My Impressions from the KF Study Abroad Intensive Polish Language and Culture

I first took part in Polish language courses at level A2.1 and, in the spring, B1. I am currently doing the Jagiellonian University Summer Program alongside my sister, and I have reached level B2. Language courses lasted three hours a day, and I also took various elective courses, such as Kultura Polska, Komunikacja i Rozmowa, and Gramatyka.

As part of my study abroad in Poland program, we had many opportunities to take part in cultural events and workshops, such as the Obwarzanek Museum and many art and history museums, and we participated in an Independence Day sing-along held in the Main Square. We had extensive opportunities to meet students from other countries and work towards shared goals of using the Polish language daily.

The initial week of moving in and completing obligatory organizational tasks was a little difficult due to the language barrier and not knowing exactly where to go to complete certain tasks. One example was figuring out where to open a bank account in Poland without a PESEL number. After visiting several banks, we found that PKO Bank Polski would allow us to do so. Besides the initial period of moving in, the rest of the stay was comfortable and smooth.

Why I Chose to Study Abroad in Poland

The most important outcome of this period of study was the ability to speak with my family members in Polish. When I first met my family here six years ago, I relied often on Google Translate. Today, I found myself even acting as a translator between my sister, who doesn’t speak Polish, and my family members here. They tell me my speaking now and five years ago are like night and day. I am able to speak authentically with them, share my personality with them, and find out more about my family history. This was my ultimate goal, and I feel so proud and amazed by the progress I have made through this program.

I also wanted to develop my work as a teacher through observation of the teachers in my program. Just having received my master’s in reading education as well as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), it was invaluable to observe the teaching practices of my language teachers at UJ. I have recorded many practices that they used that I could use in my future classrooms. I also was able to take my experience as a language learner to develop a deeper understanding of the scaffolds language learners may need when learning a new language.

Lastly, I wanted to be able to authentically use Polish in my daily life, such as reading books in Polish, writing in Polish, and listening to Polish videos and shows intended for native speakers. Today, I find myself able to do all of these and more, including analyzing Polish poetry and learning more about Polish history through the Polish language.

I will now be starting to work, having received my master’s degree last year. While I am in a transition period between studying abroad and a permanent position, I will be working online as a literacy teacher and English teacher for schools across the United States through an organization called Tutored by Teachers. In the long run, I would love to work for a cultural organization like the Kościuszko Foundation, where I am able to navigate the connection between literacy and culture and help others who also seek to connect with their heritage.

The UJ Polish Language Program is extremely high-quality and I have already recommended this program and applying for the KF scholarships to many eager students. I felt like I had a very full, exciting life here in Krakow and I see myself living in Poland after this incredible experience.

I would like to sincerely thank the donors for their generous contributions. It is thanks to them that I have achieved a lifelong dream to be able to speak Polish to my relatives here and bring my Mom back to Poland after 40 years.

It would have been nearly impossible for me to have this same experience without the KF scholarship. Ever since I was very young, I longed to know more about my heritage. I attended the four-week program twice at UJ over the summer, thanks to a KF scholarship, but I felt like the only way to reach my goal was to stay for an entire year and seriously dedicate that time to studying the language. Once again, thank you to the donors for helping me reach my childhood dream. This study abroad in Poland experience has been life-changing, wonderful, and incredibly meaningful for me.