Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular as a source of both entertainment and knowledge acquisition. They can also be used as a language learning tool! Yes, you can benefit from listening to Polish-language podcasts designed specifically for students of the language as well as those made for native Polish speakers. 

A massive benefit of podcasts is that you can find a wide variety of them. They’re also rather easy to fit into your schedule, as they can be played on numerous devices and in various circumstances. 

Are you ready to learn how to improve your Polish listening skills and vocabulary with podcasts?

Table of Contents

1. Benefits of Using Podcasts to Learn Polish
2. The Best Podcasts for Learning Polish
3. Using Podcasts Effectively
4. Final Words

1. Benefits of Using Podcasts to Learn Polish 

As mentioned earlier, there are many benefits of using podcasts to learn Polish. Here are the most important ones: 

1. Exposure to the real language

Listening to podcasts in Polish will allow you to learn the language as it’s spoken by Poles. With the exception of Polish-language podcasts designed specifically for language learners and recorded at a slower pace, most of them employ natural conversation speed. Whichever type of podcast you end up listening to, the vocabulary used will be very natural—a tremendous help in the language learning process.

2. Widespread availability

Podcasts are available on many different platforms, easy to find with a quick search on the internet, and cover a wealth of topics. This will make it easy for you to find a podcast that interests you! Keep in mind that you’ll sometimes be able to access a podcast for free but need to pay for the transcript. Don’t get discouraged, though; even mere listening can help you improve your listening comprehension skills.   

3. “On the go” listening

You can listen to podcasts on the go, which means it’s easy to squeeze them into your routine. You can listen while driving, running, cleaning, or standing in line. Let us know in the comments if you can think of any other situations where listening to a podcast would be a great use of time. 

2. The Best Podcasts for Learning Polish

You now know some of the reasons why podcasts can enhance your learning experience. There are plenty more we haven’t mentioned, but you’ll definitely discover those for yourself. Now, let’s look at our list of the best Polish-language podcasts for learners.

1 – PolishPod101

PolishPod101 is a podcast designed specifically for Polish learning. Created and hosted by professionals, our lesson materials are great for students who are just starting out. At the same time, intermediate students can benefit from our podcast as we also provide more advanced lesson pathways. We discuss a wide variety of topics, which ensures that every moment you spend listening is a pleasure. New episodes are released a few times per month.  

2 – Real Polish

This is another podcast aimed at Polish learners, and it’s designed for students who are at the intermediate level or higher. The pace is slightly slower than a natural speaking pace, but it would still be challenging for beginners. It covers a diverse range of topics so that everyone can find an interesting episode for themselves. Like with many other Polish podcasts, free listening is an option. New episodes are released almost every week, but some of them are subscription-only.  

3 – Polski Daily 

Polski Daily is a podcast started by an experienced Polish teacher. Some of the recordings are interviews, but there are many other types of recordings as well. The topics vary and can relate to pretty much anything Polish, so it’s a Polish learning podcast with a twist. The slower pace is great for intermediate students or very ambitious beginners. You can expect between one and three episodes every month.

Are you interested in Polish culture? You can learn about the top five Polish pop culture icons and find out the answers to five important questions about Poland on our website!

4 – Sensacje XX wieku

This Polish history podcast is really a radio play about fascinating events from the twentieth century. It’s available on many platforms, but it’s easiest to access from the author’s official website. Because of the history-related vocabulary, it’s best suited for upper-intermediate and advanced students. There are no new uploads for this podcast, but the library is extensive. Remember that you can also learn your Polish history with our lessons!

5 – Kryminatorium

This is one of the most popular Polish podcasts. It deals with many historical events around the world, particularly those involving crime. With plenty of episodes about true crime, this Polish history podcast is a perfect tool for upper-intermediate and advanced students who want to work on their listening comprehension skills. There’s a new episode almost every week, so you’ll never run out of things to listen to.

6 – Strefa Psyche Uniwersytetu SWPS 

This is another well-known podcast, and it aims to popularize psychology. It covers interesting topics related to mental health and can help people deal with their life issues. We recommend this podcast for intermediate students in particular. Like many Polish podcasts on Spotify, it’s free. The number of episodes released each month differs, but you can count on new content being uploaded regularly. 

Mental health is just as important as general health. When you’re in Poland, it’s crucial that you’re able to take care of yourself when it comes to both. Here are some lessons from PolishPod101.com that should help you with this task: 

• Medical Assistance
• Calling the Polish Doctor’s Office
• Explaining Allergies 

7 – Ja i moje przyjaciółki idiotki

This podcast is not only useful for language learning but also for entertainment. Its main topics are love, relationships, and dating. It’ll work well for intermediate students, and it’s available for free on Spotify. New episodes are uploaded fairly regularly, with at least one new episode every month (save for announced breaks in recording).

