Shadowing Practice: No future in Germany? Why skilled Polish workers are going home | DW Documentary - Learn English Speaking with Video
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298 sentences
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For the first time in over 35 years, more Poles are returning to their homeland than are moving to Germany.
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It's like Germany is just stuck in the past.
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But Poland has continued to develop and is ahead of Germany in many ways.
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my future is in poland no doubt i want to start a family there
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that is a problem for the german economy without polish employees some german logistics companies simply couldn't operate
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why do so many want to leave germany behind
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because everything is too expensive in poland
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i feel like i can do anything in germany it's like i can do nothing
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poland now seems to promise many returners a better future
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Kamala Gierko has already made the leap.
11
At 44 she decided to make a new start and moved from Berlin to Stettin a few months ago.
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Germany is basically my homeland.
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I was eight years old when my family, my parents and my sister, moved from Poland to Germany.
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I went to school, studied and spent my early adult life in Germany.
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In Poland, my father was a vice director of a company, but he moved to Germany and worked there on a factory floor.
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The standard of living he could afford as a regular factory worker was much better than as a vice -director in Poland.
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He just wanted to give his family a better life.
18
I met my future husband during a practicum and moved to Germany for love in 2006.
19
At first, I totally loved the city, its cultural scene, its openness, and the energy in the air back then.
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But her dissatisfaction with Germany has grown in the last years.
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We were pressured to move out of our apartment, even though we had lived there for years.
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There were so many little problems in daily life.
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The mail wasn't being delivered, the health insurance premiums, social security contributions and taxes were insanely high.
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When I wanted to lease a car, they said my credit rating wasn't good enough.
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She also criticizes the obstructive bureaucracy and the lack of digitization.
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It feels like Germany is just stuck in the past.
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It reached a certain level and decided that was good enough.
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It didn't have to try anything new or try to develop itself further.
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But Poland has continued to develop, and it's ahead of Germany in many ways.
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Kamala shows us the small weekly market in Stettin as an example.
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Cash is not required here.
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Can I have some kefir, please?
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Even the smallest payments pose no problem.
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Thank you.
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Fresh milk?
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Even at the smallest market stand, or food truck, or hot dog stand, you can pay practically everywhere,
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either by phone or with a bank card.
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Michael Sunkler runs a transport and logistics firm in Oranienburg, in the state of Brandenburg.
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He has had to pitch in more and more in the warehouse since two
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Polish employees left the company a few months ago.
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If we move the forklift over here and move the pallets out of the way, we might have some space here here.
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Like it was two weeks ago.
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Unfortunately, we're short staffed right now, so our two best people will have to handle this.
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We'll try to make some space to store this.
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Polish employees are immensely important, especially in the logistics sector.
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They make up just over half our workforce.
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In some firms, they make up 80 to 90 percent of the staff.
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Without Polish employees, some German logistics companies simply couldn't operate.
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Or the supply chain situation in Germany would be very difficult.
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Social, political and economic relations between Poland and Germany have never been as close as they are today.
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But 35 years after signing the Treaty of Good Neighborship, a change is in the air.
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For the first time, more
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Poles are returning to their homeland than are moving to Germany.
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A Polish employee left us in January.
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I've since learned that he is working for a Polish company for a net salary similar to what he had in Germany.
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If this lets him spend more time with his family,
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and his living costs are lower in Poland since he doesn't have to pay to commute to Germany,
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then I can't blame him for setting his sights on Poland.
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Poland is taking a different approach to keeping and winning back workers.
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Families with two children
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and an annual income of up to an equivalent of 33 ,000 euros will no longer have to pay income tax.
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The new law takes effect in 2026.
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That is a very good, intelligent way to motivate workers to stay in their own country or to return to it.
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Here, all the state can think of is to massively increase the minimum wage.
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But the workers' net income doesn't actually increase.
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Of course, my gross salary is higher in Germany, but it's my net income that pays the bills.
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And if my net income is almost the same, then there's no reason for me to go to Germany to work.
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Still, he needs some skilled staff.
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How does our order book look this week?
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We have enough that we could use another truck.
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But we don't have the staff.
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No, we don't.
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Staff turnover isn't the only increasingly serious problem Michael Sunkler is facing.
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The fact that fewer people are moving to Germany also hurts his chances of finding new staff quickly.
75
Anna, how many people have applied for the warehousing job here so far?
