20 BIRTHDAY TASKS

REGULATIONS OF THE COMPETITION:

’20 TASKS FOR KD’S 20TH BIRTHDAY’

The organiser of the competition is Szkoła KLUB DIALOGU s. c., Wioletta Kunicka-Kajczuk, Piotr Kajczuk, Al. Jerozolimskie 55/4, 00-697 Warszawa, NIP 536-276-44-16.
Any person who is 16 or over, has notified the School office of their willingness to participate in the competition, and has downloaded (physically or online) the TASK SHEET from the office, can participate in the competition.
Participation in the competition is free of charge.
The competition begins on 2/01/2024 and will last until 4 pm on 14/06/2024.
The competition involves completing the tasks described in the ‘Task List’ section.
1. Tasks can be completed in any order.
2. A completed task should be presented to the school office or sent to the following e-mail address: klubdialogu2004@gmail.com and a stamp should be obtained on your TASK SHEET (in person at the School or through the School’s office – then the Participant’s TASK SHEET remains at the School).
3. If the task is sent by e-mail, please put your name and surname and the keyword “20 tasks” in the subject of the e-mail, with the task number in the body of the e-mail.
4. To apply for a prize, a competition participant must complete 15 selected tasks out of 20. The 5 tasks marked with * (asterisk) are compulsory.
The School is not responsible for the TASK SHEET issued to the competition participant. If the Participant loses the sheet with stamps, the School may issue the participant a new, empty sheet.
Each participant who presents a TASK SHEET with at least 15 stamps receives a prize.
The competition prize is free entry to the Birthday Party celebrating 20 YEARS of the KLUB DIALOGU School, which will take place on 22th June (Saturday) 2024.
The prize is awarded on an ongoing basis, after meeting the conditions in point 5d.
All submitted works by competition participants remain with the organiser.
The competition participant consents to the School publishing his/her personal data: name, country of origin, and image recorded on a video or photo on all social media, information channels, as well as at events.
Submitting a competition task is regarded as a simultaneous declaration that the task does not violate the rights of third parties, in particular, it does not violate their property and any copyright.
By entering the competition, the participant agrees to:
1. Free transfer of copyright to the submitted tasks to the organiser of the competition, the KLUB DIALOGU School, in particular to the video with wishes (task no. 2) and to the project “Me as a 20-year-old” (task no. 5).
2. Preserving the submitted tasks in any form and technique selected by the organiser (including: printed, digital, computer) on any medium selected by the organiser.
3. Publishing entire tasks or their parts on social media and elsewhere selected by the organiser.

Task list:

1* (obligatory). Participation in at least one group or individual course at the KLUB DIALOGU School.

We count the period from January 2024 to June 2024. The number of hours is not relevant. We simply want you to feel the atmosphere of our school.

2* (obligatory). A video with wishes for the KLUB DIALOGU School.

It’s our Birthday! We are very curious what you think about us and what you wish us for the future. Video length should be up to 30 seconds. Your video will be shown during the Birthday Party.

3* (obligatory). Participation in at least 2 editions of the QUIZ ‘SCHOOL CHALLENGE’.

Throughout 2024, 6 editions of the QUIZ ‘SCHOOL CHALLENGE’ will be published. You will find them on FB, IG, e-mail, in our Newsletter, and on our website. They will be available in February, March, April, May, September, and October. Don’t miss it! Follow our social media.

4* (obligatory). Let’s get to know each other! Introduce yourself to us! :).

How? Come to school or connect online with the School Methodist. Say a few sentences about yourself in Polish. We know it can be a challenge, especially when you’re just starting out, but you can definitely say your name, where you’re from, what language you speak, and what you like to do :).

5* (obligatory). Project ‘Me as a 20-year-old’.

The project can be in any form. It is best to prepare it on a piece of A5 paper, where you put a photo of yourself when you were 20 years old and write a few sentences – in any language – what you did then, what your passions and interests were. Your project will be presented at the School.

