Usually the lesson lasts 45 minutes – such unit is used in the description:
- Language schools:
Companies
There are some Polish companies that are specialized in teaching Polish as a foreign language. Prices of courses vary depending on the brand, the intensity and number of people in the group. Many companies offer language courses, individual lessons and translation services.
WARSAW (as at 1 October 2009)
- Academia Polonica www.academiapolonica.com (website in English, French and German), the school is designated primarily to the foreign entrepreneurs in Poland and offers (individual or group) courses primarily on the client’s premises. Polish lessons are offered at 8 levels of advancement, the school also offers Polish for foreign students that includes the elements of the Polish culture and history. Price of the course in 5 persons group: 125 PLN for a 45-minute lesson (in the group), the price of a course organized by the school: 32 PLN per 45 min. per person (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Business Service Agency: www.bsatrans.eu (website in English), the school organizes summer and semester courses (cost of 30-hour course app. 600 PLN), (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Centrum Języka Polskiego: www.cjp.pl (website in English), school offers 44-hour course (one lesson lasts 60 min.); price app. 1700 PLN, the offer also includes trainings for the Certificate of Attainment in Polish Language (Państwowy Egzamin Certyfikowany); (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Centrum Kształcenia Języka Polskiego: www.learnpolish.edu.pl (website in Russian and English), school offers regular group courses (72-hour course in a group of 3-10 people costs app. 1700 PLN), intensive group and weekend courses, conversations are offered for those who already speak some Polish (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Futura: www.futura.edu.pl (website in English), classes are held every other weekend (last 5-6 hours), 50-hour course within 3 months costs 1100 PLN, classes are held at 4 levels of advancement (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Instytut Kształcenia Obcokrajowców IKO: www.kursypolskiego.pl (website in English) organizes group (66-hour course within 2.5 months costs app. 1500 PLN) and individual courses; intensive courses are recommended to those who wish to master the language quickly- in such a case, the lessons take place daily or at weekends. The price of the intensive course is app. 1500 PLN (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Fundacja Nauki Języków Obcych Linguae Mundi: www.linguaemundi.pl; Foundation carries out projects aimed at different groups of foreigners who can attend Polish classes free of charge (enquiry about on-going projects at the office of the Foundation); Linguae Mundi also offers the possibility of organizing individual or group lessons (approximate price of one hour per person in a group of more than 5 persons - 10 PLN, in a group of 5 persons - 20 PLN; (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Schola Polonica: www.schola.pl (website in English), the school specializes mainly in business customers, hence the high price of the course: one month course (16 hours) costs about 600 PLN, 4-month course (60 hours) - 2300 PLN; the school has a promotion addressed to "the Slavs": Polish courses covering 60 hours tuition cost 1100 PLN; provided that 5-person group is gathered (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- School operating at the Faculty of Polish Studies at Warsaw University: Polonicum – Centrum Języka Polskiego i Kultury Polskiej: www.polonicum.uw.edu.pl, it is the oldest center of its kind in Poland offering its services mainly to foreign students at the University of Warsaw. Courses last 3 months and may take a form of a regular course (60-70 hours depending on a trimester) or intensive (approximately 90 hour course, meetings 3 times a week). The cost of one hour - 23 PLN. Polonicum organizes a Holiday Course of Polish Language and Polish Culture for Foreigners. You can receive a scholarship or pay for such a course that costs 2000 PLN + accommodation costs (you can be lodged in the Student House). For more information, visit Polonicum (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Tongue twisters:
W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie.
Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego.
Suchą szosą Sasza szedł.
KRAKOW (as at 1 October 2009)
Krakow is a city that attracts a huge number of tourists. Therefore, there are many language schools that offer short and at the same time quite expensive Polish language courses combined with cultural programmes:
- International School of Polish Language and Culture in Krakow: www.polishcourse.org (website in English, German, French and Italian), the school is designated mainly for tourists visiting Poland for a short time: it offers intensive group and individual courses, a 2-week course in a group of 5-people (about 4 hours per day) together with a cultural programme organized in the afternoons is about 280 EUR (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
In Krakow you can find schools offering regular semester groups:
- Mały Rynek – Szkoła Języków Obcych: www.polish4foreigners.com.pl (website in English, German, French and Italian), offers intensive courses all year round (60-hours within 2.5 weeks costs app. 370 EUR) , individual classes and semester courses (60-hour course costs app. 370 EUR), contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- School operating at the Jagiellonian University – Szkoła Języka i Kultury Polskiej School: www.uj.edu.pl / SL (website in English and German) organizes summer and semester courses (60-hour course costs app. 1200 PLN); contact : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
As in every country, also in Poland, besides the official language there is a spoken one. It is a brief language used in frequently in text messages and emails. In this case you should do not lose time writing. Thus, for example, instead of writing pozdrawiam (regards) you write pzdr or pozdr. Moreover, in emails and text messages you can express your emotions without words ;)
Organizations:
NGOs are funded from donations, EU funds and / or have the support of municipal authorities or central government. Therefore, the courses offered by them are usually free of charge. It should be born in mind, however, that depending on the source of financing, courses may be directed to different types of aliens. The best option is to contact the organization and ask about its current offer.
WARSAW
- Welcome Center in Warsaw (www.centrumpowitania.org.pl) is the advisory centre for migrants. The Centre offers Polish language courses, legal advice and assistance in finding a job; it also organizes cultural events. There is a library with Polish handbooks and foreign language books (contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
- Polish Humanitarian www.pah.org.pl; Polish language courses for (all) foreigners are provided in the Center for Refugees ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Colleges and summer school of Polish language
A special offer of Polish courses is usually addressed to foreign students in Poland (refer to: Education in Poland). Some universities in Poland (including University of Warsaw - Polonicum, Silesian University) organizes summer schools of Polish language.
Labor Office
These migrants who are entitled to register as unemployed in the Labour Office may take advantage of courses and trainings offered by the Office. The Labour Office in Warsaw offers Polish courses for foreigners (for details see www.up.warszawa.pl in tab: training).
INDIVIDUAL LESSONS
- Most companies that organize group language courses also offer individual lessons; the price of one lesson (that usually lasts 45 minutes) ranges from 50-60 PLN depending on the language school and the city. Some companies offer only individual lessons eg: Fortima in Warsaw www.fortima.pl, contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- It is advisable to look for the individual courses at the websites; the price of one hour varies from 30 to 50 PLN depending on the city.
In order to search for the announcements the phrase in English: learn Polish, Polish for foreigners or in Polish: nauka polskiego, polski dla cudzoziemców should be typed in the browser . Sample pages with ads:
www.olx.pl
www.gumtree.pl
You can also take advantage of online forums such as:
http://forum.gazeta.pl/forum/f, 17,513, Jezyk_polski_dla_obcokrajowcow.html.
We also recommend the Russian-speaking forums:
http://www.rosjanie.pl/forum/, http://svoi.pl/forum/
Tandems
Tandems are a solution for those who not only want to learn Polish but are also capable of sharing their knowledge of another language (not necessary native) with others. In a tandem two people are learning. One of the main goals of tandem lessons is that neither party pays for the lesson. Ways of learning depend on people involved in the meetings: a tandem may take the form of conversation, focus on grammar or writing. You can register and search for a person to tandem on the following pages:
www.tandemy.pno.pl
www.tandem-krakow.pl (Krakow)
http://www.telecom-paristech.fr/tandem/etandem/etvoraus-pl.html (website in Russian and English)
www.ang.pl / jezykzajezyk.php
