Pedagogical studies taught in English within Poland?

I live in Olsztyn and I'm a Brit. I have basic Polish skills.

I am wondering if anyone knows of any courses in pedagogy taught in English within Poland.

Yes, there are such courses at certain of the universities specializing in those subjects. I believe the Jagiełłoń University in Kraków for instance offers courses of this nature to foreigners in particular and are most definitiely taught IN English by either bilingual or Polish native-speaking instructors as well as pedagogic specialists from other EU countries:-)

Haven't researched the subject in a while, but I think I recall correctly.

Best of luck!

[Moved from]: pedagogy qualifications

I've been offered a job in a Polish state school teaching English. Apparently it is possible with my CELTA, however I am pondering trying for higher pedagogical quals which might also enable me to teach other things or work more in education. Some local state schools in Olsztyn already offer other subjects in English.

Could anyone advise me as to what kind of quals are required in Polish educational institutions and whether UK certificates can be accepted?

My Polish is basic so I'd also be interested to hear of any English language run courses in Poland.

Do, by all means and let us know how you make out:-)

I forgot to mention before that perhaps you can arrange for either a private or group course in Polish for foreigners while you're teaching, if such a class is offered.

Although it's frequently advertised that knowledge of the target language is not always a necessity, trust me, this is FALSE ADVERTISING designed to hook willing young people such as yourself into what can sometimes be a plain racket!!

Do yourself and your students a big favor and learn at least the bread-and-butter basics of communicative Polish. They'll appreciate it in the end:-)

I love you Lyzko... nobody ever calls me young these days ;-) (finished my first half century).

Am having classes with a proper teacher at the moment.

Thanks.

Two routes are currently accepted :

Complete a degree with pedagogical training included (most degrees in Poland include teacher training if it's in a school subject)
Complete a pedagogical preparation course and combine it with a degree (in any subject) plus a recognised certificate at B2 level or above.

As it stands, a BA (or equal) is good for primary and gimnazjum-level education, while an MA (or equal) is required to teach in high schools.

However, the rules can be bent - but those are the basic requirements for everyone to hire you. A good route is to do an MA in English - it's not difficult for native speakers, you won't have to attend the bulk of the classes and it'll give you the full right to teach, including at universities. An MA also opens doors to doing a PhD at a university while working there.

Not certain either whether or not CELTA also applies for Brits or EU-nationals to teach, say, in Poland, but for Americans, it does for sure!

CELTA doesn't qualify anyone to teach in public schools (or schools with full public rights) - it's a 4 week course and doesn't replace the need for proper pedagogical training.

...at a university or college, you mean?

Makes sense, Delph:-)

Thanks.

You would have to check if courses are offered in English, but here is a list of Universities offering pedagogical studies:-

nauka.gov.pl/en/higher-education-institutions/universities-of-pedagogy.html

Thanks everyone.

Delph, great advice, thanks.

I currently have MA(hons) in English and Theatre, MA in Social Anthropology and MSc (by research) in Soc Anth from UK unis (which don't include teaching unfortunately).

As well as this I have the CELTA.

The teachers have checked out whether it is possible to hire me (and it seems it is) but it limits my ability to earn and function in the system. Hence the need for a course. Thanks Chemikiem, I'll have a look.

Just curious, Trevek, how would you rate your Polish ability to date?

It depends. I can understand a lot and converse but more complex sentences and vocab get a bit muddled (to say the least). My teacher gave me a diagnostic test which put me at B2, which I am skeptical of. However, he is encouraging me to study towards a B2 exam.

A lot of it is just laziness, I must admit, but also cos I don't use it at higher levels.

The problem is that teaching primary kids actually requires a pretty good level as they aren't always as sure about their own Polish language enough to work out what you might be trying to say.

Hear, hear, Trevek old man!

When I taught in Germany, once again, the US-program assured me up and down that a fluent knowedge of German was not required.Had I not been as fluent as I am (or was), I'd have been sunk, believe me:-)

I needed to explain fine points of English aka American usage and in English, it just wouldn't have cut it, plain and simple.

My bosses in a private school once gave me A1-2 kids (10- 13) and were shocked when I told them it was a bit of a silly idea giving someone with my level of Polish such a low level group. They argued that one of the other native speakers managed. I pointed out he has kids of his own (and I suspect he also has much better Polish) but I was told both these points were totally irrelevant!

Hmmm, that's already fairly suspect advice. Sometimes kids, who know their native language instinctively, will pick of a foreign language even faster than most adults!

Were you teaching educated Polish adults who needed to brush up on their English skills, in that case I might concede that knowing Polish isn't imperative, as they'll likely want to practice their English and learn further in the target language:-)

In this case, the best bet is to look for a course (a lot of them are EU funded and free) where they'll turn a blind eye to your limited Polish schools. A lot of it is 'by negotiation' - it's just a matter of finding someone to agree. A lot of the standalone courses are provided by people that couldn't care less as long as they get the money, so it's not that difficult to pull off.


Hmm, a lot depends on how they've previously been taught. If they've had native speakers since 6-7, it's a doddle to teach older kids. But if this is their first contact with a native speaker, it can be rough going, as they simply won't be used to being spoken to constantly in English as most Polish teachers will instinctively fall back into using Polish.

I used to (before changing career : got offered a job with a salary that I couldn't say no to!) specialise in teaching kids of 6-9 - it's not difficult at all, because they're very open once they get past the initial "what the hell..." stage. Older kids though are a nightmare!

I usually teach teens and adults, at various levels (not usually so low) . Currently teaching a couple of total beginners, engineers, and have to use some Polish. We're all comfortable with it.

The thing is that I do theatre shows, puppetshows etc for kids. Usually in English but sometimes in basic Polish and if I don't get some of it exactly right then they don't get it at all.

Thanks Delph. We're scouting around to see what is out there. Might need to travel unless there are correspondence courses.

Yeah, these kids were false beginners to intermediate, I was told. Some were actually a lot better (one spoke Icelandic!). problem was I couldn't always explain things and they couldn't either. Sometimes I'd get annoyed with them when they honestly didn't get my instructions.

There was also a bit of culture shock as I offended two kids by trying to mix the class (after I'd had to speak to one girl about her attitude). I put the girl with a boy and they both turned their backs on each other and went into total sulk mode. I didn't get it. Later my wife explained it was once common in primaries to sit boys with girls as a kind of punishment... not something I'd know :-)

I think my character was more used to stroppy teens with smart mouths and not people who just came over my hip height.

pedagogika24.pl - might this do the trick?

Sounds familiar, Trevek.

I never taught abroad for all that long, but even some of the older teens in my classes in Germany (Freudenstadt) could be a handfull!

Many simply thought of class as a sort of podium for them to merely sound off at the drop of a hat, needing little instruction or (G_d forbid) correction during a lesson.

Try rich Russians and Arab kids at summer school!

I'll top that! Spoiled Italian twenty-something women entrepreneurs in the States on business (..each one believing THEY alone are G-d's gift to the English language)LOL