The POLONICUM – a meeting ground for many cultures

The Centre of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners Polonicum runs Polish language and culture courses throughout the academic year for foreign students as well as other foreigners interested in learning Polish. The POLONICUM organizes a wide range of courses, including those commissioned both by institutions that cooperate with our Institute and by various units of the University, as well as those that we draw up at our own initiative. Some of the courses described below are part of the POLONICUM’s yearly course curriculum. Others are specially tailored, as were such recent courses as that for a group of Iraqis, for American students, Lane Kirkland scholars, and scholars from the Specialist Eastern Studies program.

POLONICUM offers foreign students film screenings and multimedia programs that introduce them to Polish history, culture and tradition. We also conduct ethnographic workshops (organized jointly with the Ethnographic Museum) concerning such customs as those connected with St. Andrew’s Day, Christmas and Easter. A new proposition is a series of lectures on Polish culture, history and civilization in Polish and in English. We organize Polonicum Science Meetings – meetings with well-known scientists. These are open lectures, given by outstanding professors of various specialisms addressed to the University of Warsaw environment.

There are now relatively fewer purely linguistic classes, as the number of hours of practical language study, including classes on contemporary Poland and the everyday life of Poles, is steadily increasing. In familiarizing foreigners with Polish culture, the POLONICUM does not neglect to appreciate the similarities and differences between Polish culture and the cultures of other nations. It is really only at the POLONICUM that one can observe young people from abroad – often from mutually hostile countries – discussing important issues. And that in Polish, too! It goes without saying that as study groups are “multi-culti”, multi-national friendships are easily struck at the POLONICUM.

All this takes place while learning the language of Mickiewicz and Kochanowski. For the POLONICUM’s most important aim is to convince our students that Poland is worth devoting time and effort to, both academically and professionally. In the lives of many students of the POLONICUM there are permanent links with Poland: they are now translators, diplomats, politicians and outstanding scholars and scientists.

It is also worth mentioning that the POLONICUM – via its participation in projects initiated by Warsaw University and the Ministry of Education – trains numerous future teachers of Polish as a foreign language. For a few years now we have been organizing the PFL Professional Specialisation for the students of the Polish Studies, as well as Postgraduate studies program for the Humanities graduates who wish to work as teachers of Polish language and culture to foreigners.