How to Learn Polish Faster by Adding Reading and Listening
Justyna Ilczuk, 2025-05-19
So, you're learning Polish then?
It’s not an easy feat! Polish is famously difficult — the grammar is complex, and historically, not that many people were learning it, so the availability of materials is poor compared to, say, Spanish.
But hey, you're the brave one. You’ve done the lessons, the grammar drills, maybe even some vocabulary flashcards — but it’s still so hard. You recognize some words, but you don’t get the language. It hasn’t clicked.
That’s because you’re still missing one thing: massive input.
To build real fluency — the kind where you start to feel what sounds right — you need to see and hear the language used again and again, in meaningful, understandable ways. That’s what builds intuition. That’s what gets you over the hump.
Now, input can come in many forms — some of them painful. You can wrestle with advanced texts, push through rote memorization, or grind through dense grammar explanations. And yes, that can work.
But there’s another way. Extensive reading — reading Polish content that you mostly understand — combined with listening, gives you the same exposure, but in a way that’s easier, more enjoyable, and crucially: more sustainable. It almost feels too easy. But because it’s easier, you actually do more of it — and your brain just absorbs the language.
Sold on the idea? Let’s put it into practice.
Solution: Graded Readers
Even when you know that reading and listening are the way to go, it’s hard to find material that actually works.
Native Polish books and podcasts are often way too difficult for beginners and lower-intermediate learners. You open a book and you’re lost in the first paragraph. You listen to a podcast and can’t even catch where one word ends and another begins.
What works best is content that’s just right — not too hard, not too easy. That’s where graded readers come in.
Graded readers are books adapted to specific CEFR levels (like A1, A2, or B1). They let you read real stories at a level that fits your vocabulary and grammar knowledge. Instead of drowning in unknown words, you follow the plot, enjoy the story, and pick up new language naturally along the way.
You can find graded readers for Polish by searching phrases like:
“Polish A1 book”
“Easy Polish reader A2”
Or browsing store categories that mention CEFR levels
These can be great — but they often come with limitations.
Improving on traditional books
The problem with most traditional graded readers is that they’re… well, still books. If you don’t know a word, you have to stop and look it up. And dictionaries are a pain — physical ones are bulky and awkward, and phone apps pull you out of the reading flow (or straight into a TikTok rabbit hole).
E-readers like the Kindle improve things a bit — you can tap a word and get a definition instantly. That’s great. But the Kindle doesn’t have audio, so if you don’t know how the word sounds, you’re out of luck.
Another option is to just listen to audiobooks. But listening is harder than reading: the narrator sets the pace, and if you get confused or zone out, it’s hard to recover. You can’t easily re-read a sentence. And if you hear a new word, you don’t even know how to spell it to look it up — which makes learning from it nearly impossible.
What you really need is a tool that combines the best of both worlds — easy word lookup, built-in audio, and level-appropriate stories that keep you engaged without overwhelming you.
That’s exactly what storylearner does!
It’s built to make reading and listening in Polish be easy, so you can learn more effectively — even if you're just starting out.
What Storylearner Does Exactly
Storylearner helps you learn Polish by reading and listening, with built-in support every step of the way.
- 📖 Text: All books are adapted to your level (A1–B1), so you don’t get overwhelmed.
- 🔊 Audio: Listen to every sentence, at native-like speed.
- 🧠 Instant Help: Tap any word to see its English translation and hear its pronunciation.
- ✏️ Smart Design: Each book chapter is divided into small, digestible parts — perfect for 3-5 minute sessions.
You can browse all available Polish books here:
The first chapters of the books are free to read. If you enjoy the content and want to see more of it, buy the book to unlock more and to support the storylearner project in producing more adapted books.
Not Sure Where to Start?
For A1 learners
If you’re just starting out with Polish, we recommend beginning with
Baśnie Braci Grimm – Część 1
These stories are super simple, heavily illustrated, and designed specifically for beginners at the A1 level.
See all:
For A2 learners
If you’re around A2, check out:
fun, short detective cases with simplified language.
See all:
For B1+ learners
Feeling more confident? Try our B1-level adaptation of:
Życie i Przygody Robinsona Crusoe
a classic story, reworked to help you expand your vocabulary and reading stamina.
Try This Practice Routine
You don’t need to study for hours to make real progress. Just 10–20 minutes a day of reading and listening can go a long way — especially if the content is designed for learners.
I recommend adding this to the end of your existing learning routine — after reviewing vocabulary from class, doing your homework, or finishing your Duolingo session. Or use it to unwind — like a bedtime reading ritual, but in Polish.
If you don’t have a routine yet, start small. Think about the best time of day for you, and set a couple of alarms on your phone to remind you. The alarm trick really works.
How to do it:
- Read one chapter part (~2–3 minutes).
- Tap on new words.
- Listen to the audio while you read.
- Try (or skip) the quick quiz.
- Keep going if you’re enjoying it!
If you sign up (an account is free), the app will track your progress, so you always know where you left off. You’ll also be able to review the words you looked up — helping you remember them more easily.
Final Thoughts
Polish is hard — but it doesn’t have to feel punishing. With the right kind of input, you can learn faster, understand more, and actually enjoy the process.
Read for Free — Support if You Like It
The first chapters of every book are free to read. No sign-up required.
If you enjoy the content and want to keep going, you can buy the full book to unlock all chapters — and support the Storylearner project in creating more adapted books for Polish learners like you.
Your support helps make this kind of learner-focused content possible.
- 👉 Browse all Polish books here