History / WWII - Battle of Britain and Poles [104]

Radar was employed in WWII and used by the Poles too. It's all documented, frd :)

Besides, I referred to the thread in the comments under that part :) :) Good try though!

Jasinski, I'd hate to see you sad then ;)

Next issue, jasinski!? So far you have just gurned without any academic debate.

History / WWII - Battle of Britain and Poles [104]

Africa is not in Britain, please stay on topic!!!

Many of those are Scottish, vor :)

Come on, jasinski, let it out :)

History / WWII - Battle of Britain and Poles [104]

Jasinski, try living in the present. The Scots invented much of the modern world, read Arthur Herman's book. We invented radar, a MAJOR plus. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_inventions_and_discoveries here's the rest.

Why can you not just be happy with the Polish effort, jasinski? We were and vets still remember their dedicated service. What's the problem?

News / Is Poland the only high minded country of Cental and Eastern European countries? [41]

No1 country of Europe, what does that mean? That it was the first to be discovered? That it leads in GDP? That it takes the lead role in international affairs?

Only for itself? That's about right!

Maybe we should switch places and let Poles relocate to Britain and we'd get Poland, more lebensraum for us. 58 million people with more space. The process is already underway ;)

You could get what Britain had before 1902, splendid isolation! That's what some of you seem to want. The new slogan 'Wielka Brytania dla Polaków, tylko My'. Island culture is nice :)

History / WWII - Battle of Britain and Poles [104]

Yeah, numbers are more for academic submissions, frd. I've mentioned this on another thread, maybe 3 other threads, that Poles were warmly welcomed in Glasgow and commanded respect for what they achieved. Why is there no commemoration of their feats in a place like Dęblin?

Jasinski, it's very easy to point the finger, isn't it? How about showing me an authenticated archived copy of Piłsudski's meeting with his French counterpart to enter into a pre-emptive war!? Maybe you can bribe the authorities to furnish you with a copy, I'm sure you know how ;) ;) ;)

News / Is Poland the only high minded country of Cental and Eastern European countries? [41]

We saw in WWII the result of that selfish stance. Churchill ignored your country because he felt like you needed to learn a lesson. False bravado can be seen a mile off and exposed! Lately, a guy who I really respect, Pudzian, has turned to that. He feels he doesn't need a trainer, LOL.

Czarnkow, that kind of comment either comes from stupidity or deep-seated insecurity. Poland is in the EU now and has many freedoms and grants as a result. I'm not gonna assume anything about you but are you one of those Poles that never lived through communism but still sees himself as an expert on it? LOL

A no1 country doesn't need to be anybody's puppet!!

History / WWII - Battle of Britain and Poles [104]

That's just a flaming comment! I'm no fan of Churchill but comparing him to Hitler is absurd! Jasinski, you need to get over the fact that Poland could have trounced Germany in 1932/33 and you can't tell me that some alarm bells weren't heard around 1934/35. Piłsudski knew it, the British foreign secretary knew it but they missed their chance. Look, many people or institutions look for a raison d'etre. It isn't coincidental to me that the Federal Reserve was founded in 1913 and WWI started not even a year later. They did well from that war so a second one wasn't going to hurt.

Yes, Churchill was a megalomaniac and I'm glad you singled him out. He paid lip service to his advisors, preferring to engage in secret correspondence with Roosevelt from 1942 onwards. Before that, he was not for saving Poland. I don't know about his early days but he developed a dislike for Poles. It was either at Yalta or Teheran (the latter I think) where he made an outburst calling Poles selfish and worthy of what they got. He is from imperialistic stock so how can you blame him?!

I'm not aware of the word 'biggot'. Try bigot.

History / WWII - Battle of Britain and Poles [104]

Have we not had enough of this type of thread? Mods, please merge it with the 50 million others, many thanks!

The Polish aided in a big way but we need to stop encouraging this incessant harping back to the past. Us Scots are very grateful but we expressed it some 65 years ago the most. The 10 year gratitude reiteration time is not due for another 5 years when the 70th anniversary of the end of the war is due ;) ;) ;)

I think it's because many Poles are so disillusioned with the present. The negativity here is toxic and there's too much tongue lashing :(

History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]

I think it was a combination of the above, WB. It would have been interesting to see his contact with Jews in his early life. He was a snowsweeper and was rejected by the Viennese art school, 2 major things that stuck in his craw. I don't know if any Jews were responsible for either.

