ALICJA ASADOUSKA (BABULA)

I’m a graduate of the Jagiellonian University, and that’s where my adventure with teaching Polish began. Even though my original life plan was different, I now combine my two passions: teaching Polish as a foreign language and speech therapy (I work with kids with speech disorders). Of course, all work and no play would be dull. I do love spending my free time actively: traveling, visiting new countries, reading books, but also cheering and supporting our handball and volleyball teams.

ALEKSANDRA BARCZYK-KOWAL

I am from Sanok – a small city that, due to its location, has always combined different languages and cultures. Enchanted by local history and traditions, at school I wasn’t sure for a long time who I wanted to become more: an ethnographer, a linguist or… an actress. Ultimately, I chose philology although my other interests still accompany me in my life and professional work. After all, every teacher is a bit like an artist on stage! That’s why in my classes I will tell you how to use the art of imitation in learning a language and I will reveal the secrets of its history.
I graduated from the Jagiellonian University. I have a master’s degree in Russian philology with two specializations: teaching and literature translation. Additionally, I am a graduate of postgraduate studies in teaching Polish as a foreign language. I have been teaching since 2013 and although I am professionally involved in Slavic languages, it does not stop me from exploring English, German and… Dutch! I know well what it’s like to learn different languages, so in my work I try to be the teacher I would dream of being.

BERTA BOJARSKA

I am a graduate of Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University. My adventure in teaching Polish as a foreign language started a few years ago and today I cannot imagine a more interesting job. Thanks to it, I can travel without leaving Krakow. In class, I focus on a friendly atmosphere that helps break down language barriers. I particularly like teaching correct pronunciation. When I’m not working, I study foreign languages, read and draw.

MARTA BURZA

I am a graduate of Indology and Turkology at the Jagiellonian University, postgraduate studies in humanitarian aid at the University of Warsaw and postgraduate studies in teaching Polish as a foreign and second language at the Pedagogical University. In my spare time, I hitchhike around the world, pilot trips and write reports, mainly on migration and social inequalities topics. Italy is my second home and I will always be happy to come back to India. I treat people as signposts and learning a foreign language like a journey full of surprises. In my work as a teacher, I focus on a practical approach, guided by the principle: to start speaking, you have to speak. I like to prepare my own materials in which I can use contemporary literature and elements of pop culture, and at the same time show students that learning can be fun and a source of many inspirations.

KATARZYNA CULLEN

I have always wondered how it is possible to explain Polish grammar and help with Polish pronunciation. As a teacher of English and a colleague of other teachers, both in Poland and abroad, I had to try and deal with it a lot. As it turns out, not only is it possible but there are also great and relatively simple ways to do it, including comparing Polish structures to those in other languages. Four years ago, I finished post-graduate studies in Teaching Polish as a Foreign Language and found out how! It’s a satisfying feeling. Besides teaching Polish, I continue to teach English, translate books on philosophy and other academic subjects, as well as teach and perform various forms of dance. I read a lot, especially in public transport, so don’t get offended if I don’t acknowledge you. Hope to see you in my class!

NATALIA GODLEWSKA

Learning any foreign language is a fascinating adventure for many years. My adventure with the Polish language began over 25 years ago, when, as a teenager, I was wondering about my field of study. I was born and raised in Belarus. The Polish language was always close to me, but I started learning it consciously only when I was fifteen. After just three years, I started Polish philology at the University of Warsaw. I expanded my studies with glottodidactic specialization at Polonicum – Center of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners. I have been teaching Polish as a foreign language on and off since obtaining my diploma.
A good teacher is one who remembers himself at the beginning of the path to knowledge, remembers the traps he learned to recognize and avoid. The teacher is a guide who sees the student’s perspective and, step by step, leads him or her to independence in using the language. I try to show my students that a language is not just a set of words and grammar. It is a culture, an image of the world thatis reflected in the personalities of the people who speak it. I am also a living example of the fact that you can learn to say ” w Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie” (in Szczebrzeszyn, a beetle sounds in the reed), arrange all the cases and alternations in your head and feel at home in Polish.

