STATE CERTIFICATE IN POLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, what is it and how to get it?
Why do people even want to learn Polish? – there are a million reasons, and each person has their “own”. However, regardless of personal reasons, as many as 60 million people in the world use the Polish language, of which around 38 million live in Poland. The rest can be found in USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Brazil and Australia, to name a few. This shows that it is worth learning Polish regardless of whether you live in Poland or abroad.
An important aspect of learning is checking your knowledge and approach to the State Exam for Certificate confirming knowledge of Polish as a foreign language. This exam can be taken at levels B1, B2 and C1, and recently A2 level has been added.
What are the reasons for taking the State Certificate exam? Again – there are many, but it is enough to mention the most important:
Of course, you can also mention the satisfaction of your own achievements!
KLUB DIALOGU School has been preparing its students for passing this exam for many years. How are we doing this?
First of all, the entire curriculum in KLUB DIALOGU is precisely structured. At each stage of learning, the student receives comprehensive knowledge necessary for later, during the exam.
Before the exam, the School organises specialist courses preparing for the exam, and last but not least – KLUB DIALOGU School is an Examination Centre, which means that it has the right to conduct an exam for the B1 State Certificate.
Agata, our teacher and methodologist with over 7 years of experience in teaching Polish and a foreign language knows exactly what it’s like to teach Polish on levels from complete beginner (A0) to more advanced (C1). She, just like all of us, is proud that we’re a Centre of Examination. “All our courses, starting from A0, through A1, A2 and B1 levels, are led taking into account exam requirements, and the fact that students can learn towards B1 and B2 levels in order to pass the exam. What’s more, we have additional courses that solely prepare students towards the B1 exam. This course is appropriate for those students who have already reached B1 level and are preparing for the exam; the course goes through all aspects that can be expected on the exam itself – grammar, speaking, reading, writing and listening. Many of our students have already passed this exam, which is something we are so proud of!”
One of the people that passed the B1 certificate in 2020 is Julia. Julia said the following when she was asked about her experience at KLUB DIALOGU and about the exam itself:
“I will start with the fact that I like to learn foreign languages, and the Polish language course is not my first challenge. I really enjoyed the general Polish language course. Well-established, friendly relations in the group and great teachers were of great importance here. But it was time to prepare for the exam, so I had to change the nature of the class. I started a preparatory course. I believe, that exam preparation is important and necessary. Classes were easy and natural. In the preparatory process we went through almost all common exam tasks. Now not only do I advise, but I also strongly recommend a similar preparation course to successfully pass the exam.”
Sandra, an experienced teacher of KLUB DIALOGU has led courses that specifically prepare for the B1 examination. When asked about whether running such a course is different to other courses, she explained: “The course is dedicated to students who want to take the B1 exam, so the structure of the course should differ from the one used for regular courses. Classes are longer, and all the exam elements are gone through each lesson.” She added with a smile, “Perhaps students are more tolerant of the language itself and are able to accept most of the language exceptions that appear at this level.”
When asked if she enjoys running these kinds of courses, and whether there’s a greater sense of pressure to ensure students to well to learn and remember everything to pass the exam, she expressed that, “students at this level are already able to speak the language really well. This allows you to conduct cool discussions or even take up controversial topics. Positive reinforcement always works, but the most important thing is the student’s attitude and personal commitment.”
It is worth mentioning that using any additional learning tools, such as quizzes, role-playing, field exercises, etc. work on all levels, and it’s important to make classes as lively and interesting as possible, no matter if it’s a course to prepare for an exam or not.
So, once the exam session comes round and students who have learnt with us take it, we are eagerly waiting for the news of how it went. Just like all of us, Sandra explained how when we get the news that students have passed the exam, it’s a really great feeling, for them, but also for us! “It is a great pleasure to receive such information from students. There are usually also thank you emails that greatly motivate you to continue working, and student results arouse admiration and satisfaction.”