6. Your favourite Polish word.

Write it to us in an e-mail, or on a piece of paper at school, or tell us in person. You can do it in any form. We are curious what Polish word you think is the most interesting. Or maybe you have a story about the word? The most interesting words will be published on the School’s FB and IG.

7. The most difficult Polish word.

Write it to us in an e-mail, or on a piece of paper at school, or tell us in person. You can do it in any form. We are curious what Polish word you think is the most difficult. Which is the most difficult to write? To pronounce? Share it with us. The most interesting words will be published on the School’s FB and IG.

8. A recipe from your national cuisine.

Write us a recipe for a specialty from your national cuisine. Or maybe even bring us something to try? That would be really nice. The most interesting recipes will be published on the School’s FB and IG.

9. Your review of the School on Google.

It’s wonderful to read opinions, especially when they are nice and positive ????. Of course, be honest and write what you think. Oh, and remember, the general rule in KLUB DIALOGU is that for each opinion posted on Google and (simultaneously) on FB you will receive a PLN 50 discount on your Polish language course. This is regardless of this competition.

10. A Valentine’s Day card or another greeting card.

Everyone loves receiving cards. Especially on birthdays or Valentine’s Day. Send us a Valentine’s Day card or other greeting card by post or bring it to school. We would be delighted! 🙂

11. Easter egg.

Easter is a time to make decorations. This is a Polish tradition. Maybe you would like to try too? Make your own Easter egg (an egg painted or decorated in any way). Bring it to school and it will definitely be included in the Easter basket.

12. Teacher presentation.

We know that some people love their teachers. This makes us so happy. Tell us about it or write to us. You can present it in any form. Just let us know why your teacher is so unique :).

13. How do you spend your May weekend (‘Majówka’)?

At the beginning of May in Poland there are two holidays next to each other, so it’s a long weekend. A lot of people go out of town or organize picnics. Do you know what you will be up to during this time? Write us a few sentences about it.

14. Homework with instructions.

I’m sure you have a lot of homework during your course. That’s good! This is extra language practice. Do the selected (any) homework and send it to the competition address klubdialogu2004@gmail.com – not only will you ‘pass’ the competition task, but you will also receive your homework corrected and graded. That’s a way to kill two birds with one stone!

15. A famous person from your country.

A politician, actor, or reality star for example? Write a few sentences in Polish or English and be sure to write your opinion about them.

16. Classrooms at the KLUB DIALOGU School.

Do you know what our school looks like? How many classrooms does it have? Do you know their names? Write us an e-mail with the names of at least 3 rooms in our school. Or maybe you know where these names originated from?

17. Reading texts on our BLOG.

The KLUB DIALOGU School not only teaches Polish. It also prepares a lot of other learning materials and interesting facts about Polish culture and tradition for it’s students. You can find all this on our website in the BLOG section. Tell us what text or article you have recently read. Was it interesting? Helpful? Did you learn something new? We are very interested in your opinion!

18. Decorations at the School.

One of the elements of the Jubilee Year is changing the look of our School with new decorations. Do you remember a new decoration we have? Can you describe it?

19. Learning program from A0 to B1.

As you have probably noticed, learning Polish is a long-term process. Do you remember how many modules/courses there are from level A0 to B1?

20. Like our FB page and follow KD’s Instagram profile.

There is a lot going on on KLUB DIALOGU School’s FB and IG profiles. Here you will find posts with new words, explanations of interesting concepts or descriptions of interesting events. It’s worth following us. Especially in the Jubilee Year 2024, because there will be a lot going on!

DOWNLOAD PDF OF THE REGULATIONS

BICYCLE PATHS IN WARSAW

KLUB DIALOGU recommends: Bicycle paths in Warsaw

Warsaw is a great city for cycling. You’ve probably noticed that there are bike rental stations in many places, and a bike path leads to every location. (Well, maybe to almost every ;-)).