Love and related issues are as important to Polish people as they are to anyone. Check out our vocabulary lessons about a Polish wedding and romance and love in Poland.   

8 – Let’s Speak Polish

This is a pretty good Polish podcast for beginners or those who want to refresh their memory on key grammar points. The library is small and no longer updated, but it’ll allow you to work on your basic Polish skills. 

Alternatively, you could head straight to our Basic Bootcamp library, where you’ll find everything you need to have a basic Polish conversation. 

3. Using Podcasts Effectively

Passive listening will definitely improve your language skills, but there are ways to use podcasts more effectively. For the best results, you should complement your passive listening with a more focused approach. For example, you could write down new vocabulary and check the meaning of words/phrases that you don’t understand.

Another good way to use podcasts for language learning is to get used to a particular method. This is where a structured, widely available, and regularly updated podcast like PolishPod101 comes in handy! We give you access to countless recordings designed by experts to help improve your Polish skills, regardless of your current level. In addition, we have specially curated lesson pathways that include useful tools for enhanced learning: vocabulary lists, PDF lesson notes, and more. You’ll love listening to our bite-sized lessons and learning something new every day. 

In case you don’t quite catch something, you can rewind to listen again. This method is great for patient beginners. If you don’t get frustrated by listening to something over and over again, you can pause and rewind during more complicated podcasts. You can also listen without focusing too much and just catch the words you already know. This will help your listening comprehension just as much! 

Many devices allow you to adjust the audio speed for an optimal learning experience if you feel that the pace is too fast or too slow. While beginners and intermediate learners should mostly focus on understanding from the context anyway, it can definitely help to slow down the audio speed if the podcast hosts are going too fast! 

If you’re struggling to follow along, you can use transcripts. Reading the text while you listen is a great way to improve your comprehension skills. PolishPod101 allows you to access transcripts with each lesson, but not all podcasts will do this. 

4. Final Words 

Learning Polish is a long journey, and you can make it much nicer by listening to Polish podcasts in your spare time. You should look for podcasts that interest you in order to get the most out of the experience. The good news is that there are so many Polish-language podcasts out there on a huge number of topics! 

Unfortunately, no matter how interesting a given podcast is, it can’t give you everything you need to learn a language. A great way to improve your language skills is to invest in a full-access platform with well-structured lessons and resources designed for your level. 

PolishPod101 is exactly that kind of platform. With countless recordings from native speakers and a wealth of other resources (such as a word of the day and a Polish-English dictionary), we can significantly bolster your Polish learning. Curated pathways will allow you to access materials at the level you need.

Don’t hesitate. Join PolishPod101 today!

Like many people who are about to embark on a new language learning journey, you may be asking yourself:
How long will it take to learn Polish?

The answer is: “It depends on the level you want to achieve!”

In this article, you’ll find out how long it takes to reach the different proficiency levels of Polish. You’ll also get exclusive tips on how to accelerate your progress and use PolishPod101 to your advantage every step of the way.

Table of Contents

1. Beginner Level
2. Intermediate Level
3. Advanced Level
4. Final Thoughts

Beginner Level

How long will it take to learn Polish if you hope to surpass the beginner level? And what skills are expected of you as a beginner (początkujący)? 

Here are some answers to your questions, and more! 

Pre-Intermediate Level: What Does it Mean?

To become a pre-intermediate student, you need to complete levels A1 and A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

At level A1, you’ll be able to have very simple conversations such as introducing yourself or talking about your likes and dislikes. By level A2, you’ve deepened your basic vocabulary knowledge. Upon completion of this level, you can go to shops and museums, ask for directions, tell the time, and talk about your family.

How Long Will it Take?

You need around 200 hours of study to get to level A2. How fast you get there depends on how much time you spend studying. Here are some tips on how to learn the Polish language faster: 

1. Set up your social media in Polish. If you’re feeling brave, do it to your phone too!
   


2. Listen to a lot of Polish music on YouTube and watch Polish-language movies on Netflix. This will allow you to hear a lot of the language and get used to how it sounds. Can you understand some of the words? That’s great!
   


3. Last but not least, prepare your own flashcards with new vocabulary you’re learning.

How to Use PolishPod101 as a Beginner

Are you wondering how to learn basic Polish as you begin your studies? 

PolishPod101 can help you improve your Polish at any level. When you first start learning Polish, you’ll be studying simpler things such as saying hello and giving a self-introduction. 