76
Not too many yet.
77
A fair number have looked at the posting, more than 500 so far.
78
And it's been liked 14 times.
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But only five have actually applied so far.
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That's not many considering it's been online for over a month.
81
What about the driver position in the Leipzig area?
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A few more have applied for that, definitely more than 10, but no one qualified so far.
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No qualified applicants, okay.
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Sunkle is likely to lose another employee.
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Truck driver Tomasz Mochatow is doing several runs through Berlin and Brandenburg today.
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He's lived in Germany for 10 years.
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The earnings used to be better here than in Poland, but those days are over.
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I earn around 2 ,500 euros per month at this company.
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That's not very much.
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I pay about 900 euros for rent plus internet, phone, fuel and everything else.
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With that pay, that's really bad.
92
Luckily, my wife and I are healthy and we both work so we can get by.
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We can save a little bit every month, but not that much.
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A few years ago, I could put away a lot more.
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Because everything is too expensive, that's the problem.
96
electricity fuel everything is too expensive
97
a lot of poles are moving back to poland because there's a lot of work there but not enough workers
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and the pay is the same as here
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Now the 38 -year -old is just waiting for the right
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It's time to move back to Poland.
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Here are the papers.
102
I have to see how many pallets I have.
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I've got 57 pallets.
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I might hold out here for a few more years and then move back to Poland.
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All my family is there.
106
My 11 -year -old daughter will be the first one to finish school here in Germany.
107
Then we'll move back to Poland.
108
Oh, I will not go to Berlin.
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Keep moving, keep moving.
110
Philipp Panek has crossed over the Oder River from Germany to Poland daily for the past four years.
111
As part of a dual German -Polish law degree, he commutes back and forth between two universities.
112
I'm here for work today, setting up for one of our lectures.
113
Assembling equipment is part of his student job at the two campuses.
114
I have two jobs at the university.
115
I'm a research assistant here at the Collegium Polonicum.
116
And I'm a student reporter at the Viadrina Law School in Frankfurt.
117
I manage one of the university's social media channels.
118
Philippe was born and grew up in Germany, but his parents come from Poland.
119
The assembly instructions aren't in the package as there should be.
120
When Philippe began his studies, he planned to establish his career in Germany.
121
During the very first German lecture, we were asked what we hoped for by studying law.
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One professor said that if we wanted to achieve justice, we were in the wrong place.
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If we wanted to make money, then it was a good job.
124
I was there for the money, so I was sure I would stay in Germany.
125
The starting salary is significantly higher in Germany than in Poland.
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But over time, my priorities have changed.
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Family and love have become more important.
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My parents have moved back to Poland, and I don't have any other family living in Germany.
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I think that's a big reason why I want to go to Poland.
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Now you can live very well there, and even earn fairly well.
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Not as well as in Germany at the beginning, but the Polish economy is getting stronger and stronger.
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I see a lot of potential there.
133
Philipp Panek has now decided to leave Frankfurt -on -der -Ode, which borders Poland and moved to the country where his parents were born.
134
He is also choosing a working culture very different from Germany's.
135
It annoys me a bit that you go to meeting after meeting without really accomplishing anything.
136
It seems more honest in Poland.
137
If you say you're going to do something, you do it.
138
He has already completed his studies here at the Viadrina University.
139
Now he only crosses the Oder River into Germany to prepare for the next steps.
140
I'm actually studying right now for the entrance exam to become a teacher in Poland at the end of the year.
141
I've just started my third week of preparation.
142
Today and for the next three days I'm studying civil law, from Article 1 to Article 117, I think.
143
But Philippe doesn't want to wait for the end of the year to move to Poland just for the exam.
144
He wants to be with his family as soon as possible.
145
That's why he's also looking for a job to help pay for his studies.
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I've been sending out applications to many law firms in Poznan,
147
and some in Warsaw, to find a job in Poland and finally get my foot in the door of the working world.
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I was already in contact with a firm back in January that wanted to fill the position again in the second quarter.
149
It's a German -Polish law firm.
150
My profile was a great match and I could really contribute to their work.
151
What I'll miss is going to the university cafeteria with my schoolmates.
152
We meet there every day at 12 .30 and just talk, usually about stupid things.
153
But it clears your mind, and I'll miss that.
154
Here they come now.
155
They're bringing me something.
156
What are they afraid of?
157
They can come in.
158
They can come in too?
