As of this writing, this website works best with the browser Internet
Explorer. This website relies heavily on .pdf files, to be read through
Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free program which can be found at Adobe website. Most Apple computers come
with this program already installed; on Windows machines, it may need to be
installed. Because the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in does not handle large
pdf files very well, it is strongly recommended that you configure your
browser, whether Netscape or Explorer, to select Acrobat Reader as a
"helper application", rather than as a plug-in. For instructions on how to do this, consult http://www.adobe.com/
support/techdocs/8d56.htm
The Lektorek computerized tutorial program requires the Java Virtual
Machine (JVM). It is also a free program, which can be installed on any
computer, whether Apple or Windows. It can be downloaded from Java website.
Efficient use of this website requires a fast connection, whether cable or wireless. Persons using a modem connection from home will surely find operations too slow, particularly the loading of sound files. Such users will prefer to use this website in combination with CD versions of the material. These may be ordered by contacting polska@pitt.edu.
Polish Language Website This
website, devoted to the teaching of the Polish language over the Word Wide Web,
is produced by Oscar E. Swan of the University of Pittsburgh swan@pitt.edu, and is delivered over a server operated by the Robert
Henderson Language Media Center , Claire B.
Siskin, director. It is supported by the Russian and East European Studies
Center and the Department of Slavic
Languages and Literatures at the
University of Pittsburgh. Certain
features of this website are still in the developmental stage. The
central component of this site is the elementary Polish textbook, First Year
Polish, by Oscar Swan (to be
published by Slavica Publishers, Bloomington, Indiana. The textbook is broken down into lesson-sized
parts. Conversations are linked to sound files reproducing conversations and
exercises. Self-correcting computer drills, downloaded over this website, cover
each lesson's conversations, grammar, and vocabulary. A distance-delivered
self-study course for university credit is based on this textbook and its
related materials polska@pitt.edu
Among supplementary material available on this
website are: ◊
An on-line Polish-English Dictionary of around 20,000 words, which may also be used to search for
English-Polish word and phrase correspondences. ◊
A Grammar of Contemporary Polish,
a reference grammar which may be consulted on most matters relating to Polish
grammar. ◊
The Polish texts to the video-based course W labiryncie (In the Labyrinth), the components of which
are available in streamed video over this same server. ◊
A collection of glossed intermediate-level Polish short stories, Opowiesci mojej zony (Tales of My
Wife) by Miroslaw Zulawski. This collection contains A
Polish Lexical Minimum, a list
of around 1500 basic Polish words which the intermediate-level student should
know. ◊
Polish Songbook linked to soundfiles containing samples of song melodies. ◊
A set of computer-administered Polish language proficiency examinations. Finally,
this site contains links to various other sites of interest related to Poland
and the Polish language.
For
comments or questions, please contact us at polska@pitt.edu.
This website was designed by Maria Gurvich. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at mashulya78@aol.com.