Our lesson Saying Hello No Matter the Time of Day in Polish is a great example of what we have to offer our students. It will teach you the very important skill of greeting people at any time of day and with the required formality level. 

Apart from the dialogue, you also get a vocabulary list, lesson notes with additional tips, commentary on the cultural context (kontekst kulturowy), and even some additional vocabulary. You can read the lesson, listen to it, or do both at the same time using the transcript. 

Here are some similar lessons you may like: 

• Introducing Yourself
• Directions
• What Time is it?

What’s more, PolishPod101 also has a specific pathway (ścieżka) for absolute beginners. Thanks to this functionality, you won’t get lost among the countless lessons the platform offers. 

Intermediate Level

Moving from the beginner level to the intermediate level is an accomplishment to be proud of! 

The intermediate level (poziom średniozaawansowany) is an exciting new adventure that comes with its own challenges. Keep in mind that your progress will slow down at this point. But this isn’t something to be worried about, as it’s a natural part of the process.

Intermediate Level: What Does it Mean?

You have reached the intermediate stage of your Polish learning once you attain level B1 or B2 of CEFR.

Level B1 allows you to have conversations on most everyday topics (codzienne tematy). You still lack vocabulary and struggle to express yourself concerning more complex issues. 

Such issues disappear at level B2, when you’re capable of having longer conversations on more difficult topics. You’re able to express your political views at this level, speak about the environment, and agree or disagree with others. 

How Long Will it Take Me?

Level B1 means an additional 200 hours on top of the time you already put in to reach A1 and A2. This means your overall language learning time by this point will be 400 hours. 

Level B2 will require another 150 hours of studying, for a total of 550 hours.

Would you like to know how to learn Polish faster? Here are some language learning hacks to accelerate your progress:

1. Watch movies and listen to songs like you did as a beginner. At this level, you should be paying attention to vocabulary and grammar. Make notes as you listen and watch. Not sure where to find more Polish movies? Start here. 

2. Find a friend to help you practice your language skills. A language partner can’t replace a study program, but it can definitely help with your progress. Not sure where to look for a partner? Try the Tandem app!

3. Look for free grammar exercises online to internalize the structures you’re struggling to remember or understand. 

How to Use PolishPod101 as an Intermediate Student

PolishPod101 has many resources for intermediate students. The lessons may cover some of the same topics that you’ve seen as a beginner, but the vocabulary is more advanced. Check out this lesson on choosing your meal at a Polish restaurant to see what we mean. 

In this lesson, you’ll pick up some basic vocabulary related to food so you can communicate in more complicated situations. In addition to the lesson recording, you have direct access to the dialogue, vocabulary, and a lesson transcript. 

Here are two other intermediate lessons:

• 5 Tips to Reach an Intermediate Level
• Environment

If something isn’t clear, you can always comment with a question. A friendly Polish teacher will provide you with a useful answer so you can overcome learning hurdles more easily. 

Are you interested in a specific topic? Use our search option to find related lessons!

Advanced Level

The advanced level (poziom zaawansowany) is the Holy Grail of language learning. Did you know that some students never get there and remain at the intermediate level indefinitely? Don’t worry! There are steps you can take to avoid that fate.

Advanced Level: What Does it Mean?

Reaching an advanced level in Polish means that you can speak about pretty much any topic with confidence. This is level C1 of CEFR. At this level, you could study or work in Polish. 

There’s also level C2, which represents a higher proficiency than even the average native speaker has. At this level, you could give speeches and write essays in Polish. 

How Long Does it Take to Learn Polish Fluently?

To get to the C1 level, you’ll need about 900 hours (900 godzin) of work. 

C2 is trickier to evaluate, as this level requires academic skills on top of general language fluency. It also means that you rarely make mistakes.  

To make the jump from the intermediate level to the advanced level, you need to focus on two things: fluency and accuracy. With that in mind, look over these tips on how to make further progress in learning Polish.

1. Work with songs and movies by transcribing them. Pay attention to how native speakers talk. What expressions do they use? How do they use grammar? Make notes and learn!


2. Read books in your target language. You can read for pleasure too, but to see improvement you need to work on really expanding your vocabulary and learning more expressions. Tip: Choose modern books rather than the classics to learn the language as it’s truly spoken today.  

3. Participate in an internet forum about a topic you’re interested in. Get involved in a discussion and learn from native speakers how to use the language. 

How to Use PolishPod101 as an Advanced Student

While you work to achieve a higher level, you should complement your language learning with knowledge about the country. That’s why PolishPod101 offers many lessons for advanced students focused on improving your understanding of Poland. 

