10 Polish Podcasts for Language Learners (2020)
Polish podcasts are my all-time favorite way to connect with the language during my busy life.
The Polish podcasts on this list are all hand-picked by me based on what I actually listen to (or have listened to) and that I recommend to friends.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
How to Use This List
There are also a couple of keys included in every description to help you pick your new favorite Polish podcast.
Podcasts of Distinction
- 🏆 Tried and true (consistently weekly podcasts after 2+ years)
- ✨ Newcomer (less than 10 episodes but looks promising)
Audio Quality:
- 🎙️ ⬜ ⬜ Low quality, maybe due to echo or poor mic quality
- 🎙️🎙️ ⬜ Fair quality, maybe some small echo or background noise
- 🎙️🎙️🎙️ High quality, clear audio
Format:
- Narrative = One person speaking (often from a script)
- Cohosts = Two people speaking
- Interviews = One host with different guests
Finally, I’ve included links to the 3 biggest podcasting platforms to make your life a bit easier.
Most of these Polish podcasts exist on other major platforms however, so just because you don’t see Sticher or Anchor (or anything else) listed doesn’t meant they’re not on there.
7 Best Polish Podcasts for Language Learners
All of the podcasts at this level are for intermediate Polish students around the B1 level. (That is: conversational students who might still struggle to read or speak fluently in Polish.)
1. Polski Daily
Founded: Oct 2017 🏆
Schedule: Weekly
Audio: 🎙️🎙️🎙️
Format: Narrative, interviews
Transcriptions: $3 monthly membership
Start with Episode: 67 Jak opisywać charakter po polksu?
Polish teacher Paulina Lipiec hosts episodes on a variety of topics–from interesting historic stories to practical exam information to chats with polyglot guests.
This is personally my favorite Polish podcast out there (and one of the easiest to understand), but I’ve sadly listened to every available episode and now have to wait every week for a new one.
Make sure you also check out her online memberships for things like grammar exercises to go with the podcasts, Polish film clubs on Zoom, and more.
2. Polish with John
Founded: Aug 2018 🏆
Schedule: Weekly
Audio: 🎙️🎙️🎙️
Format: Narrative
Transcriptions: Hosted free on a blog
Start with Episode: 94 W prehistoryczny grodzie
3. Podcast for Polish Learners
Founded: Sept 2020 ✨
Schedule: Weekly
Audio: 🎙️🎙️🎙️
Format: Narrative
Transcriptions: Free with newsletter sign-up
Start with Episode: 1.4 “The one about Polish sweets”
This is the newest Polish podcast on the list. Unfortunately, devoted podcast fans know that most podcasts never make it past a few episodes.
But I wanted to include the Podcast for Polish Learners because not only are it’s audio quality and narration are exceptional, but each episode spends the last few minutes teaching you some great Polish phrases that were mentioned in the podcast.
I’ll update this list in a few months and we’ll see how far it’s gone (at the time of this writing, only 4 episodes) but since there aren’t very many intermediate Polish podcasts online it’s worth checking out.
4. Polish Podcast
This podcast directly explains Polish phrases, slang, and vocabulary through short episodes. It’s not the most interesting out of all the shows on this list, but it’s another nice resource if you’re trying to really sound Polish with some great little sayings.
Repeto.org, the company responsible, has transcripts available through their courses along with language exercises available with each episode.
5. Learn Polish Podcast
6. Polish Stories
This bilingual podcast has posted 2 episodes so far, but as a podcast junkie I always want to support new projects. (And this one is particularly cool: it tells short stories in Polish with help in English.)
I’ll be checking back on this list in a few months from this current editing date, but check them out! New podcasts often don’t get very far but quality projects (like this one) are worth supporting and encouraging.
7. Real Polish
Founded: April 2018 🏆
Schedule: Biweekly
Audio: 🎙️ 🎙️ ⬜
Format: Narrative
Transcriptions: Available with paid course packages
Start with Episode: #382 Fryderyk Nietzsche
Real Polish is probably the best-known Polish podcast online right now, in large part thanks to some well-known polyglots (like Steve Kauffman and Hugo Cotton) who use their online learning platform.
With a massive back catalog of nearly 400 episodes, you’ll have plenty of material to work through with this one.
(Unfortunately it’s not available on Spotify, so if that’s your favorite podcasting platform, like it is mine, you’ll be disappointed.)
3 Inactive Polish Podcasts Worth Archiving
Why would I make a list for inactive podcasts?
Because there are very few quality resources for learning Polish.
If you want to listen to a different Polish podcast every day you’ll run out of active podcasts within a few months.
So once you reach that point (like I have) and are stuck waiting for other shows to update, you can also add these into your language learning flow.
1. Polish Words Podcast
It’s really too bad that this one stopped updating because the hostess has some really nice episodes full of practical tips about language learning. But they’re all spoken slowly and clearly for when you run out of active podcasts.
2. Talk Polish
3. Polish Short Stories for Beginners
Total Episodes: 12 (Inactive)
Audio: 🎙️🎙️🎙️
Format: Short stories
Transcriptions: See notes
Start with Episode: Wycieczka do Hiszpanii
Listen: Apple | Google | Spotify
These 2-3 microstories are fantastic A2 listening exercises. I highly recommend using them as listening practice between classes on similar themes. (Unfortunately, it’s only on Google Podcasts.)
Repeto.org, the company responsible, has transcripts available through their courses along with some exercises for each episode.
How To Use Polish Podcasts for Language Learning
Now that you have the list, here are some tips (and free resources) so you can use it effectively to improve your Polish.
- Pick podcasts you can actually understand. If you are struggling to understand any spoken Polish at all, I would consider first practicing with textbooks that have a lot of listening practice (like Krok po Kroku) before graduating to these podcasts.
- Build on what you’re learning in class. Did you just have a class about cooking vocabulary? Or a lesson about family members? What about a language exchange about professions or politics? Find a podcast that covers the same topic to reinforce your vocabulary.
- Be consistent. I use habit trackers to make sure I work on my Polish for at least a few minutes a day, and every month give myself a new challenge with the language. Click here (or the picture below) to get free access to our at-home language immersion trackers and course.
How To Live Polish Immersion At Home
Finally, I know I’ve already talked about how to use Polish podcasts for language studies.
But if you live outside of Poland (or even in it), feeling constantly surrounded by the language enough to really learn it through immersion can be a difficult task.
Here are my favorite ways to live language immersion at home:
- Use Polish podcasts (like we saw here).
- Listen to a ton of Polish music. When I’m too distracted or busy to concentrate on a podcast or show, music is my go-to.
- Cook Polish recipes at home. In language learning, we can often find our motivation lacking if we can’t connect with the culture through the language. Using recipes in Polish will not only reinforce all of that great A1 vocabulary but help you feel a little closer to Poland no matter where you are in the world.
- Watch Polish Netflix. You can check out my list of Polish Netflix and Amazon Prime here. I also suggest the Google Chome extension Language Learning with Netflix for added vocabulary help, since generally shows and films are harder to understand than podcasts.
Finally, if you have any other Polish podcasts you want to recommend, please leave them in the comments!
The intermediate level of language learning takes forever to get through and I’m constantly afraid I’ll burn through all of the learning podcasts available, so I’m always looking for new recommendations.