159
Hello, my name is Philippe and I'm studying law.
160
Do you think it's bad that I'm going to Poland?
161
Do I think it's bad?
162
Of course not.
163
We need cheap workers.
164
That's what I mean.
165
But the fact is, Philippe's departure will mean the loss of one more important worker for the German labor market.
166
And just one week later, he has news.
167
I'm just about to have my first job interview.
168
I'm a bit stressed, but I'm feeling positive.
169
I finished my degree, so now I just have to sell myself well.
170
I'm going in feeling confident.
171
See you after the interview.
172
Philipp is hoping to win his first job in a law firm in Poznan.
173
If he succeeds, he could be living in Poland within a few weeks.
174
We're back in Stattin with Kamala Gierko.
175
In Germany, she worked as an interpreter for the Berlin Judiciary.
176
Since the 44 -year -old and her husband moved to Poland, she has been working at his company,
177
which plans and organizes exhibitions all around the world.
178
Yeah, the bridge.
179
I think we should build a low platform so it isn't sitting right on the floor.
180
Yes, that looks better.
181
She's the brains and I'm the brawn.
182
Life has become a lot easier here.
183
Because unlike in Germany, a lot is done digitally.
184
I'm looking for a Galaximed, prescription by text.
185
Here, the doctor's office sends a medicine prescription via text message.
186
The couple can then take it directly to the nearest pharmacy.
187
They use the service often.
188
Back in Berlin, we would have to call the doctor's office, make an appointment and go to the office in person.
189
There's no other way, even for repeat prescriptions for a medication that you take long term.
190
It saves so much time to be able to do it all by text message.
191
Especially in your case, when you always forget to renew it.
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In Poland, many official tasks can also be done digitally.
193
In Berlin, many of these were bureaucratic hurdles.
194
Even for the smallest things, you have to wait forever just to submit an application or get an appointment.
195
They're released like concert tickets.
196
You have to sit in front of the screen at 7 in the morning to see if an appointment has opened up.
197
That was incredibly frustrating because you just felt stuck.
198
You need something and you can't get it done.
199
Unfortunately, we've both had to apply for death certificates in recent years.
200
And I think it took two months for my father's.
201
without a death certificate you can't even have a funeral
202
that means the body has to be stored somewhere that takes one day maximum in poland Germany was really a different country,
203
a different world.
204
It was the opposite 20 years ago.
205
Poland was a mess, but everything in Germany was nice and clean and worked.
206
The couple has changed their opinion and see their future in Poland.
207
our next goal is to buy a house either in or near warsaw it depends on the price
208
a small terraced house or a small house with a yard
209
Philipp Panek is visiting his parents in Poznan.
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He works from their home as often as he can to spend time with his family.
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Could it have been sent to my student email?
212
Okay, bye.
213
That was my work colleague.
214
We were arranging a conference in August, I think.
215
The date has just been changed.
216
Philip, can you help me a bit in the garden?
217
Yeah, give me a second, okay?
218
Okay.
219
The 25 -year -old has decided against a career in Germany.
220
Instead, he wants to pursue his next steps in Poland, near his family.
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He's still commuting until he finds a job here.
222
I'm here.
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Oh, super.
224
What can I do?
225
Can you hold it here?
226
I'm heading back over tomorrow morning.
227
Too bad.
228
I like it when you're here.
229
I know. Who wouldn't?
230
Philippe's parents moved back to Poland only two years ago.
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For over 30 years they lived near Stuttgart, where Philippe grew up.
232
My sister cried so much when we left Poland for Germany.
233
She was afraid we'd fall out of touch.
234
But we phoned each other, even wrote real letters on paper in the beginning.
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And they visited us in Germany, often.
236
I've been looking forward to this cake all week.
237
That's my favorite lemon cake.
238
As soon as I got out of the job interview, all I could think about was this cake.
239
How was your interview?
240
It went pretty well.
241
We talked for about half an hour with each other.
242
I asked a few questions and so did he.
243
including some on the matter at hand.
244
I wasn't completely sure if I'd answered right, but they seemed pleased.
245
If everything works out, things could happen pretty quickly.
246
Philippe would move out of his student apartment in Frankfurt and be living in Poznan in just a few weeks.
247
He's already preparing for the next step.
248
Come see what I found yesterday.
249
It's in a new building.
250
It's bright.
251
Newly built?
252
I think so.
