Warsaw for the Advanced

The Museum of Warsaw runs language projects and develops didactic materials for which it has received numerous awards and distinctions.

As we are eager to share our knowledge and experience, in 2021, together with the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, we developed a special offer for those who engage professionally in Polish as a foreign language and in Polish culture abroad.

METHODOLOGY WORKSHOPS

A series of on-site and online methodology workshops for teachers of Polish as a foreign language working at universities and Polish schools abroad have been developed, encouraging them to conduct language classes in museum and library spaces.

During the meetings, participants learn why it is important to collaborate with museums; they find out how to work with a group in a museum, and ponder over how to use original artefacts and artworks during on-site and online classes.

Examples of workshop topics

How to discuss culture and art when one does not work at a museum, or methods for the interpretation of cultural heritage at the Polish as a foreign language classes on all levels of proficiency.
20% work and 80% success, or how to teach Polish culture and art online. Inspirations and recommendations on online resources, scripts for activities and educational projects.
Come, I will tell you a legend… or how to work with legends about Warsaw without being in Warsaw. Lessons conducted using the CLIL method, an adapted text, an educational walk and an urban game—bank of ideas.

The offer was developed in cooperation with the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange.

In light of the situation in Ukraine, the project was extended with a component addressed to the educators in cultural institutions.

Varšavská data, or guided tours in a trans-language style. Polish-speaking participants take on the roles of foreigners and visit a museum exhibition in Czech, adapted to the beginner level and with the support of exhibits, visual aids and worksheets. As Ukrainian is 37% comprehensible to Poles, and Czech is 36% comprehensible to Poles, the Museum staff may find themselves in a similar communicative situation as the Slavic-speaking audience visiting the exhibition. The staff gets a chance to understand the visitors’ situation a little better, to understand their needs and sometimes even their fears when engaging in a foreign-language culture.

Project received a distinction from the national jury at the 2022 European Language Label competition.