The most beautiful, recreational bicycle path in Warsaw runs along the right side of the Vistula River, i.e. from the side of the Praga District. This route starts right next to the border with Jabłonna and ends near the Siekierkowski Bridge. Currently, the route is over 21 kilometers long.

Fans of outdoor activities (i.e. Fans of KLUB DIALOGU) can admire the charms of not only the wild corners of the river, but also meet animals such as herons, crayfish, otters, and beavers. It is a protected nature area covered by the ‘Natura 2000’ program.

Did you know that over 150 species of birds live by the Vistula River, and over 30 species of fish live in the river itself?

Riding along this bicycle path, we can reach five city beaches – Tarchomin, Rusałka, Poniatówka, Saska, and Romantyczna. During the summer season, there are numerous events for children and adults. And from here it’s not far from the KLUB DIALOGU School????

An additional attraction is traveling by free water tram to the other bank of the Vistula River. There are 4 such crossings on the Vistula River. The tram runs every 20 minutes. Sounds tempting? You must go and see for yourself!

Dorota Maszkiewicz11 July 2023 bicycle, bicycle path, Klub Dialogu, Vistula River, Warsaw, water tram WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

STREET ART IN THE PRAGA DISTRICT

Praga

PRAGA – is an area of Warsaw on the right-hand bank of the Vistula River. During World War II, Praga was not badly damaged, so the specific Praga folklore has been preserved. You can find many gems here, such as shrines in the backyards of tenement houses and traditional craft workshops. Recently, Praga has become a very popular place among artists and tourists.

Street Art. In Praga

STREET ART is an art form that originated in the mid-1990s: graffiti, murals, stickers, and artwork. It is art without limits, free in its nature!

Looking for murals in the city is a creative pleasure and a way to spend time actively. There are many murals in Praga, and all of them can be reached by bike or on foot.

Unfortunately, time and weather conditions have a large negative impact on street works. Falling plaster from buildings, repairs of tenement houses, changeable weather mean that this extraordinary art is destroyed. So do not hesitate and start this fascinating journey today.

1. Duel [Duel], ul. Środkowa 23

2. The longer you wait for the future [Im dłużej czekasz na przyszłość], ul. Stalowa 38

3. Ania and columns [Ania i Kolumny], ul. Stalowa 50

4. Factory owner [Właściciel fabryki], ul. Stalowa 46

5. Mural [Mural], ul. Szwedzka 2/4

6. 63 days in the life in Warsaw [63 dni z życia Warszawy], ul. Grodzieńska 20

7. Temple [Świątynia], ul. Mała 8

8. Deyna [Deyna], ul. Inżynierska 4

9. Praga bag [Praska torba], ul. Inżynierska 3

10. Desperados [Desperados], ul. Ząbkowska 2

11. Little angel [Aniołek], ul. Ząbkowska 2

12. Deyna [Deyna], ul. Brzeska 16

13. Big goose [Wielka Gęś], ul. Brzeska 14a

14. Your mother of god [Twoja Matka Boska], ul. Brzeska 17a

Dorota Maszkiewicz12 June 2023 graffiti, Klub Dialogu, learning Polish, murals, Polish language, praga, street art, Warsaw what's going on, WHAT'S GOING ON Leave a comment

PONIATOWSKI BRIDGE – III BRIDGE, THE KING OF WARSAW’S BRIDGES

The Poniatowski Bridge in Warsaw has more than 109 years of history

At the extension of Aleje Jerozolimskie, i.e. the street where KLUB DIALOGU School is located, a unique bridge takes us across the Vistula River in Warsaw – Poniatowski Bridge.

Did you know that this bridge was built over 109 years ago, in the 20th century, in the years 1904-1914. At that time, Poland was no longer on the map of Europe. Its territory was under Prussian, Austrian, and Russian rule, and Warsaw was ruled by Tsar Nicholas II Romanov of Russia.

The construction of the Poniatowski Bridge was one of the city’s largest investments at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was erected on eight steel pillars, and the majestic towers at the entrance to the bridge were to perform defensive functions.

