Learning Polish requires a good bit of effort. It’s definitely not the easiest language to learn in the world and becoming fluent requires consistent and diligent practice. So, the more resources at your disposal as you embark on this Polish language-learning process, the better. You’ll find podcasts are a very useful complement to any language-learning course, whether you’re taking a course online or in person.
When used in conjunction with a more formalized course, podcasts can be great side practice, helping you achieve fluency faster. Podcasts can additionally help you enhance your listening comprehension and translation skills, and also teach you new vocabulary words and the nuances of pronunciation.
Think a podcast might help you learn Polish? Then check out these 10 podcasts available online.
Podcasts for Beginners
Beginner-level podcasts start with just the very basics that you’ll need to become fluent in Polish. And while you might think that these podcasts and lessons start off pretty easy, don’t feel like you can slack off — you’ll need all of this knowledge when you move on to more intermediate-level podcasts and Polish language learning.
PolishPod101
Learn Polish language concepts at a speed that works for you. The PolishPod101 series offers content on a range of Polish language-related subjects, whether you need to learn some new vocabulary words or brush up your grammar skills. The episodes range in difficulty, but you’ll find plenty that are newbie-approved. Some of the PolishPod101 content is only accessible to those with a subscription, but prices are pretty budget-friendly. To learn more, read our full review of PolishPod101.
Let’s Speak Polish
Let’s Speak Polish no longer regularly uploads, but the podcast does offer several episodes that cover basic beginner concepts that could come in handy as you start to develop your Polish vocabulary. Learn basic Polish phrases, counting, days of the week, the alphabet and common greetings.
Notes from Poland
When learning any language, it’s helpful to learn about the country and culture that language is tied to. Notes from Poland allows you to do just that, as the English-speaking podcast gives you current information on Polish news, politics, history and more. Episodes include both news updates, which are about five minutes in length, and longer feature episodes, which are a little over half an hour in length.
Learn Polish: Kids & Beginner’s Guide for How to Speak Polish
You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy (and learn from) this Polish podcast. Created for beginners, it teaches various vocabulary words and common phrases that anyone learning Polish can appreciate.
Intermediate
Think you have the basics of speaking and understanding Polish down? Then it might be time to move on to some more difficult concepts.
Real Polish
The Real Polish podcast is a step up from your beginner podcasts, tackling harder concepts and more information. It’s a great resource overall, and an extensive one, too. There are more than 350 episodes of the podcast and it’s still being updated on a regular basis, with new episodes uploaded approximately every two weeks.
Polski Daily
Polski Daily doesn’t really update daily, but there are plenty of episodes for you to work your way through. The podcast offers nearly 70 episodes, along with transcripts of each, so that you can better understand the Polish-spoken parts of the episodes. The topics include Polish phrases and grammar, Polish culture, history and normal life in Poland. The instructor is a Polish expat who’s lived all over the world.
Polski Daily Stories
Polski Daily Stories is a podcast that goes hand-in-hand with the Polski Daily podcast. Again, it doesn’t update daily, but there are lots of episodes for you to listen to currently, nearly 40. Whereas the Polski Daily podcast gives you lessons on grammar, culture, history and vocabulary, the Polski Daily Stories podcast is actually fictional stories, just read in Polish. You can listen along and read transcripts, and the listening will help you begin to develop your Polish comprehension skills.
Polish Podcast
The Polish Podcast contains episodes on a variety of subjects with the goal of helping the learner improve their understanding of everyday spoken Polish. The creator makes it a point not to discuss a lot about Polish grammar, which may be good for those who find it boring and prefer to focus on other aspects of the language. The short episodes are no longer than half an hour each and they all include online resources that can further your learning experience, such as transcripts, vocabulary lists and exercises.
Advanced
Ready to move on from intermediate Polish language learning, to something more advanced? Many advanced learners find that one of the most helpful things they can do is to listen to fully Polish podcasts and then work on comprehending what they’re listening to. While these types of podcasts offer little in the way of instruction, they do teach you to begin using your Polish in everyday settings.
SBS Polski
The SBS Polski podcast is produced by the Special Broadcasting Service and offers coverage of world news, events, human interest stories and sports. If you stay up to date on international affairs, then you’ll likely already be familiar with the news being shared on this podcast, so you’ll know the content — now, it just all comes down to recognizing that content when it’s being delivered in Polish. The SBS Polski podcast is updated regularly, sometimes with multiple episodes uploaded over the course of a day.
Polish with Grażyna
Another Polish-spoken podcast, Polish with Grażyna is different because it is actually created with Polish language learners in mind, not the general Polish-speaking public. As such, the delivery of the language is on the slower side and meant to be entertaining and educational, not just informative. The episodes follow the stories of a fictional character, Grażyna Mak. While the podcast is no longer active, there are more than 65 episodes available for listening. Most are just a few minutes long.
Final Thoughts
While learning Polish isn’t the easiest task to undertake, it can be an enjoyable and rewarding one. You just have to keep at it, practice and be patient. Tuning in to Polish podcasts can be a helpful way to speed up your learning process, and ensure you’re doing your best in your Polish language-learning courses.
Did we miss a Polish language-learning podcast in our list above? Let us know!