in to your new country, I don't think you'd be facilitated the same way others are here.


  • #34
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,183 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    scamalert wrote: »
    Why not start by learning your own native language first ?id say theres already more Irish knowing couple words in different languages than in Irish language itself (ironic)

    Not really ironic at all.

    A little knowledge of some foreign languages can be useful.


  • #35
    HondaSami
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭HondaSami


    Kaiser2000 wrote: »
    I've found similar experiences working in multinationals across all the other nationalities - english only when necessary, native language otherwise and generally seem to stick to their own groups for the most part.

    Each to their own I suppose

    Yes agree it's with other nationalities also, i know of one employer who insists everyone speaks english at work and if any other language is heard the people involved are taken to task.
    It's rude to speak in another language when someone in your company does not understand it, saying that Connemara is the worst for it, they all speak english but choose to speak in Irish when english speakers are around.


  • #36
    HondaSami
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭HondaSami


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    I wouldn't be interested in learning a language that is not that widely spoken. But if you're interested in it then go for it.

    I don't agree with the statement that "all" Polish people speak English though. Of the Polish students I teach (all of whom have good English themselves), more than half of their parents have little or no English.

    Where are the parents living?


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  • #37
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    HondaSami wrote: »
    Where are the parents living?

    In Dublin.


  • #38
    HondaSami
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭HondaSami


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    In Dublin.

    The parents moved from Poland to Ireland,their children are going to school here but the parents do not speak english? How is this possible?


  • #39
    December2012
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,695 ✭✭✭December2012


    kwestfan08 wrote: »
    Fair play OP for wanting to learn a new language. Personally if it where up to me though I'd learn one that was a bit more widely spoken.

    Like if you learned Spanish you would be able to not only communicate with Spanish people but also people from Central and South America and about 30% of the population of the US.

    But that's just my opinion, whatever you decide best of luck.

    Ill definitely be encouraging learning the European languages in school or holidays. I had thought, although I might be wrong, that of the languages spoken in the playground / yard, polish would be the largest non English one?


  • #40
    December2012
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,695 ✭✭✭December2012


    HondaSami wrote: »
    The parents moved from Poland to Ireland,their children are going to school here but the parents do not speak english? How is this possible?

    Sometimes the parents learn it from their eldest child or get them to do the translating for them.

    Maybe it's possible that with a wide community they will have friends or relatives who translate for them at the start?


  • #41
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    HondaSami wrote: »
    The parents moved from Poland to Ireland,their children are going to school here but the parents do not speak english? How is this possible?

    I'm not sure I understand you. Why wouldn't it be possible?


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  • #42
    December2012
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,695 ✭✭✭December2012


    Lapin wrote: »
    Not really ironic at all.

    A little knowledge of some foreign languages can be useful.

    As I said, we know and speak Irish at home - kids go to Naonra and watch tg4, etc. will be going to the Gaeltacht when they're older.


  • #43
    December2012
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,695 ✭✭✭December2012


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    I wouldn't be interested in learning a language that is not that widely spoken. But if you're interested in it then go for it.

    I don't agree with the statement that "all" Polish people speak English though. Of the Polish students I teach (all of whom have good English themselves), more than half of their parents have little or no English.

    What other language would you recommend then? Spoken on a regular Dublin basis?


  • #44
    HondaSami
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭HondaSami


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    I'm not sure I understand you. Why wouldn't it be possible?

    why live here send their children to school here and not learn the language, how will they communicate with their childrens friends/teachers?
    I have a number of foreign friends and they all speak english even though they had no english when they arrived here.


  • #45
    keith16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,061 ✭✭✭keith16


    Lapin wrote: »
    If you want your kids to learn a language that will be useful in the future don't waste their time with Polish or Irish.

    Let them learn Mandarin.

    And make sure they can speak English too. A language many people have a poor grasp of.

    Sorry Lapin, but I would be putting Mandarin in the waste of time category too. A second European language like French, German or even Polish is many more times useful than Chinese.

    It's being bandied about for a long time now but there's no real substance to the claim that Mandarin will become the master tongue.


  • #46
    WIZE
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,597 ✭✭✭WIZE


    It should be compulsory to learn a second or third European language in Schools from primary school onwards and im not speaking about Irish. This is one of the downfalls of this Country.

    We have a major advantage of multinational companies setting up in Ireland.

    When you see these companies creating 500 to 1000 jobs its not that this will take Irish people into employment but they have to import europeans to fill these roles as they are language specific.

    Look at all the Irish leaving. They go to America, Australia, UK and Canada.
    Why?

    Because they are limited by English. If Irish people new more the English they could be closer to home. Many people say they have no choice but to leave to these countries but the future to Ireland and Irish people could be alot closer to home.


  • #47
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    December2012 wrote: »
    What other language would you recommend then? Spoken on a regular Dublin basis?

    If your interest is only what is spoken widely on a Dublin basis then Polish is probably a good option. When I spoke of my interest being languages spoken on a wider basis I meant internationally.
    HondaSami wrote: »
    why live here send their children to school here and not learn the language, how will they communicate with their childrens friends/teachers?
    I have a number of foreign friends and they all speak english even though they had no english when they arrived here.