The history of the Poniatowski Bridge is the history of Warsaw

The history of the Poniatowski Bridge is closely connected with the tragic history of Warsaw. Already on 5th August 1915, the Russian army that were retreating from Warsaw demolished 2 pillars of the bridge, rendering it useless.

But much to the joy of Varsovians and visitors alike, the bridge was soon rebuilt (1921–1927).

The storm of World War II saw the bridge once again victim to attack. It was destroyed by the Germans during the Warsaw Uprising on 13th September 1944 at 12.15PM due to the threat of joining the Polish army with the insurgents.

After the war, Warsaw developed rapidly, and buildings were rebuilt. The Poniatowski Bridge was one of the first investments. It was put into use on 22nd July 1946 (the Old Town was only rebuilt in 1953). This gave way for the launch of the first post-war tram across the Vistula River. The Mermaid carved in stone returned to the turret at the Polish Army Museum. And on the Praga side of the bridge, a stone commemorating the fights for the liberation of Warsaw in 1944-1945 was placed.

The Poniatowski Bridge is brimming with life

Currently, the length of the bridge itself is 506 m, and together with the viaduct and access roads, it is over 3.5 km long!

The Poniatowski Bridge is constantly in the center of attention, and its surroundings are teeming with life!

Do you know that:

Despite the construction of the metro line and other bridges, traffic on the bridge does not decrease. It has been calculated that an average of 57,000 vehicles per day cross the bridge
Attention! As many as six speed cameras were set up on the viaduct and the bridge
On the Praga side there is the popular ‘Poniatówka’ beach
Under the bridge, a complex of three beach volleyball courts with stands for 200 people and street workout equipment was built.
At the Poniatowski Bridge there is one of the stops of the Warsaw Water Tram.

Interesting fact – what is the actual name of the Bridge?

The official name of the Poniatowski Bridge is the Prince Józef Poniatowski Bridge (as of 1917). Previously, the bridge was called the Mikołajewski Bridge, the Emperor Nicholas II Bridge or the Third Bridge).

Currently, it is commonly simply referred to as the “Poniatoszczak“

Source: Wikipedia

Dorota Maszkiewicz5 May 2023 aleje jerozolimskie, Klub Dialogu, Poniatowski Bridge, Warsaw WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

POLISH CHRISTMAS AND FUN AT THE END OF THE YEAR – Do you know them all?

From reverie to celebration. Have you already experienced Polish holidays and parties celebrated in November and December?

November is behind us, which is considered by many Poles to be the bluest month. While it begins with reflection and memories (Day of the Dead), it ends mysteriously, magically, and joyfully.

‘Andrzejki’ – Polish fun for unmarried women

Andrzejki is a very popular holiday among Poles. In the past, on the night of November 29-30, on the eve of Saint Andrew the Apostle, unmarried girls did fortune-telling in the hope of finding or winning their beloved man. Today, anyone can do fortune-telling, and thanks to good fun, the tradition remains very much alive. Fortune telling can be made from cast wax into a bowl through a keyhole, shoes, cards, or everyday objects placed in a row.

The KLUB DIALOGU Polish School for Foreigners hosted a fantastic St. Andrew’s Day event for our students. The teachers in the role of fairies were just as great as during Polish language lessons. And some of the predictions came true 100%.

‘Barbórka’ – Polish feast of miners and steelworkers

Another important day in the Polish calendar is December 4. It is the day of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners. Barbórka is the feast of Saint Barbara, very grandly celebrated primarily in Silesia, where the largest number of mines are located.

Do you know the animated Polish fairy tale for children ‘Bolek and Lolek among the miners’? It’s a cult fairy tale, so it’s worth watching, although it doesn’t use Polish. We can deduce from it how important mining was to the Polish economy in the 1950s – 1980s, and the term “black gold” for coal remains to this day.

