Speak Polish review — self-study speaking drills with audio (A1–B1)
Speaking drills with audio
Best for: Learners who understand more than they can say and want to make correct sentences automatically, out loud, with audio.
- Authors
- Justyna Bednarek
- Publisher
- Preston Publishing
- Edition
- 2018–2019
- Level
- A1–B1
- ISBN
- 978-83-66384-16-3
What this book is
Speak Polish: A Practical Self-Study Guide by Justyna Bednarek (Preston Publishing) is a book of drills, not a course. Each chapter takes one grammar point, explains it briefly in English, and gives you more than 30 sentences to translate from English into Polish. The correct Polish answer is printed next to each sentence, so you check yourself at once, and every sentence is recorded.
- Part 1 — levels A1–A2, 160 pages.
- Part 2 — levels A2–B1, 164 pages, 40 chapters.
The audio comes in two versions: English prompt followed by the Polish answer (for speaking practice), and Polish only (for listening and pronunciation). The ISBN above is for the current printing of part 1.
Who it suits best
- Learners who understand Polish but freeze when speaking — the method trains you to produce correct sentences quickly, out loud.
- People who want short daily practice with audio, for example on the way to work.
- Learners who already have a coursebook or teacher and want extra grammar automation.
Who should pick something else
- Beginners who need grammar explained properly the first time — the notes are short.
- Anyone who wants reading, listening comprehension or writing tasks.
- Exam candidates looking for exam-format practice.
What's inside
- Chapters ordered by grammar point, from the basics to more advanced structures.
- About 30 sentences per chapter, with the answer on the same line.
- Short English notes on rules and typical learners' mistakes.
- MP3 audio for every sentence (older printings came with a CD).
What learners and teachers say
Ratings are high but written opinions are few: on Amazon part 1 has 4.6 out of 5 from about 20 ratings and part 2 4.9 from about 13; on Goodreads part 1 has 4.83 from 6 ratings (checked October 2026).
- Praised: practical, usable sentences and the translate-and-check method. One reader, who had lived in Poland for eight years, calls part 2 "probably my favourite Polish textbook … practical and useful". A buyer on the publisher's shop likes the "clear and concise information in charts" and the answers printed on the same line. Two reviewers wish the author would write a B1–B2 volume.
- Criticised: one two-star review found "no lessons in here nor proper explanations. Just lists of vocab and some audio tracks", and some audio track references wrong — fair if you expect a course, which this book is not.
Our verdict
A cheap and effective speaking supplement. It will not teach you the exam, but it will make basic grammar come out of your mouth faster — exactly what the oral part of the exam needs. Combine it with a course and with our speaking practice with AI feedback.
These reviews are independent. We are not paid by any publisher or bookshop, and we do not sell these books. Descriptions are based on the publishers' information, the books' contents and publicly available reviews by learners and teachers.