    I don't know why. But it is the case for over half the Polish families I deal with and is perfectly possible. They rely on their children to translate.


  • #48
    Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭Dr. Kenneth Noisewater


    In my job we have a lot of Poles coming in to the place with little or no English, so it'd be helpful to be able to speak the language. However, if I do ever try to learn a language, I'd probably go for one of the more global laguages, probably Spanish.


  • #49
    Daveysil15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭Daveysil15


    I've been learning it on and off for a few years now. I'm far from fluent, but I can have a basic conversation in Polish. I think its a useful enough language to have as there are plenty of Poles here. By jasus its not an easy language to learn though. I got an audio CD which helped a lot.


  • #50
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,442 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    Kaiser2000 wrote: »
    I've found similar experiences working in multinationals across all the other nationalities - english only when necessary, native language otherwise and generally seem to stick to their own groups for the most part.

    Each to their own I suppose

    In work I'm surrounded by french, italians, spanish and a few poles (btw, the spanish are the hottest).

    all of them speak their own languages when talking to their own nationality. But all will speak englsih if in the company of another nationality.


  • #51
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    December2012 wrote: »
    No interest in chatting up the polish ladies - although they're foxy foxes, I'm a lady myself.

    And your point is?


    :pac:


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  • #52
    mattjack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,389 ✭✭✭mattjack


    Kaiser2000 wrote: »
    You've hit it on the head there.

    It's great that so many different nationalities come here to work and live but there is very little effort made to integrate into the native society - either from their side or the government.

    Any wonder then we end up with "ghettos" and the "us vs them" attitude.

    As I said above, if you moved to Germany and decided you weren't going to bother learning German or fit in to your new country, I don't think you'd be facilitated the same way others are here.

    "Ghettos ? " where ?


  • #53
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    December2012 wrote: »
    Nope, not racist thread at all.

    Yes we speak Irish at home but mainly English. Kids will do languages in school - even we go abroad we always try to learn a few phrases. But I don't think polish lessons are on the primary curriculum?

    No interest in chatting up the polish ladies - although they're foxy foxes, I'm a lady myself.

    Just purely for neighbourly / conversation interest and chatting to my children's prospective friends / boyfriends parents.

    Plus I thought the kids would have more organic opportunity to practice.

    Thing is though, most of the kiddies of Polish parentage in this country will grow up speaking English.


  • #54
    WayneMolloy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 713 ✭✭✭WayneMolloy


    mattjack wrote: »
    "Ghettos ? " where ?

    Fingal, seventy different nationalities waiting for council housing there.

    Blanch, parts of tallaght, clondalkin etc.


  • #55
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,442 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    WayneMolloy wrote: »
    Fingal, seventy different nationalities waiting for council housing there.

    Blanch, parts of tallaght, clondalkin etc.

    I can't speak for the rest of the places, but the majority of the scum in blanch is irish.


  • #56
    WayneMolloy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 713 ✭✭✭WayneMolloy


    Grayson wrote: »
    I can't speak for the rest of the places, but the majority of the scum in blanch is irish.

    Give it a generation or two. We are repeating the mistakes of the U.K., France, Germany etc. Putting immigrants into already disadvantaged areas is a recipe for chaos.


  • #57
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    Grayson wrote: »
    I can't speak for the rest of the places, but the majority of the scum in blanch is irish.

    I don't know most of Blanch well enough to comment on the nationality or ethnicity of its inhabitants, but you are the only one speaking about "scum". The poster made no comment on the behaviour or class of those he perceives to be living in ghettos, only said that they are poorly integrated.


  • #58
    WayneMolloy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 713 ✭✭✭WayneMolloy


    April O Neill wrote: »
    Thing is though, most of the kiddies of Polish parentage in this country will grow up speaking English.

    Well, we do employ a couple of thousand language support teachers here at incredible cost.

    There should be language exams for all newcomers into this country. Cant speak the lingo - come back when you can.


  • #59
    mattjack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,389 ✭✭✭mattjack


    WayneMolloy wrote: »
    Fingal, seventy different nationalities waiting for council housing there.

    Blanch, parts of tallaght, clondalkin etc.

    Wayne , your arse must get jealous of your mouth with all the shite that comes out of it.


  • #60
    WayneMolloy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 713 ✭✭✭WayneMolloy


    mattjack wrote: »
    Wayne , your arse must get jealous of your mouth with all the shite that comes out of it.

    Are there not 70 different nationalities on the fingal housing list?

    Are you suggesting that I am making that up?

    http://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/provision-of-social-housing-for-noneu-nationals-queried-27814910.html


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  • #61
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,442 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    Miss Lockhart wrote: »
    I don't know most of Blanch well enough to comment on the nationality or ethnicity of its inhabitants, but you are the only one speaking about "scum". The poster made no comment on the behaviour or class of those he perceives to be living in ghettos, only said that they are poorly integrated.

    The word ghetto is a give away. Polish people live in every area of blanch. the bad areas are the ones that have irish scum in them. And if I was walking through that neighborhood and saw a group of lads walking towards me, I'd be nervous. If i heard them speaking polish I'd be a lot less nervous.

    Unless he's talking about the nice, safe well lit ghetto's :rolleyes:


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