Motorsports enthusiasts probably know the ‘Barbórka Rally’, which ends the rally season. This year, the rally will be held for the 60th time! The schedule of the Warsaw races can be found HERE.

‘Mikołajki’ – this Polish holiday is awaited by both the young and old

Throughout the year, both the young and old wait for the arrival of Santa Claus during Christmas. In Poland, we have great news for all impatient people! On December 6th, we celebrate ‘mikołajki’! The custom itself has been known on Polish lands for a long time, and until the 19th century, December 6 was even a day off from work. Now, ‘mikołajki’ is most often celebrated in schools for children, community centres, but also in the KLUB DIALOGU Polish School for Foreigners. We give each other small gifts. This is great Polish fun, bringing a lot of joy.

New Year’s Eve (‘Sylwester’) is the inevitable end of the year

The year ends with ‘sylwester’! The last night of December took its name from the name day of New Year’s Eve and the liturgical memory of Pope Sylwester I. On this holiday in Poland, we want to close the calendar year without disputes and debts. How else can we bring happiness to the coming year? One way is not cleaning on December 31st. The reason is very simple – by sweeping dust, we can also sweep happiness! Air bubbles in a glass of champagne can also have a symbolic meaning – large, irregular, and chaotic ones mean many changes, small bubbles mean balance in personal life and good health. Certainly, each bubble is a representation of success in learning Polish ?!

Language trivia – check if you know

Did you know that the names of Polish games, customs, and rituals are written with a small letter: andrzejki, mikołajki, sylwester (even if they come from the name – Andrzej, Mikołaj or Sylwester). Barbórka is a Polish holiday, which is why we write it with a capital letter.

Dorota Maszkiewicz30 November 2022 Barbórka, fun, holidays, Klub Dialogu, mikołajki, New Year's Eve, Poland, Poles, polish for foreigners, Polish games, Polish holidays, Polish language, Polish language school, St. Andrew's Day WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

POLISH GRAMMAR: ACCUSATIVE (BIERNIK) – HOW TO GET THE HANG OF IT?

Polish language grammar is largely associated with suffixes – should I be afraid?

For a large group of students, one of the most difficult aspects of Polish grammar is declension, that is – the changing endings of nouns and adjectives. Why does one word have multiple versions? There are languages – for example, the most popular language in the world – English, in which we can use one word in many ways, e.g. ‘coffee’ – I like coffee. I don’t like coffee. I dream about coffee. With a coffee in hand across the world. So in any sentence construction a given word is used in the same form.

In Polish grammar, however, the situation looks different. In Polish the word ‘kawa’ (coffee) – in those same constructions like above in English is like this: ‘Lubię kawę’ (accusative – I like coffee). ‘Nie lubię kawy’ (genitive – I don’t like coffee). ‘Z kawą przez świat’ (instrumental – with a coffee in hand across the world).

This is all the fault of declension, meaning the variation by 7 ‘cases’: Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, Dative, Instrumental, Locative, and Vocative, in Polish: Mianownik, Dopełniacz, Biernik, Celownik, Narzędnik, Miejscownik, and Wołacz.

Polish grammar: Accusative – it isn’t so bad after all!

Today we’ll focus on one of the ‘cases’ – the one we use when saying: I like coffee, I have coffee, coffee please, I drink coffee (lubię kawę, mam kawę, proszę kawę, piję kawę).

We use the accusative form after verbs such as: to have, like, eat, drink, buy, read, know, watch, ask, order, visit, want, prefer, adore (mieć, lubić, jeść, pić, kupować, czytać, znać, oglądać, prosić, zamawiać, zwiedzać, mieć ochotę na, preferować, uwielbiać).

In Polish language grammar, the feminine forms in the accusative take the following forms: Lubię czarną kawę. Mam czerwoną toyotę. Piję zieloną herbatę. Jem zupę pomidorową. (I like black coffee. I have a red Toyota. I drink green tea. I eat tomato soup). So the noun ends in “-Ę” and the adjective with “-Ą”.