Law / On the spot payment with Police (ticket) in Poland? [25]

Delph is right with what he said in what you quoted in post 20, Arien. However, many ID card corporations are chafing at the bit to introduce ID cards in the future. Many want RfiD chips to be introduced and it will be big business.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

Israel is open to tourists and that's to its credit. It's always critical to separate the government from the people. Netanyahu is under intense pressure from his hawks to keep up the creation of settlements and claim what they didn't claim after the 6-day war in 1967. Successive Israeli governments have learned that many don't have the balls to intervene in their affairs and put them right. Applying that analogy to parents and children, the child will repeat the action ad nauseam. There has to come a time when discipline is enforced and they are not let off the hook.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

That's exactly it, Allison. It's amazing what some people will peddle these days. Almost as bad are the idiots who buy such books and believe the messages.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Aha, cutting one layer of red tape then. ZUS is also taken care of by my accountant. It's important to get the NIP-1 form right. Liability rests with you so it's in your interests to ensure that your accountant is on the right track to the best of your knowledge.

A Pesel is not needed but it can be useful to have, if only for extra ID purposes.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

Serbia is no fan of Israel's either so I think we have a fair idea.

Israel had better stop the feet stamping. There will come a time when certain powers lose patience.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Delph, please outline the procedure as you see it as my experience squares with jonni's. One trip to the Urząd Miasta to create the company name (1PLN payment, LOL). A step you have both missed out is to the Urząd Wojewódskie, Katowice in my case. I vividly remember going and hanging around :( :( GUS is vital too but it's a 90-second walk from my flat so that was easy. The Urząd Skarbowy for the NIP. Oh, and there are many places that do stamps.

Yeah, I steer clear of invoices (nie jestem VATowcą). I only issue bills and I just need to monitor the numbers to get the right order.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

I've taught some BEC Higher :) It's a dawdle too :)

EAP and ESP can be nothing more than shiny titles in the hands of those that don't know what they are doing. I do many elements of such courses already, just not in a formalised context (in terms of following a syllabus).

You just have to look around you. Here in Gliwice, options are scarce relative to the number of native speakers in the region. Sometimes you have to be less fussy and just get on with what you are given. It's easy for me to type stuff here but going out and getting plum contracts is easier said than done. For now, I am honouring my commitments and work for 3 schools (2 of which I only have one contract so it's a manageable workload).

The final point I'd like to make is scheduling compatibility. I'm prepared to be flexible but less so now. Fitting new arrangements into currently existing ones sometimes takes a bit of doing but I've been lucky to squeeze in sizeable PT loads (mainly from Oct 2007-July 2008). I worked then for Britam and Profi-Lingua. Now I work for EMPIK, Speak Up and Level (EMPIK and SU since Aug 2008). Teaching is still quite a broad church and my schedule, though not choc-a-bloc, is enough for me at the moment :)

Jonni, it's all in the sell. However, based on the MMA KSW XII promotion debacle (selling tickets with no opponents, LOL), Poland has a long way to go. Nonetheless, Callan's 4 times faster gimmick has worked wonders in the past with unquestioning minds.

Delph, spot on. My accountant is highly qualified but he is snowed under with work and is mistake prone as a result. I'd be like a fish out of water without him, though.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

I have my own działalność gospodarcza so all kinds of things are tax deductible. In recent months my tax has been super low due to all the things I've claimed for.

I agree with all that you said on the second point. The boom has certainly subsided but private students are another way to keep options open and make a little extra cash on the side.

We all want concrete options. Noises were made about me teaching LCCI but nothing came of it. I'd like to move into EAP and ESP (not the voodoo stuff) but Poland hasn't really got off the ground yet as far as fully flourishing courses go.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Jonni, I'll stay on the further study point. There are so many internet options for study these days. It wouldn't make sense for me to pay more. I can learn about almost anything I want by typing keywords into a search engine right here and now. The most important thing is how the industry will go as you alluded to above. There's only so much we can do in that regard. Also, outlets for your knowledge. Outlets come and go so you have to predict what future needs universities and schools will have and be versatile.

Poland doesn't need proof half the time. I know teachers here who never should have been teaching with what they have on paper (or don't as the case is).

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

Why is that interesting, 1Jola? Aren't you an American with Polish roots? People read for different reasons and I just feel that getting some authors some outlets isn't a bad thing, that's the point.

Idle threats from Israel. When will they ever learn?

