Polish Language Courses

The intensive two-week-long courses in the Polish language and culture have been organized since February 1997. They take place all year round. Our courses are attracting more and more interest and the number of participants (aged between 18 and 71) is constantly rising. The high standard of our courses and their attractiveness are shown not only by the fact that some participants have returned to Cracow several times to continue learning Polish with us, but also by the results of surveys, which are carried out at the end of every course. In the survey, all components of the course are assessed, and the average overall mark for the course in our 5-point grading system is over 4.5.

University students comprise about half of the course participants, the remaining participants being professionals and old-age pensioners.

The course usually comprises 6 units of language lessons a day: 5 regular classroom instruction and an instructor office hour for interested students.

Our courses are designed both for beginners and participants with higher levels of proficiency in Polish. The participants who declare themselves as beginners will automatically be assigned into the beginners' group. However, participants who in their registration form state some knowledge of Polish or at least some minimal previous contact with it will be given a placement test on the first day of the course. Depending on the test results, they will be assigned to groups of an appropriate language level, including the beginners' group if their Polish language skills prove insufficient.

Our language courses are run by experienced teachers who graduated from language departments and completed additional courses in Polish as a Foreign Language. Almost all teachers have taught Polish as a Foreign Language for at least a few years.

On average, participants of each two-week-long session are divided into 5-7 groups, ranging from beginners to advanced (conversational) level. The most advanced (conversational) group usually has the lowest turnout, therefore this group is taught less regularly (i.e. it is not formed every two weeks). This means that we may be forced to ask the people interested in participating in it to change the requested course time to that proposed by us.

We offer a cultural program to accompany our courses. This program includes the following:

1. Welcome and farewell parties
2. Introductory guided tour of Old Cracow
3. 4 - 6 hours of lectures on Polish history, culture and political situation Poland
4. Guided tour of Kazimierz, the Old Jewish Quarter of Polnisch in Krakow (in German)
5. Workshops on Polish folk dance
6. Day trip to the mountains combined with a hiking tour into the Tatra Mountains. Please remeber to take waterproof jacket and hiking boots.
7. Field trip to a historic salt mine in Wieliczka (the cost of entrance fee and transport /15-20 euro/ is covered by course participants).

Depending on interest on the part of our participants, we may organize the following additional events:

1. Visit to the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill (additional fee)
2. Guided tour of Kazimierz, the Old Jewish Quarter of Polnisch in Krakow (in English)
3. Visit to Nowa Huta, a "new city" designed and built from the ground up in the 1950s, a typical example of communist constructivism in architecture
4. Trip to the concentration camp at O¶wiêcim/Auschwitz
   (We do not offer this trip ourselves, but in almost every course some participants decide to visit the museum in Auschwitz on their own. We then help to plan the trip by providing information about bus connections to Auschwitz, booking a guide, etc.)
5. Visit to Collegium Maius, the oldest surviving part of the Jagiello-nian University, dated from the 15th century (additional fee)
6. Aternoon with a Polish movie (with English subtitles).

You will be provided with the actual information about your cultural and social program at the welcome party. Please notice that the costs of some additional events are covered by course participants.

• morning session (9 am - 2.15 pm) - language classes + a consultation hour in PROLOG Language School
• afternoon session - lectures, sightseeing, additional events

On the first Monday only the beginners have language classes; other participants take a placement test which consists of a writing and oral part.

SUMMER / FALL 2010

*Due to the fact that smaller number of registrations are expected on these course sessions, the accompanying cultural program may be reduced at that time. In case of very small numbers of students the cultural program may not be organised.

Regular registration deadline is always 4 weeks before the session starts. Registration will be accepted after these dates if space is still available.

If you have more time at your disposal, you may take part in several sessions or course weeks all year long. If you register for two or more sessions, you qualify for the reduced fee for the second and each additional session. As you progress, you may be placed in higher language level groups in subsequent sessions.

All participants are granted accommodation in private flats. The rooms are rented out most frequently by people living on their own: students, professionals, retired people, sometimes also by families. They may have some knowledge of German or English; they may also turn out to speak Polish only. In addition, we have a few flats fully at our disposal which we offer solely to our course participants. In every flat we offer, you have access to the kitchen which you are free to use to make your breakfast or dinner.

Most of the rooms we offer are double rooms. You can request accommodation in a single room or a separate flat at a surcharge of 40€/$60 (a single room) or 140€/$205 (a separate flat for a single person).

We can also help you make a hotel reservation. If you choose this option, we need your information as early as possible, since Polnisch in Krakow is popular with travellers and it is sometimes difficult to find a suitable room at a reasonable ratefor a period longer than a few days.

The regular fee includes: the language instruction, accommodation in a double room, and most events of the accompanying cultural program (with the exception of those for which a separate fee is listed).

The fee does not include: a travel to Krakow (see: Travel tips), travel/health insurance, meals, bank fees. 

Over the past few months Polish Zloty has been strengthening significantly against Euro. Because of this we have been forced to raise the prices of our courses slightly, beginning from the first course of the summer season. The table below shows both the new course fees and the new costs of special accommodation options. It is worth noticing that the prices of our language courses are still among the lowest in Kraków.

Please note that all fees are based on Euro. They can also be paid in US Dollars; US-Dollar prices depend on the exchange rate on the day of payement.

Regular registration deadline is always 4 weeks before the session starts. Registrations will also be accepted after this deadline if space is still available.

There is no need to fill in a complicated questionnaire to register for a course. Please simply send an e-mail, fax or letter providing the following data:

• First name and surname;
• Selected course time;
• Level of Polish and/or previous contact with it; if you have already been taught Polish, please tell us where, for how long and how many hours a week;
• Your field of study or profession;
• Age;
• Accommodation requirements (smoker/non-smoker, single/double room/separate flat)
• Address, phone number, fax, e-mail
• Names and contact information (phone, e-mail address) of relatives or friends who we may contact in case of emergency during your stay in Poland. Do you suffer from any chronic illnesses, allergies or disabilities we should be aware of?
• (Optional) How did you learn about our school?

As the course fee does not include health insurance, you are responsible for buying your own health/travel insurance for your stay in Cracow if your regular health insurance does not cover medical expenses incurred in Poland. 

Money  

The official Polish currency is Polish Zloty, divided in 100 Groszy. The approximate rates of exchange:

1 EURO = 4,03 Polish Zloty
1 USD (U.S. Dollar) = 2,79 Polish Zloty
1 GBP (British Pound) = 4,56 Polish Zloty
1 CHF (Swiss Franc) = 2,73 Polish Zloty