In masculine and neutral form, the noun and adjective remain in their infinitive form. For example: ‘duży dom’ (big house – masculine form) – kupuję duży dom (I’m buying a big house); ‘nowy samochód’ (new car – masculine) – on ogląda nowy samochód (he’s looking at a new car); ‘zimne piwo’ (cold beer – neutral form) – oni zamawiają zimne piwo (they’re ordering a cold beer); ‘małe radio’ (small radio – neutral) – mam małe radio (I have a small radio). Ah! It’s not complicated!

But in Polish grammar, the exceptions are the most important…

A small problem arises when our friend says: ‘Mam ochotę na hamburgera!’ (I fancy a hamburger), ‘Preferuję pomidora niż ogórka!’ (I prefer tomato over cucumber)’. How?? Wait a moment! Hamburger, tomato, cucumber are all in the masculine form in Polish! So why don’t we say: ‘Mam ochotę na hamburger’, ‘Preferuję pomidor niż ogórek’?!? We’ll explain! ? In Polish grammar, there is a group of inanimate masculine nouns (things, not people) that take the ending “-a” in the accusative. Most of them are borrowings from other languages.

The exceptions are:

Food, e.g.:– ‘hamburger’ – Mam ochotę na hamburgera.
Fruits and vegetables, e.g.: ‘banan’, ‘ananas’, ‘arbuz’ (banana, pineapple, watermelon)– Na śniadanie zawsze jem banana. Uwielbiam ananasa i arbuza. (For breakfast I always eat banana. I adore pineapple and watermelon).
Car brands, e.g.: ‘mercedes’, ‘ford’ – Mój kolega kupił mercedesa. Marek ma forda. (My friend bought a Mercedes. Marek has a Ford).
Currencies, e.g.: ‘dolar’, ‘funt’ (dollar, pound)– Mam tylko dolara. Pożycz mi jednego funta. (I only have a dollar. Lend me a pound).
Dances, e.g.: ‘walc’ (Waltz) – Oni pięknie tańczą walca angielskiego. (They dance the English Waltz beautifully).
Games, e.g.: ‘squash’, ‘golf’ – Czy lubisz grać w squasha? Często gram w golfa. (Do you like playing squash? I often play golf).
Substances, e.g. ‘papieros’, ‘szampan’(cigarette, champagne) – Palę papierosa. On pije szampana. (I’m smoking a cigarette. He’s drinking champagne).

Conclusion: Polish language grammar is not that scary, and the Polish language course at KLUB DIALOGU School is a great place to practice.

Accusative isn’t so bad after all ?. Sometimes, we simply have to organise and consolidate our knowledge. The Polish language course at KLUB DIALOGU School is the right place to not only repeat and systematise this knowledge, but also practice and polish the grammatical structures of the Polish language. You can find out more about accusative (biernik) HERE.

Dorota Maszkiewicz9 May 2022 accusative, grammar, klubdialogu, klubdialoguschool, polishcourse, polishgrammar, polishlanguage, polishlanguagecourse, polishlanguagegrammar, polishlanguagelearning, polishlearning, Warsaw WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

‘NO’ to WAR in UKRAINE! – We help as much as we can!

2 years of the pandemic did not put us in such shock, disorientation, and anger as 2 weeks of the war in Ukraine caused by Putin’s Russia has ….

WE SAY ‘NO’ TO WAR! And we are not passively standing by watching. I am very proud of and thankful for the incredible commitment shown by the entire team of our Polish Language School for Foreigners KLUB DIALOGU. We talk a lot about how to help meaningfully. And our conversations result in action:

# We have launched a fundraiser that goes directly to a proven foundation run by people from Ukraine. This foundation directs appropriate help at a given moment directly to people in need;

# We invited Ukrainian families to our homes, providing them with shelter and support;

# Our teacher of Polish, as a coordinator and translator, travels with truck convoys to the Polish-Ukrainian border to coordinate the reloading of parcels with gifts;

# Our office coordinator organises collections and transports of military, medical, and humanitarian items. These deliveries have already reached Kharkiv and Suma!

