International Women's Day

Every year on March 8th, we celebrate International Women's Day around the world. This year, I am thrilled to be celebrating women everywhere with the Polish & Slavic FCU.

As you most likely already know, I am Polish-American and proud of it! I've always been connected to my Polish roots and love to support my fellow Polish-Americans in their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Shop Small

For the last year, I have made a conscious effort to shop small businesses as much as possible and especially female owned and operated businesses.

I love being able to directly make a difference in someone's life.

Międzynarodowy Dzień Kobiet

Wish the women in your life a Happy International Women's Day today and make sure to appreciate, support, and lift up the women in your life.

In Polish, you can say: Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji międzynarodowy dzień kobiet!

How do you celebrate March 8th?

In Croatia, I remember getting flowers and chocolates from co-workers, students, and neighbors and being celebrated every year. It was so lovely!

Here's to women all around the world - I stand with you today and every day.

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​As always, please let me know if you have any questions!

Stay in touch with me here,
over on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest,
and like, comment and remember to subscribe on YouTube!


The Polish & Slavic FCU's direct website is here and make sure to follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to their YouTube channel :)

P.S. See more Polish recipes and how to pray in Polish right here on the blog.

Get Fluent Fast

As you may already know, I am an advocate for the immersive learning approach and I encourage language learners to surround themselves as much as possible with the target language. 

One of my favorite tips for language learners looking to get fluent fast is to watch movies and TV shows in the target language with subtitles on.

Hearing the language exposes you to real-world phrases, a variety of speaking patterns, and accents in the target language.

Watch something you've seen before in another language.

That way, you'll already have an idea of the premise of the movie and understand what is going on so your brain can really focus on distinguishing between the sounds of the new words you're hearing.

I highly recommend watching Mean Girls in another language (fun fact: the movie is actually called Girls Club in the German version) or a sitcom like Friends.

Challenge Yourself Polyglot Style

If you really want to challenge yourself polyglot style - watch the show or movie with the audio in an unknown to you foreign language with another foreign language's subtitles.

Example

When I was first learning German, I watched a classic French teen movie with German subtitles on. It really made me pay attention to the movie in great detail and I learned so many new words in both languages. I still remember that movie so fondly!

Have you ever seen La Boum or La Boum 2?
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​Living That Prime Life

I am obsessed with Amazon Prime for so many reasons. 

Seriously, 

I have a private Google document with my friends with our favorite Amazon purchases. 

Along with that amazing 2 day shipping on every purchase, you also have access to thousands of hours of entertainment from around the globe.

This is an absolute game-changer for people who want to learn another language!
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​Here are my current favorite multilingual movies and shows for language learning:

Girl on a Bicycle
This is a great watch. It has the feel of a chick flick and is ideal for polyglots and language lovers everywhere as you'll immediately hear French, German, Italian, and English. Highly recommend you watch this one with your sister or your girlfriends.

Fraulein
Beautiful Ana breezes into Zurich without a care in the world. She soon starts working in a cafe, injecting new spirit into the hum-drum lives of the cafe workers--throwing parties and inspiring love affairs. But her boundless energy and sexuality soon push the limits and a terrible secret comes to light. This one is in Swiss German and Bosnian with English subtitles.

Le Grand Voyage​
Reda, a handsome young man living in France, embarks on the trip of a lifetime as he drives his father to Mecca, experiencing exotic towns, breathtaking landscapes and life-changing adventures. This one is in Arabic and French with English subtitles.

Srugim
Srugim is a drama series which deals with the life of religious bachelors from Jerusalem. The series offers a glance into the lives of intelligent and educated young males and females which can't find their place in the existing religious frames, which based mostly on family, thing which brings them, like bachelors from other sectors, to live in rented apartments in a specific geographical area.

Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherine the Great​
This major international production traces the sensational rise of Catherine the Great, renowned Empress of 18th Century Russia. She begins her journey as a young German princess selected to marry Peter the Third, heir to the Russian throne. She shows that even in an age of imperial dynasties and arranged marriages, power is not given. It is taken.