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Those books that try and tell you what to do and what's what with your career. They tend to be written by paranoid and repressed individuals looking to carve out a new niche for themselves.

They have a solid rep and are accredited so that'll do me nicely. Besides, I prefer to look to the near future, not back to April-May 2004.

It's embossed in my mind. Given that I'll only live with one person my whole life, that'll do me nicely. I feel no need to prove myself.

What I meant by egomaniacal game is the often selfish lure of 'advancement' ('ambition makes you look pretty ugly', Radiohead). I prefer to make use of the tools I have. Working with a Polish legal adviser is really teasing out what I studied and having that avenue is useful. It's about putting yourself in the loop and I found that contract through enquiring.

Travelling became a priority some years ago and having a wife as a manageress of a travel agency doesn't hurt either ;)

As long as the objectives of distance learning are clearly spelled out, it has a place. You just need to know where you can be realistically placed and coached through. Undertaking such a scheme for box-ticking or money is the wrong way to go about it. I wonder what Harmer would have to say about it, I'm gazing up at his seminal book on teaching now. Damn, too many books around me ;) ;)

Exactly, jonni. You have to be careful of going too far down a certain road. 'Choose wisely' cannot be overstated.

I hear ye. Still, I've shuffled at the right times. I did one year of Callan too many (3) but that's behind me now. Plus, I did Business English and was a FCE/CAE mentor too so a few more things were thrown into the mix.

Stick with your Warsaw commitments, though. There is no getting round the fact that teaching is laden/fraught with pitfalls when it comes to contracts. Contracts come and go and that's just the way it is. Lord only knows I've had to adjust and bide my time on some.

Like most native speakers who have reached a certain level of proficiency, I only do Pol-Eng. Anything else comes from the help and clarification of my wife.

It's all about weathering inevitable storms and taking the bad with the good. Having a school is a great project and worth pursuing.

Well, it all depends on how satisfied you'd be with the options that delph outlined. They are not for me, much as plum jobs in the EU weren't after graduating LLM in International and European Law in Nov 2000. My work colleagues are important and I don't think that I'd relish the prospect of working with some DELTA people.

Absolutely not, jonni. However, the ball is often not in our court. Other people can control out destiny to some extent and we just have to defend our corner and strive to bring to fruition what we started. It's more cut throat in Prague and Vienna from what I have heard, yes.

True, it all hinges on your circumstances. I'm not prepared to go beyond LLM and CELTA, that's investment enough for me. It's a question of desire.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Those at the higher echelons are teaching's equivalent of corporate puppets, delph. I'm sorry but I see the function of teaching very well. Imparting info and facilitating participation is so important. I don't feel that I've come up short for not having a DELTA. Being well-educated, flexible and demonstrating your experience is key.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Let's confine the focus to Poland here. There may come a day when bilingual teachers take the jobs from native speakers. There are already signs that work is drying up in some places. Those with Philology or teaching degrees here may get more of a look in.

I know a guy who teaches in the ME without a DELTA or even a CELTA, delph. It's just reality.

So, delph, what magical components does a DELTA offer? Where I'm sitting, I can do anything that a DELTA holder can and would gladly test that claim out.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

I'm not a yes man who will blindly carry out an agenda but I accept that a DELTA may be of assistance to a limited group, yes. There's summer work here and it has been arranged already so I have nothing to worry about.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

1Jola, 8.5 years, sorry. It is a highly insightful book which sheds some light into why many have failed to bring Afghanistan to heel over the years. Stubborn with tactical gems at their disposal, what a combo! Anyway, I'll PM you about the book if you wish.

As for Israel, they would be isolated were they to attack Poland. I'm not going to invoke the NATO card here but there are other reasons why it won't happen. The dogs must be silenced!

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

Jonni, I am in the here and now and am making provisions for all manner of practicalities. You seem to have read some of those God-forsaken career books which aren't worth the paper they are written on. Yes, planning is important but know yourself, not one book written by one author in one period of time.

I don't intend to touch either :) Basil Paterson College in Edinburgh is one of the leading schools in Europe I believe. I did my CELTA there and have amassed a wealth of experience in different methods from then on.

I have other pressing payments (ZUS, flat, accountant and tax etc). I don't have the disposable income to go squandering it on a needless roll of the dice. I don't play such egomaniacal games.