# We bought food and hygiene products for infants and children from the funds raised by the team of KLUB DIALOGU School – the delivery has already reached the needy;

# We make food for Ukrainians who come to the Central Station, who are tired and hungry after a very long journey;

# We organised a free Polish language course called ‘Necessary in Poland’ for refugees, led free of charge by our teachers;

# To show another small gesture of support for people from Ukraine living in Poland, we also made decorations that welcome our students to the school.

# We go to demonstrations expressing: ‘NO to WAR’.

I would also like to thank our students who have committed themselves to helping. Contributions to the aid fund for Ukraine have exceeded PLN 7,300! Thank you very much, let’s keep raising more! www.pomagam.pl/klubdialogu

Dear Students! If you feel able to help – let us know. We will organise it together! For example, we can make food for those waiting at the Central Station together. We also count on your ideas.

Dear Ukrainians! There are no words to describe the tragedy that befell you. The whole world is with you, the whole of Poland is with you, the whole KLUB DIALOGU School is with you!

Слава Украиние!

Wioletta and Piotr Kajczuk, owners of the KD School

Dorota Maszkiewicz, Managing Director

KLUB DIALOGU team

Dorota Maszkiewicz18 March 2022 klubdialogu, klubdialoguschool, learningpolish, polishlanguage, polishlanguageforforeigners, stopwar, Ukraine NEWS & SALE, WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

CHRISTMAS IN POLAND

Christmas in Poland is preceded by a long period of preparations and events that begin four weeks before Christmas itself. The period of spiritual preparation for Christmas is called ‘Advent’. Advent is an important time in the Christian church in anticipation of the birth of Jesus and his coming at the end of the world. This year, this began on 28th November. On 6th December, we celebrate ‘Mikołajki’ in Poland. This is the only day of this kind, especially for children who expect little gifts left in their slippers by Santa Claus when they wake up in the morning. In addition, in December, children in schools and kindergartens take part in ‘Jasełka’, or nativity play performances, and the cities shine with the light of a thousand beautiful Christmas lights.

Three weeks later, it’s Christmas time.

This is a special time for many Poles. Christmas traditions are very important in Poland. These customs are nurtured and passed down from generation to generation so that they can still give the holidays a solemn and family feel.

The most important family event is the evening of 24th December, when Christmas Eve is celebrated. The whole family sits down to the Christmas Eve dinner, which does not start before the first star shines in the sky. An extra plate is always served with supper for an unexpected guest, and there is hay under the tablecloth – a reference to the birth of Jesus in the stable. Before eating, family members share a wafer, expressing their best wishes to each other. This custom emphasises the special bond that binds loved ones together, as well as the readiness to forgive and reconcile with each other. During the dinner, 12 meatless dishes are served, and depending on the region of Poland, these are: borscht with dumplings, fried carp, cabbage with mushrooms, vegetable salad, potatoes, carp in jelly, dried fruit compote, kutia, poppy seed cake and cheesecake. After supper, all well-behaved people are visited by Santa Claus (in Warsaw), Aniołek – a little angel (in Krakow), or by Gwiazdor (in Poznań) ?. One of these 3 people can also leave gifts under the tree that’s lavishingly decorated with ornaments (baubles, tinsel, a star, gingerbread, etc.). At midnight begins Midnight Mass, a very solemn mass in the church, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas in Poland is, next to Easter, the most important religious holidays. Celebrating these special days in December culminated a warm, joyful, and family atmosphere. Cultivating Polish Christmas customs is conducive to strengthening the bonds between family members and emphasising national identity, but also gives the celebration of Christmas a unique beauty that can be longed for many months.

Dorota Maszkiewicz15 December 2021 christmas, christmasinpoland, klubdialogu, polishlanguage, polishschool WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

HOW WE CHANGE FOR YOU!