​French

​Priceless
A romantic comedy starring Audrey Tatou (Amelie), set on the French Riviera where nothing comes cheap. And when it comes to men, Irene has very rich taste. One very confusing night, she is duped at her own game. Her knight in shining armor turns out to be a bartender. Irene, however, is the woman of Jean's dreams. The only way to win her heart back is to turn the tables on her.

Three Worlds
An engaged young car salesman with a bright future commits a hit & run but must face his own guilt when he begins an affair with a witness who has befriended the victim's wife.

German

Bis Gleich
An unspoken connection between two elderly neighbors, who share a daily ritual but have never actually met, deepens when they face the inevitable...together.

​Polish:

Bogowie
An incredible story about a rebel who challenged nature, the regime and his own shortcomings. It is a film about the first successful heart transplant in Poland performed by Professor Religa in Zabrze. Tragedy of failed surgeries, fight for each single heartbeat, grand ambitions and painful defeats, solitude of a genius who embarked on a single-handed quest against his mentors.

300 mil do nieba
The screen play is based on the famed escape of brothers Zieliński from Poland to Sweden in 1985. Grześ, aged 12, and Jędrek aged 15, stow away in the undercarriage of a truck train to flee poverty, but also to find freedom. Emaciated and starving, they reach the West. Harassed by the Polish consular authorities, they refuse to return to Poland.

Zazdrość i medycyna
A mountain resort, the 30s of the last century. Wealthy industrialist Widmar finds out by accident about the affair his wife Rebecca. The husband started a private investigation.

Ucieczka z Kina Wolnosc
During the screening of the film "Daybreak" at the Liberty Cinema, movie characters suddenly come alive and begin to talk to the viewers. The situation surprises communist authorities who send a censor to the theatre.

The Road Home
Told in the manner of a fairy story, "The Road Home" uses allegory to explore the dilemma faced by Poland as it struggled for a new national identity amid the rise of communism.
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​Let me know if you have any other current favorite foreign language films on Prime!

Remember to follow along for more language learning fun on:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• YouTube
  
  

​There is nothing more comforting than the smell of homemade rosół cooking in the air. Especially at this time of year, when the seasons are changing, you need to strengthen your immune system the old fashioned way - with natural penicillin! 

Here's how I make rosół (Polish chicken soup):

Ingredients

• 5 pound chicken (you can use pieces rather than a whole chicken, you just want the bone in because all of the flavor is in the bones)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 5 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 parsnips,  peeled and sliced
• 1 leek, cleaned and trimmed, use the white and light green part
• 2 cloves of smashed garlic
• 1 small - medium celery root, peeled or 3 stalks celery (diced)
• 4 allspice berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon salt (adjust amount to taste)

Optional Add-Ins:

• 1 beef soup bone
• 3 turkey necks 
• thin noodles 
• 4 springs fresh dill (plus some for garnish)

Instructions

1. Add bone-in chicken to a large pot (if you're using beef bone and turkey necks, add now too).
2. Cover with water
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1½ to 2½ hours, skimming any impurities off the top to ensure a clear broth
4. Add the sliced vegetables and spices for the last hour of the cooking time
5. If using, cook the noodles.
6. Serve soup, garnish with parsley and make sure to say "Smacznego!" meaning "Enjoy your meal!"
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I am Polish-American and grew up praying in Polish and in English. If you'd like to learn how to pray in Polish, you'll need to begin with the Sign of the Cross.

Sign of the Cross  in Polish:
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W imię Ojca i Syna i Ducha Świętego. Amen. 

Sign of the Cross in English:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How to Say Our Father in Polish:
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Ojcze nasz
Ojcze nasz,
którys jest w Niebie,
swiec sie Imie Twoje,
przyjdz Królestwo Twoje,
badz wola Twoja,
jako w Niebie,
tak i na ziemi,
chleba naszego powszedniego daj nam dzisiaj
I odpusc nam nasze winy,
jako i my odpuszczamy naszym winowajcom,
i nie wódz nas na pokuszenie,
ale nas zbaw ode zlego.

Our Father
Our Father,
Who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

If you'd like to hear how to say the Our Father/Ojcze nasz and other prayers in Polish, this video is great.

You can read aloud along with the narrator who is praying the Rosary in Polish.