Thinking about learning a language might put you in mind of flashcards and simulated conversations. And yes, those are two very useful tools for learning, but they’re far from the only tools at your disposal. With the internet, there are countless ways to practice vocabulary and grammar. One particularly useful and increasingly popular method is listening to podcasts. Finding Polish podcasts to supplement your usual learning is a great way to hone your listening skills. Plus, it’s a more passive way to get exposure to Polish when you aren’t able to drill vocab.
The main roadblock to getting started is finding which Polish podcasts are best for you. We rounded up a few of the best options out there and organized them by difficulty. Whether you’re just starting out or have months of experience with the language, there’s something here you’ll find worth listening to!
Beginner Polish Podcasts
Gadam po Polsku (“I Talk in Polish”)
Gadam po Polsku is one of the closest imitations to a language class you’ll find. Each roughly 15-minute episode walks you through a single vocab topic, giving you the basics you’ll need to know. Host Joanna Tarnawa also has many other resources for learning online, but her podcast is completely free and can be found on any podcast app.
Polish With John
As the title implies, this podcast teaches you Polish with John. More specifically, the show is hosted by Ioannes Oculus. You’ll need some Polish knowledge already because the show is hosted entirely in Polish, but it generally keeps it at a pretty easy level for learners. Plus, each episode is short enough (about 4 minutes) that you can really focus and try to absorb what he’s saying. Ioannes also has an advanced podcast that is longer and delves more into Polish history and culture, so if you end up loving the beginner stuff you can check out Polish With John For Advanced.
Intermediate Polish Podcasts
Polski Daily Stories
Paulina Lipiec, the creator of both Polski Daily and Polski Daily Stories, has a number of resources available for people who want to learn Polish. We went with Polski Daily Stories here because it’s meant for beginner and intermediate learners, but both shows likely have episodes that will be useful for your learning. The Stories show is less about drilling grammar and vocab and more about interesting storytelling. Each episode is labeled with their difficulty, so you can pick and choose what will serve you best.
Polish Podcast
Polish Podcast is another show designed for Polish learners, but the language is more conversational. Host Paweł talks slowly and clearly on various topics, like how he learned English and how to start reading Polish books. If you need some more guidance, the podcast’s website has vocabulary lists and other resources that can make it a little easier to follow along.
Advanced Polish Podcasts
Learn Polish With Songs
From learning with podcasts, it’s a natural jump over to listening to music. Why not combine both by getting into Polish music? Learn Polish with Songs is a bit unapproachable if you don’t have a good grasp of Polish already, but once you do it can be a great way to learn both Polish vocabulary and Polish culture at the same time.
SBS Polski
At some point (hopefully) you’ll reach the level where you can listen to pretty much any of the Polish podcasts out there. In that case, you might want to do some searching to find one about a topic you’re particularly interested in, like culture or sports. But for a general taste of advanced podcasts, we recommend the news show SBS Polski, created by the Australian public broadcaster SBS. The show does have a bit of an Australian tilt, but there is also plenty of news both from Poland and the rest of the world (with a Polish perspective). There are multiple episodes released each week, so there’s plenty to listen to.