Have a look at this lesson about the famous Polish composer, Frederic Chopin. Lessons like this one are similar to what a native Polish speaker would listen to, should (s)he want to learn more about the composer (kompozytor). Along with the lesson, you get access to the dialogue, vocabulary, lesson notes, lesson transcript, and comments. 

Interested in advanced Polish lessons? Remember to check out other lessons from the advanced audio blog, such as: 

• Top Ten Polish Cities and Regions

Are you on your way to approaching an advanced level and need a way to prove your proficiency? Remember that there are Polish exams you can take to do so. You can read all about them in our dedicated blog post! 

Final Thoughts

In this article, we answered the question: How long does it take to learn Polish fluently?

We’ve also provided you with details on how long it will take you to reach each level of proficiency, and how to learn Polish faster. You should have a better idea of how to best utilize PolishPod101 and other resources to meet your language learning goals! 

How many hours have you studied Polish already? Let us know in the comments section. 

PolishPod101 is a platform designed to help Polish learners at every level reach their goals. In addition to countless lessons on various topics, we provide additional vocabulary resources with pronunciation examples (such as our vocabulary lists and dictionary). If you feel like you need a teacher, we’ve got you covered with our Premium PLUS MyTeacher service!

Don’t just take our word for it. Start your free trial today to start learning the Polish language as soon as possible. Remember that you need roughly 900 hours to become fluent. The sooner you start, the better.

Powodzenia! (“Good luck!”)

Stuck in traffic? Losing time in your car? Have you ever felt that in all this wasted time, you could have watched the 750 episodes of One Piece, finished the last Super Mario ten times, or even better…you could have learned Polish? Between family, friends and work, in addition to this time-consuming commute, it can become difficult to find time to properly learn Polish.

Fortunately, every problem has a solution, and what could be a better solution than turning that commute time into learning time? Stop passing the time mindlessly listening to the radio and try some of our best tips for mastering Polish in your car!

Click Here To Start Learning Polish Right Now!

You can learn Polish in your car, hands free
While driving, it’s important that you keep your focus on the road, so this is why our top tips won’t require you to use your hands!

Listening to Polish audio content in the car is a good way to learn
This is because it is a fun and efficient way to learn. With PolishPod101.com podcasts, you will be able to discover Polish culture through topics about everyday life. Instead of the radio, listen to a Polish podcast adapted to your level, from Absolute Beginner to Advanced, and you will make progress sooner that you would expect!

You can listen to Polish music in the car
Did you know that you can learn Polish by singing while driving? Listen to songs from cartoon or drama and try to identify some words you learned.

Challenge yourself! Use the Polish you’ve studied up to this point and see how much you understand! Making the jump to real-life Polish is a scary one, but friendly children’s songs are a great place to start!

Click Here To Sign Up For A FREE Lifetime Account!

You can learn alone in your car
When you’re driving alone, you can be as loud as you want – there is nothing better for remembering your Polish lessons than repeating loudly, again and again. Next time you see a driver who seems to be talking alone, you will know he or she is just learning Polish!

You can learn through repetition with your passengers
If there are passengers in the car, it can be more stimulating to learn together. You can set a role play with Polish dialogues. With PolishPod101.com, you can download all the lessons transcript including the dialogues, as a PDF. Print it out and have some fun speaking in Polish!

One of the passengers can answer the quiz available on each of our lessons, while another can correct that person. Listening to someone at a more advanced level of Polish or a better accent is positive and helps you improve.

You can learn Polish offline
Do you have a poor connection or are unable to use the Internet? It’s not a problem for learning Polish! Before you start your commute, use our App to download the lessons you want to study and the podcast you want to listen to in your car, and you will be able to enjoy your lessons offline. Entering a tunnel won’t be a problem anymore. What a pleasure to listen to audio content without having the host freezing every 5 seconds!

Click here to download the App and learn offline!

You can learn every day at your own pace
One of the best approaches for learning a language is little by little and often. It’s not efficient to take in a huge amount of information at one time. What you need is to study on a regular basis – a little bit of Polish every day. You commute several days a week, and that is all time you can take advantage of!

You have the freedom to choose the lessons and podcasts you want to focus on, at your own rhythm. You may want to do a little revision or discover how to talk about a new topic. And if you’re wondering what to learn next, you can use the new Learning Paths, which is our customized pathway feature that gives you a step-by-step way to learn Polish without getting lost!

Click here to access Learning Paths at PolishPod101!

If you don’t have a car and commute by another method, these tips are still valid! Learning Polish is no longer limited to the classroom or your house; there are so many benefits to learning in your car or elsewhere. Reaching a conversational level will take you less time than you could ever have imagined! Don’t forget to sign up for your Free Lifetime Account and enjoy our content!