The arrival of the 2020 pandemic was a shock for many of us. In March 2020, our school closed for what we all thought would be only a little while. However, the following days showed that the situation was not improving, and it was in fact getting worse. And although we were very worried, we managed to switch to online lessons within a week. It was not an easy task for us at all. The lack of more appropriate equipment and materials turned out to be a big challenge, and we soon found out that this was just the beginning of our complicated adventure with remote learning…

The new teaching conditions required new investments. Purchasing computers, video cameras and microphones, adjusting our program and new internet applications required time, special commitment and intensive work of the entire KLUB DIALOGU team. We asked our students questions about the quality of online learning and, thanks to their creative and constructive responses, we decided to make further investments.

Currently, Polish language courses at KLUB DIALOGU school, as well as group and individual online lessons are conducted at the highest level, which is greatly appreciated by our students. The purchase of interactive boards for each classroom and the acoustic soundproofing of the rooms has adjusted our school to allow for hybrid classes. It is convenient for those students who, due to business trips or illness, cannot attend their course in person and do not want to miss their lessons.

Additionally, modern interactive boards make learning Polish at school and online faster and more attractive. On these boards you can not only write, but also use it to display multimedia presentations, movies, websites, or exercises and interactive applications. After the lesson is over, the teacher can send the lesson notes online to all students. Interactive boards are an excellent teaching aid, thanks to which students are more interested in the lesson and can focus on a specific topic.

Come and see for yourself how the Polish Language School for Foreigners KLUB DIALOGU has changed for the better, for you!

Dorota Maszkiewicz31 August 2021 group courses, individual course, Klub Dialogu, online lessons, onlinelesson, Polish language school WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

IT’S TIME TO START YOUR VACATION RIGHT. SUMMER WITH KLUB DIALOGU

What is the best way to learn Polish? That’s a question without a definite answer, but of course there are many effective and fun ways to conduct language lessons that are a pleasure to take part in. At KLUB DIALOGU Polish Language School for Foreigners, we always strive for interactive and interesting lessons, making learning a difficult language like the Polish language easier. This is especially true during the summer time, when we have intensive Polish language lessons that include outdoor activities!

We just finished the ‘Introduction to Polish’ group course, which was designed to open the students up to the basics of the Polish language, being a course at A0 level. Besides lessons at the school, the students actively learned also during practical classes, involving outdoor adventures. There was a lesson in Hala Mirowska where the students did shopping in Polish, after which there was a joint meal preparation with the ingredients bought!
Why do we think this kind of lesson is useful? Of course, learning the details and getting to the nitty gritty of vocabulary and grammar is very important to be able to even do these lessons, and this kind of Polish lesson takes place in the classroom with textbooks, notepads and worksheets. However, the reason most people learn foreign languages is to actually use them in everyday situations!
What’s more, as part of this intensive course as with others, we also went to a café and ordered coffee, to restaurants and learning by play – we made game boards in Polish and played them with the group.

A ‘Beginners’ course like all other summer group courses, includes tons of attractions planned to make learning effective, interesting and unforgettable, but most of all, is the best way to learn Polish as a foreign language!

‘Intermediate Conversations’ is an intensive group course, which is all about starting to really speak Polish and get a hold of the sometimes complicated grammar involved in learning Polish as a foreign language. Such a course is always very useful to the students who participate in it. This is due to the fact that at a fast pace it is possible to learn Polish grammar in structured yet super enjoyable environment with others who really want to learn Polish, devoting time and strength a few hours a day. The classes are full of interactive games both in and out of the school setting, such as: going to a museum, parks, doing ‘social research’, etc. These ‘lessons’ often don’t feel like lessons at all!

Check all dates for our summer courses and see for yourself. Of course, all of our students are invited to the exceptional events that we hold all summer round!

Dorota Maszkiewicz15 July 2021 converstions, intensive polish language, learn polish, Polish classes, polish online WHAT'S GOING ON, what's going on Leave a comment

what’s going on