MARTA KĘSIAK

I started teaching Polish as a foreign language during my studies at the University of Łódź, and even though my journey with it has come to an end, teaching remains. My work brings me a lot of joy, which I convey to my students during classes. Together, we work, learn, and experience both good and bad moments. I not only show my students the intricacies of the Polish language but also (perhaps most importantly) try to convey the subtleties of Polish culture and life in this country.

OLGA KOLACHKOVSKI

I have a higher education, I completed an additional course at the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce in 2016 and a course on methods of teaching Polish as a foreign language at the Catholic University in Lublin in 2017. I have been teaching Polish for 8 years. I like my job very much. I try to combine learning Polish with general knowledge about the country, history, fairy tales and legends. I always try to make this difficult science easy, to show students that everyone can learn and so that the lessons are not boring. I like to joke because it always makes learning a language easier.

JUSTYNA KORZUN

Hi! This is Justyna Paulina Korzun. I have been working as a Polish language teacher since 2013, I am a graduate of the Jagiellonian University, Polish Philology, specialization: glottodidactics. In 2013-2018, I worked at the Linguistic University in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia), where I taught students from the East not only Polish, but also the culture and traditions of our beautiful country.

I specialize in teaching Polish in medicine.

I am fluent in English, Russian and German.

In my free time, I like to walk with my husband around Krakow, travel around Poland, go to zumba and cook. I am a fan of Russian literature, so you can often meet me with a cup of coffee and an open book.

Teaching Polish to foreigners is not a job, it is part of my life. I love meeting new people and their stories, helping them adjust to Polish reality.

I’m not Ms. Justyna, I’m just Justyna.

ANNA KUCZYŃSKA

It was never my plan to become a teacher; teaching was supposed to be just a temporary job. The result? I’ve been teaching for a few years now and I can’t imagine a more interesting and challenging job. Contact with people from different countries and cultures, getting to know each other, jokes, sharing stories – that’s what Polish courses are all about. Lessons are conversations with interesting people from whom I learn myself all the time (my students taught me to like Kraków!)
When I’m not working, I’m reading (mainly reportage and comic books), or attempting to hike in the mountains and do yoga (with various results), or else I’m cooking (with pretty good results). I’m not much of a traveller, but I don’t have to be: the whole world comes here, to Kraków!

KINGA ŁOŚ

When I was a child i was dreaming to teach! However, I didn’t think, that this dream may come true. I started studying logopedics at the Pedagogical University, I chose to specialize in teaching Polish as a foreign language and fell in love with it! Teaching Polish is an amazing journey – discovering the world and cultures together! Of course, as it is like with traveling, it is not always easy, but positive energy, commitment and a common goal are the key to success. :) Apart from teaching, I like to create interactive materials for learning Polish. I was involved in the editing of the updatedHurra series and the books ” Połącz kropki ” and ” Postaw Kropkę “. I am interested in aviation on a daily basis, but you can also meet me on the bike trail! :) 

SYLWIA MOTYL

A graduate of the Jagiellonian University in Polish philology and glottodidactics, a lecturer of Polish as a foreign language and an appointed teacher. At work, she focuses on good communication and interesting vocabulary. As she says, for learning to bring the expected results, it should be a pleasure for both parties. Privately, she is passionate about architecture, mountains and history.

ALEKSANDRA PARKER

Being a child I already knew that I would teach Polish for sure when I grow up. First I have graduated from Polish Filology deapartment at Jagelloninan University here in Cracow. Later I had further studies in Italy where the idea to teach foreigners Polish language came up to my mind. As a volunteer I ran Polish classes for foreigners at the University in Rome.
After returning to Poland, I continued studying at the Jagiellonian University in the specialty: teaching Polish as a foreign language and second language. The experience with foreigners led me towards speech therapy, so after graduating from the university I also started working, among others with bilingual children, in whom I mainly focus on the so-called language programming. My experience in working as a therapist helps me in the work of a teacher, because the techniques used in therapy with children are great at teaching Polish with foreigners.

