How does one go about? I've heard there's quite a demand for teachers of these two languages in Poland, is this true? I bet this has been posted on this forum before, but I couldn't quite find the answers I was looking for. I'm a student of Pedagogy in Sweden and speak English, Swedish and Polish fluently, I think working in Poland, for at least a year or so could be a useful experience for me.
Thanks for the reply! I'll look around and try to get in touch with some schools. I'm also interested in teaching swedish to adults, what's the situation in Poland regarding evening classes and/or small study-circles?
Oh, that would depend on where you want to teach, I think. I guess there would be more demand from those that can quickly up and leave for Sweden. Sweden was one of those countries that opened its doors to Poles so you have some chance of picking up classes. I could contact an old co-teacher of mine that is into Sweden and Swedish language too. Like you, she is fluent in English, is a native Pole and is learning Swedish.
Tell me. Lidlj, do you find it either useful or necessary for non-native speakers of a certain language, in your case English, to teach that language to other foreign learners who might then pick up your native accent, pronunciation ticks, (unintentional!) cultural missappropriations etc..? Unless you're truly bilingual to both tongues, as I am in German, could I imagine that it'd work out successfully. The nuances of a language though which one acquires almost from birth, can't really be learned at university.
Frankly, I've found that perhaps only at the more advanced levels are non-native teachers of the target languages useful, at least here in the States. Couldn't well imagine myself for instance, a fluent Swedish speaker (but native English speaker from the States) teaching a language other than my own. The majority of learning institutions would probably require a native Swede with your or my type of background for the job, albeit we're both able to speak more than one language.
I think the small, yet useful, advantage I might have against some of the native English speakers teaching English in Poland is being fluent in Polish. As you wrote, some habits are hard to kick, and talking English with a Swedish accent could be an obstacle for me and something I would not like to pass on to the pupils. But I think my knowledge of the Polish language could be of benefit for me :)
Also, knowing that many Poles are interested in Swedish culture and to try their luck abroad I would also like to teach Swedish.
There are quite a lot of Poles who seek jobs in Sweden! I'm aquainted with two newly arrived families, none of them speak a word of Swedish and they regret not taking Swedish-classes before they left Poland. Also, my friend in Katowice told me about Poles wanting to learn Swedish. But as I don't live in Poland myself I don't know if there is such a high demand for it, that's why I posted this thread.
yes but Swedish is not useful language worldwide , same Polish. For some of us it can be useful. Try Skanksa language school in Warsaw, they could help you.
But as I don't live in Poland myself I don't know if there is such a high demand for it, that's why I posted this thread.
Not Swedish, but Norwegian could be useful - I know the two languages aren't the same, but if you can teach beginner-intermediate Norwegian, you could be laughing.
Hi there, LIDL. She's not available on Gadu-Gadu but she should be in the near future. For privacy reasons, I can't give out her number without permission.
You're certainly correct as regards being able to teach for example Poles English in their own native tongue rather than in the target language being acquired, no question:-)
However, although I find practcially zero to fault in your English, I don't know you at all (and vice versa, of course!) and am sure that an educated native English speaker listening in on your instruction would be able to detect something not quite indigenous to our language.
A problem? Well, not per se. Only, there might indeed be long-term 'harm' if all the sundry little picky stuff snowball, we like to say, into more and more of same. Generations of Polish students/pupils will have learnt inaccurate English from a foreigner, instead of at least accurate 'errors' from a native LOL
For instance, when I've taught English, resp. ESL (Engelska som frammande spraak) to Europeans, I typically pepper my additives with little ditties, witty rhymes from as diverse groups such as Gilbert & Sullivan lyrics up through the Beatles etc...
I you can honestly do the same in a language not your own, then my hat's off to you; you're a genius.
I've studied Swedish since college, and would be damned if I could do the same, even though I lived there for a while and had only native Swedish teachers!!!!
German's another story. I grew up with it. Polish?? If I've ever offered tutoring advice, it's always been with the clear proviso: YES DEARS, BUT I'M NOT A NATIVE, THANK YOU.
Swedish too is practical, incidentally, but in a different way.
The speaker percentage may be small as compared say, with English or German, yet the presence of Sweden makes its language of importance.
One cannot rely either on the uniform abilities of all Swedes to speak adequately fluent English, even if the interlocutor from wherever, Timbuktu, Japan, Austria, Spain etc.. doesn't hear or care about the difference (..let alone, the accuracy)
I'm not suggesting that there are no exceptions to what I posted before, only, that in my experience, the percentage has been infinitesimal, limited to bilingual native English + a second language speakers, not those whose first language is whatever and later acquired English in college and the like:-) Let's you and I please not get off here on the whole question of English teaching abroad compared with Swedish, German, even Spanish for foreigners, where certainly for the latter native language ceritfication is most definitely required.
No offense, Lidljugend, you may be that exception.
I am writing from a language school and we are looking for Swedish language teachers who can speak Polish. We are even willing do do lessons via skype. Please contact me if you are available for such an opportunity!
