5/05/2007

Polish & Culture alternative language lessons
Most people think that Polish language is so difficult that it is not worth trying to learn it. Well, they are wrong. Anyone whose mother tongue
is one of the European languages will be able to learn it quite easily, at least to some extend. For the rest of the world, it is as difficult
as any other European language. So why not? Try! Especially if you look for somewhere interesting to go for your holiday this or next year.

Lesson 1 Trains - read signs and buy yourself the right ticket.

We will start with basics such as inscriptions and buying a ticket. There is nothing worse than being stuck somewhere,imagine: nobody speaking your language and you really need to catch a train, but the timetable is only in Polish for instance. Well, anyone who likes travelling been there at least once. So, lets begin.

You finally found a railway station: STACJA or DWORZEC KOLEJOWY.
You look for timetable at the railway station: ROZKLAD JAZDY,
usually you have one saying: PRZYJAZDY - arrivals
and the other: ODJAZDY - departures.
Right, your train leaves (ODJEZDZA) in 20 minutes.
You must find a booking office: KASA or KASA BILETOWA (ticket office).

The best idea at this stage is to write down the name of the station you want to get to or, if you are in a big city, try conversation with the cashier.

Useful expressions:
One adult, return to Krakow, please - NORMALNY, POWROTNY DO KRAKOWA, PROSZE.
One adult, single to Warsaw (Warszawa), plase - NORMALNY DO WARSZAWY, PROSZE.
Two adults to Wroclaw, please - DWA NORMALNE DO WROCLAWIA, PROSZE.
You may go by fast train: POCIAG POSPIESZNY
or by normal train, which is often much slower: POCIAG OSOBOWY.
There are also express trains, more expensive but usually comfortable and almost never overcrowded: INTERCITY or EKSPRESS.  
You have your ticket (BILET) which you must keep for control on the train.
Now you go to platform 1,4,5 - PERON 1, PERON 4,PERON 5 and wait for the train.

Get on, take a seat and relax after your first Polish language lesson!

Vocabulary to remember:
PERON
POCIAG POSPIESZNY; OSOBOWY; INTERCITY LUB (or) EKSPRESS
STACJA KOLEJOWA / DWORZEC KOLEJOWY
KASA BILETOWA
ROZKLAD JAZDY
ODJAZDY
PRZYJAZDY

Good luck!
Justyna