Well, you have to see where I am coming from. Ask delphiandomine, he's from my home city. He'll tell you that it's hard to get work there without being in certain sectors. My qualifications quickly lost their value and I had to broaden my horizons. The setup in Scotland is different. There are old boy networks and it's very cliquey. It's a small country and I wasn't ready to enter into that without first having seen a bit of the world. Thanks to me only having a CELTA and 7.5 years exp as a teacher ;0 ;) ;), I have seen a lot of new countries. Besides, I often use some of my Masters knowledge in discussions with my more academic, private students. One is an international speaker with a PhD, one is a senior legal adviser and the other is a sharp cookie :)

My academic parts of learning were done in seminars on a face-to-face basis. In my European law subjects, my Prof who led the discussions was/is one of the most eminent in Europe and is widely published. There is no escaping or ducking in that format, he found out for sure what we knew and what we didn't know. No offence but an LLM is a much more rigorous and chanelled program than some distance learning done without human contact. I know that distance learning wants to provide flexibility but those that want higher-level degrees must be prepared to undergo intensive studying and continuous mentoring with the Profs/lecturers at your side. You have to chart development, not peek at it from afar.

I see myself branching out into university teaching. There will come a time when the method I teach at present gets too tedious and I will look for sth more challenging. University teaching presents that challenge.

What doors? It's a hackneyed phrase, so cliche at times. I have been a trainer already and it's nothing to write home about.

What is unfulfilling about a language school? The range of topics is broad. Universities follow national curriculums too. If I had input into a syllabus then I'd be happy but most foreigners are not well-positioned to do that.

What are you doing now, may I ask? Translations show a mature level of development, that I understand Polish well enough to do it. Also, it is but one string in the bow of quivers. Many are in the translation industry and that must be monotonous at times.

Jonni, I enjoy reading your posts and you know the game but some disillusionment shines through in your posts. I sometimes wonder if your questions should be self-directed, no offence. I know a super teacher here who is approaching 50 and he has no pension and no job anymore. Things can quickly change and sometimes we should be glad to have a job due to the turbulence of life. I may want to return to Scotland at some time down the line and what use is my teaching and quals there? That's a matter of conjecture.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

You are being cryptic, jonni. Next stage? Tightening the belt and settling down a bit. Is that what you were hitting at?

I was talking about institutions like International House and Bell etc. Those that charge exorbitant amounts for teacher development. I have come to learn that having advanced qualifications can work against you. You are who you are and you put yourself where you put yourself. I cannot put it any simpler than that.

Sorry, I'm a critic of distance learning. I'm a big fan of being in the classroom and showing what you know and can do. It's all about opportunity, jonni, and the combo of teaching exp and a CELTA has done me just fine. I've received awards and praise for my teaching, how would a DELTA change that? What doors, doors to what? I have a wife and stable job here in Poland, what more could I want? Sorry, my letters got me little through the standard application process in the job market. I could work at the local university here if I wanted. As it is, I'm gonna go in for more proofreading work as a side project.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

That's a good summary of the position, Sok. Iran is a much more likely target but they are spinning out the rhetoric as much as possible, just to keep politicians in a job.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

It's all blowing air, Sok. Israel are more focussed on resettling areas of occupied territories. Drumming up anti-Polish sentiments is very much a minority game.

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]

I disagree. I've been here for 5.5 years and have taught in many places along the way. DELTA wouldn't make the slightest jot of difference. I am who I am and making new contacts is far more important than punting hard-earned cash into the coffers of a vulture-like institution. I've seen the increments that so-called trainers get. Many more ulcers for fractionally more pay. DELTA is for the vain, jonni.

History / Israeli wants to wipe Poland off the map! [198]

Old wounds sometimes remain, Sok, but I believe that Israel doesn't/don't harbour such ambitions. What may be alarming is Netanyahu's leanings towards the radical factions in his ranks. Those right-wing hawks are potentially dangerous and I'm glad that the US is showing signs of imposing some standards on them. I don't think they'll be so effective as everyone saw how Obama pandered to the AIPAC crew.

Sky, I don't agree. That would have yielded more gains but nothing as grandiose as you propose. Yehudi will tell you why a 2-state solution just cannot be. The Palestinians didn't orchestrate terror campaigns along the lines of what you said. They tended to rely on rockets which killed virtually no-one. I don't believe those that say, 'oh, if you didn't fire rockets then we'd give you X, Y and Z'. Hatred is a deep-seated reality there and stopping rocket fire has done nothing for the Palestinian cause. Israel is firing on Rafah as we speak and has been doing so for 60 hours now.