253
It costs 2 ,070 zloty per month.
254
That's reasonable.
255
It's very new.
256
I think it's the nicest. So far.
257
Look at the bathroom.
258
I heard somewhere that people who move to Poland, or return to Poland, I'm not sure which, don't have to pay income tax.
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I've heard that too.
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It says here that it applies for four years for people who move their tax residence to Poland.
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You have to have worked abroad for three years, which I have.
262
Exactly.
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Philippe can earn up to 20 ,000 euros tax -free, another incentive to attract
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Poles abroad to return to Poland.
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In the interim, he would move into his parents' home.
266
A room is ready for him.
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This is where I'll be for probably the next two months.
268
Filip, look what I found.
269
I hope I have clothes on in all the pictures.
270
There are pictures of Asperg and Ludwigsberg in the Polish church.
271
These are our wedding pictures.
272
That's a Ludwigsberg registry office.
273
Back then I hardly understood anything.
274
Good thing your Aunt Erika interpreted for me.
275
That's the church in Poznan. With the old
276
Audi you had in Ludwigsberg.
277
My husband had a very good job as a school caretaker.
278
We had a nice apartment with a garden.
279
Life in Ludwigsburg was really nice.
280
Her husband has since retired.
281
Aleksandra Panek has been a physiotherapist in Poland, a profession she continued in Germany.
282
The move was a good financial decision.
283
Back then, I earned a lot more in Germany.
284
In Poland, I made about 120 euros a month working full -time.
285
I don't remember how much it was in Germany, but I think the base rate was about 320 euros for just a few hours' work.
286
It was really a big difference.
287
It's different now.
288
She can earn about the same in Poland as in Germany.
289
The longing for family and community has brought everyone back together.
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I could have decided to stay in Germany and you wouldn't have minded.
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No. You can if you want.
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That was the plan.
293
That's right.
294
I want you to be your own person.
295
You can live here or there or somewhere else, but I'm really happy about your decision.
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You'll always be there for me.
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The training role in Poznan didn't work out, but Philippe is now starting work at a law firm in Warsaw.
298
Okay.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “No future in Germany? Why skilled Polish workers are going home”. This video has 298 sentences and 3054 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:12. The speaker talks at a steady 112 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| polish verb | /ˈpɑ.lɪʃ/ | To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding. |
| euro noun | /ˈjʊɹoʊ/ | The currency unit of the European Monetary Union. Symbol: € |
| earn verb | /ɝn/ | To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work. |
| pole noun | /pəʊl/ | Either of the two points on the earth's surface around which it rotates; also, similar points on any other rotating object. |
| logistics noun | /ləˈd͡ʒɪstɪks/ | The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from their point of… |
| salary noun | /ˈsæləɹi/ | A fixed amount of money paid to a worker, usually calculated on a monthly or annual basis, not hourly, as wages. Implies a degree of professionalism and/or… |
| prescription noun | /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/ | A written order from an authorized medical practitioner for provision of a medicine or other treatment, such as (ophthalmology) the specific lenses needed for… |
| homeland noun | /ˈhoʊmˌlænd/ | The country that one regards as home. |
| warsaw noun | Any of several species of grouper, subfamily Epinephelinae | |
| commute verb | /kəˈmjuːt/ | To exchange substantially; to abate but not abolish completely, a penalty, obligation, or payment in return for a great, single thing or an aggregate; to cash… |
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| abroad adverb | /əˈbɹɔːd/ | Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries. |
| certificate noun | /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kɪt/ | A document containing a certified statement. |
| examination noun | /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ | The act of examining. |
| qualify verb | /ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪ/ | To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| cross over verb | To pass from one side or area, physical or abstract, to another. | |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| grow up verb | To mature and become an adult. | |
| hold out verb | To hold (something) out; to extend (something) forward. | |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| make up verb | /ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/ | To constitute, to compose. |
| open up verb | To open. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Can I have some kefir, please?
- How does our order book look this week?
- Do I think it's bad?
- Could it have been sent to my student email?
- Can you hold it here?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been sending · has been working · I've been looking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has continued · has already made · has grown |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | were pressured · being delivered · is not required |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who move |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 61 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: polish /ˈpɑ.lɪʃ/, prescription /pɹəˈskɹɪp.ʃən/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, establish /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/, exhibition /ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: certificate /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kɪt/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/, priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like polish, euro, earn.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.