Our textbook authors
The authors of our publications are qualified teachers who have been teaching Polish as a foreign language with commitment and passion for years. As trainers, they also conduct regular methodological trainings all over the world, teaching other teachers.
AUTHORS OF TEXTBOOKS FOR TEACHING POLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Iwona Stempek
When I graduated from the Polish Philology program at Jagiellonian University, I planned to study literature in the privacy of libraries. However, I accidentally discovered a completely different calling. I have been teaching Polish as a foreign language since 1995. I have taught people of all ages and cultures from over seventy countries and at all levels. Very quickly, this work became my new passion. Each course is a new experience, a meeting with a different person, a different world of problems. Teaching, in a way, complements my love of traveling around the world and learning about new cultures. As a teacher, I am demanding; I ‘throw students in at the deep end’ and force them to think in Polish, which makes them start speaking quickly— and this is the most important thing. For years, I have been sharing my experience and ideas with teachers from all over the world during training sessions and webinars. These meetings are very valuable to me, because I am eager to learn from others – I love testing new ideas for lessons. Privately, I am a mother of three children – one of them has already grown up and teaches Polish ☺ I like to spend my time actively: walking, cycling and hiking, skiing and ice skating in winter, as well as taking trips both near and far throughout the year. I can’t imagine my life without a good book, movie, music, and meetings with loved ones.
Anna Stelmach
I am a graduate of Polish Philology from Jagiellonian University, and I have been working as a Polish language teacher for foreigners since 1997. When searching for my career path, I also studied advertising, so the visual aspects of teaching aids and their functionality are very important to me. I like to go beyond the textbooks and the classroom with my classes. My lessons are often practical tasks in real-world conditions. I like to take students on trips to places they wouldn’t find on their own, but which I am very familiar with. I love history, I am passionate about photography, I like crime stories. I appreciate Polish cinema, which, though little known in the world, is recently getting better! I cook with passion, sometimes together with students as part of an additional program. When I’m not teaching, I turn into a persistent traveler around Poland with a sporty flair. I am both precise and creative.
Paulina Kuc
I started working as a teacher while still studying at Jagiellonian University. In 2010, I graduated with a degree in Polish Philology, specializing in teaching Polish as a foreign language. Since then, teaching others has not only been my passion but also my full-time profession. Now I know that I couldn’t have made a better choice! What I like most about my job is the opportunity to meet different people from all over the world. During the lessons, I can get to know them, but also learn a lot about myself, my language, Poland and Poles. I try to make my classes interesting, full of laughter and fun, but above all, effective. After the release of the first part of our textbook “POLSKI krok po kroku – junior”, I also had the chance to test myself as a trainer of other teachers. I conducted methodological trainings in Poland and abroad, I also started recording videos (YouTube: “Lekcje z Juniorem”), in which I share ideas for successful Polish lessons. Privately, I am a mother. For years, I have always enjoyed simple things: good books, inspiring films and TV series, trips to the cinema, conversations with my son, discovering the world together and delicious food.
Joanna Stanek
My adventure with teaching foreigners began in 2007 when I went to Moldova to teach children, teenagers and adults and to animate the cultural life of the Polish community. After this one-year-long adventure, rich in experiences, I returned to Krakow, completed postgraduate studies in teaching Polish as a foreign language, and since then I have been teaching at the GLOSSA Polish Language School and the University of Economics in Krakow. I am involved with the e-polish.eu platform, I take part as a trainer in intensive methodological training courses regularly organized by GLOSSA, but I also constantly try to develop myself, e.g. by participating in training courses and conferences. During lessons I emphasize communication. I like to use various games and create authentic situations to immediately immerse my students in the Polish language and motivate them to speak as effectively as possible. I believe in the method of the carrot, not the stick. I love traveling and discovering new places, sometimes with a guide in my hand, more often sharpening all my senses to their specific atmosphere. My passion is theater, I collect masks, I love Ibero-American literature, small cinemas, bicycle and mountain trips, picnics within the walls of old castles and many hours of charade sessions or board games with friends. Playing with children gives me immense of joy and satisfaction.
Małgorzata Grudzień
I am a graduate of English Philology from Jagiellonian University. My adventure with teaching Polish began by accident. However, I embraced this new challenge and, over time, I became involved not only in teaching but also in creating new materials for the e-polish.eu platform and writing textbooks. When I stand in front of the board, I am demanding and consistent. I also set a lively pace for the classes that motivates students to work, while always striving to create a warm, friendly atmosphere during lessons. I focus on students’ creativity, their active participation in the lesson and I strive for them to speak as much as possible and, of course, only in the language they are learning. In my free time, I read, go for walks and watch good movies. I really like cooking. I love Italian and Mexican cuisine.
Joanna Pasek
Language teacher, author, trainer – these are three professional paths that intertwine in my typical working day. I began my teaching adventure with English, but Polish as a foreign language quickly dominated my professional life. In teaching, I focus primarily on communication, which is why I often use tools such as gamification, storytelling and visual materials. My goal is to break down language barriers and encourage even the least talkative of students to speak up. I believe that a friendly atmosphere, elements of surprise, varied stimuli and a large dose of humor and fun are essential elements of effective teaching. When I’m not teaching, I create materials for teaching Polish as a foreign language and set aside some time to share my ideas for language classes. By conducting methodological webinars on various issues related to andragogy, I was also able to prove myself as a trainer for teachers. I hope that my materials and lesson ideas make the work of teachers easier and make learning Polish more enjoyable for students.
Aneta Szymkiewicz
Teaching Polish as a foreign language is my mission – that is the profession I chose and have been dedicated to since I graduated from Polish Philology at Jagiellonian University in 1997. Not only am I not bored of it yet 😉 but I am still growing , writing more textbooks and teaching aids, as well as training other teachers. I hope that I can inspire my students with my passion, show them Poland through the language, introduce them to Polish music, culture and literature, encourage them to travel and talk, talk and talk with Poles, whenever and wherever possible. In class, we often have fun, sometimes get tired, as usual we listen and read, but we always speak as much as possible and only in Polish. Because that’s why we learn languages – to communicate effectively with other people. And I’m happy that I can share my knowledge with people from Europe, Africa, both Americas, Asia and Australia, and they bring a part of their world to me.
Sylwia Dawidek
‘Find a job you like, and you won’t have to work a day in your life’ – this quote from Confucius perfectly reflects my attitude to the profession I have been practicing since 2003. I started my adventure with teaching after studying Philology at the University of Łódź and during my studies in Teaching Polish as a Foreign Language at the University of Silesia. Being a Polish language teacher is a combination of childhood dreams and passions in adult life. I am interested in issues related to bilingualism and multilingualism. I am passionate about phonetics and correct pronunciation, which is why I constantly torture 😉 students, not only during extracurricular activities. By choice and conviction, I am a vegetarian and a feminist. By passion, I am an enthusiast of art, cinema, animated films, contemporary dance and yoga. I love nightly movie marathons, the poetry of Wisława Szymborska, the series ‘Little Britain’, the artistic works of Woody Allen, Kim Ki-Duk, Marcin Maciejowski, and my sister. I like to spend my free time with friends, family and my cat.