VLADIMIR SAMSONOV

I am a graduate of Russian and Polish philology. I have been teaching languages since 2011. I started my adventure with the Polish language by convincing my Polish friends that my mother was – as I thought in Russian – a “criminal”, until it turned out that she was a “criminologist”. Since then, I think that my real friends are a treasure, and “false friends” in Slavic languages ​​are a good way to cheer everyone up. With a smile on my face, I receive messages from students who sometimes thank me for my “suffering” during lessons. I know they meant “patience.” Although the most important thing is that I always feel only pleasure from conducting classes! If you want to learn more stories about funny language mistakes in the life of a philologist and explore the secrets of correct Polish, I invite you to lessons!

OLGA SKUPIEŃ

My adventure with teaching Polish as a foreign language began when friends asked me to help them learn some basic expressions so that they In a way, I have been involved in teaching since 2018, when I volunteered in the Учим польский язык group on the vkontakte website, at the same time enriching my knowledge of Russian and Ukrainian. In 2019, I completed postgraduate studies in Polish Language Teaching, and since March this year I am working at the Accent School of Polish. If we say that learning a foreign language and teaching others is opening a window to the world, I can say that working in the this industry can be a fantastic adventure, passion and a lifestyle.

DOROTA SZMIDTKE

My name is Dorota. My teaching adventure began unexpectedly a few years ago. I am a graduate of Russian philology at the Jagiellonian and Yerevan Universities. Working abroad at the Polish embassy in Armenia and at the consulate in Ukraine, I discovered how successful the Polish language is there, and it was an impulse for me to start postgraduate studies at the Pedagogical University in Krakow in the field of “Polish as a foreign language”. Multicultural environments – Russian-speaking, English-speaking and Polish diaspora, and cooperation with them are not foreign to me, because working abroad many times I encountered various language or adaptation problems in new environments of both children, adolescents and migrant adults. In my work as a teacher, I focus not only on language exercises, I also try to familiarize students with Polish culture if I conduct classes with foreigners, and Russian if I conduct classes with people of Polish origin, so that they do not feel alienated. In my opinion, communication is the most important thing in class, so I arrange my classes in such a way that students have the opportunity to practice how to find themselves in various life situations, including unexpected ones. Currently, I am also working in a primary school teaching children Polish as a foreign language and supporting students with autism. I am interested in Russian literature, especially in plays and small literary forms by A. Chekhov, which are dominated by moral images from the lives of contemporary people. Privately, I am a mother of four children, so I meet various challenges every day, but teaching and upbringing is my passion!

ANNA WĘGLARZ

I am a graduate of the University of Silesia with a degree in Polish Philology and I also have finished studies at the Jagiellonian University in the field of teaching Polish as a foreign language. Since my childhood, I knew that Polish is my way, and the university times have confirmed my belief that working with foreigners is what I have been waiting for the whole my life. I am fascinated with diversity, multitude of cultures and experience. I try to keep humor and a warm atmosphere in my lessons. Having a stranger soul (and the best vacation is a journey into the unknown,) in addition I show students charming corners of Poland, recommend interesting places, talk about traditions, famous Poles. I am also a man of the north, I love rain, and I have spent the best holidays in Iceland and Scotland. Last year I managed to conquer all 28 peaks of the Crown of the Polish Mountains. I am dreaming to go on a mountain trip with my students one day.

MATEUSZ WYSOCKI

My mother says that before I started walking well, I already said something and I still can’t stop. There is a lot of truth in this. As you can see, my active adventure with the Polish language began in my childhood. Later it turned into practice, i.e. work in various media, including radio – certainly because of my talkativeness. I graduated in journalism and social communication (Jagiellonian University in Krakow), so I had to deal with the language every day. After many years, I decided to go a step further, that is, teach Polish to foreigners, so we can meet during classes. I graduated from the School of Polish Language and Culture at the University of Silesia, where I work as a teacher as well. I love traveling, so this topic is often included in my lessons. More, we will definitely talk about my next passion, which is cooking. You will see that Polish cuisine is really delicious!