POLISH YOUR POLISH

Summer courses of the Polish language and culture are intensive courses which constitute ideal opportunity to learn the Polish language as well as Polish culture and history. 

Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange would like to invite all foreign students who are interested in the Polish language and Poland to come to our country and participate in free Summer courses of the Polish language and culture.

All the costs of the courses are covered by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange:

• classes of Polish language with handbooks and materials,
• lectures of Polish history and culture,
• trips to interesting places, museums and exhibitions,
• integrating games and events,
• 500,00 PLN scholarship paid in cash at the beginning of the course,
• accommodation and 3 meals daily.

During the course, you will not only learn the Polish language and culture in the friendly and best possible surrounding but you will also meet other people fascinated by the Polish language and Poland. More information you can find here: https://nawa.gov.pl/en/the-polish-language/summer-courses-of-the-polish-language-and-culture

The call for courses taking place in summer 2020 is already finished; the information about the courses in 2021 should be available at the end of 2020 or at the very beginning of 2021, but you can learn about the Programme checking the 2020 Regulations.

Check the video from the last edition of the summer courses (2019): www.youtu.be/IiQ0-s7yEH8

Important update: Due to the coronavirus pandemic Polish language summer courses 2020 were cancelled.

Who knows better how to learn the new language than the person who itself successfully took the challenge? Yolanda Victoria Rajagukguk, Indonesian studying in Poland and Digital Ambassador of Poland by NAWA (check interview with her at https://go-poland.pl/interviews/digital-ambassadors-8) share some advice.

1. Attend a Polish language school
   Some universities in Poland are providing Polish preparatory course for foreigners before they attend a Polish university. Most of students attend Polish language school as an obligatory requirement because they are going to study in Polish track. For some students, the reason of attending Polish language school is for understanding the situation in their daily lives in Poland, even though they are going take English track in university. Not only learning the language, in the second semester of Polish language school you will get the opportunities to learn the basic principles and terms of your major in Polish (for example Chemistry, Biology, History, Economics, etc). Cultural exchange is the most often notable event organized by Polish language school. In Polish language school, students will have enough time to experience most of Polish popular tradition and holidays like a local do.
   
   
   Some Polish traditions combine relation with religion and pre-Christian beliefs event such as playing magic and mystery games during St. Andrew day, expecting present in St. Nicholas Day, eating 12 various dishes during Christmas eve, Christmas wafer as the symbols of reconciliation, painting eggs during Easter, etc.
   
   
   Another interesting holiday in Poland is Majówka or May day picnic, where you can do picnic and enjoy the flowers blooming in a fine Spring day. And there is always free time because May 1st (International Worker’s Day) and 3rd (Polish Constitution Day) are holidays.
   
   
    

2. Join a learner community and follow Polish language related Facebook pages
   If you do not have any opportunities to learn in summer course or languages school, worry not, because you can always learn Polish everywhere!

   Now, go to your Facebook search tab and type “Foreigners in + your city name” and try to ask is there any community of Polish learner in that group.

   This is the fastest way to learn practical Polish for your basic survival.

   The most interesting part of being in a community is you can have more friends that experiencing the same struggle and joy in learning new language. Some communities are also arranging entertaining ways to learn languages and culture, such as doing a Polish board games, karaoke with Polish songs etc.

3. Learn from a language learning application and podcasts

   If those 2 ways will not work for you because you are not living in Poland, you can always download a learning app or look for Polish podcasts. Language application can assist you from zero to hero. Meanwhile, podcast can provide you a sense when to use the proper words in every sentence and situation.

   Now, are you ready to Polish your Polish?