FALL IS AROUND THE CORNER! Don’t be surprised!
Whether it`s the changing leaves, a cool autumn day, or new tasks at work, be inspired to experience fall with KLUB DIALOGU.
Join your dream Polish course and enjoy your color-filled time.
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Whether it`s the changing leaves, a cool autumn day, or new tasks at work, be inspired to experience fall with KLUB DIALOGU.
Join your dream Polish course and enjoy your color-filled time.
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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 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
Read more: https://stacjapraga.pl/spacery/street-art/
Warsaw is a dynamic, multicultural city. Global corporations operate here, which means that both Poles and foreigners alike work in Warsaw. Very often people speak English at work because it is the official language in the office. It is interesting that in such a situation the Polish language becomes an informal language: Poles like to talk to their colleagues about private matters in Polish. This also means that the Polish language helps in integrating with other people from work who speak Polish. If you work near Rondo Daszyńskiego, you can easily reach us.
Żeby dojechać do Szkoły KLUB DIALOGU, proszę wsiąść do tramwaju 22 lub 24 na Rondzie Daszyńskiego, przejechać 4 przystanki, wysiąść na przystanku Dworzec Centralny, przejść przez ulicę, dojść do bramy wejściowej, wybrać kod, wejść schodami na pierwsze piętro i przejść przez próg lokalu numer 4. Dzieli nas zaledwie 15 minut!
Czasowniki ruchu w języku polskim są bardzo interesujące. O tym, w którym kierunku będziemy się poruszać, informuje prefiks (mała cząstka, która jest na początku). Najpopularniejsze czasowniki to czasowniki ruchu, na przykład: iść (pieszo/na piechotę), jechać (np. tramwajem) oraz wsiąść (do jakiegoś środka transportu).
The mermaid is a symbol of Warsaw. The oldest Mermaid dates back to 1400 and looked different than today. Then it took the form of a person with wings and a tail. It’s belly was covered with scales. The mermaid turned into a girl with a fish tail only in 1622. Today, the Mermaid holds a sword and a shield in its hand.
How many Mermaids are there in total in Warsaw? No one has counted. There are a lot of them in the Old Town. But not only. You can find them on buildings, lamp posts, stained glass windows, and signboards. Look around carefully, because Mermaids can be found in many places in Warsaw.
1. The Old Town
Go to the Old Town Square. There, in the middle of the square, you will surely notice the Mermaid right away. The monument was made of bronze zinc in 1855. This mermaid was severely damaged during World War II and restored in 1951.
2. Powiśle
This is the most famous Warsaw Mermaid. It was made of bronze in 1939. It is 4.5 meters tall. The originator of this Mermaid was Stefan Starzyński, the mayor of Warsaw, and the creator – Ludwika Nitschowa. Fortunately, the monument was not destroyed during World War II.
3. Park Mirowski
Here, the Mermaid is a concrete sculpture, and it’s tail is originally bent and forms a bowl shape.
4. Wiadukt Markiewicza, Karowa Street
A mermaid has decorated this viaduct since 1905.
5. Inżynierska Street
You will not find a monument here. Look for the bas-relief located on the building of the former tram depot. Have a nice experience!
6. Katowicka Street, Saska Kępa
To find the Mermaid, you have to walk around the building of the B. Prus High School. On the side wall, from the side of Katowicka Street, there is a bas-relief made by Wojciech Czerwosz.
7. Grochowska Street, Praga Południe
In front of the Praga Południe District Office, the Mermaid modestly looks down. It has neither a shield nor a sword, but it still inspires the respect of passers-by.
8. Filter Station Complex, Koszykowa Street
The Filter Station complex consists of historic buildings built in 1883–1886. The bas-relief of the Mermaid, made by Jan Goliński, was placed on the building of the Rapid Filters Plant.
9. Sejm, Wiejska Street
This Mermaid is hard to see because it is located on the wooden balustrade of government benches in the Seym Hall.
Soldiers of the British Queen’s Royal Hussars wear a patch with the Warsaw Mermaid on the left sleeve of their uniforms. This privilege was granted to them by General Władysław Anders for the support given to Polish soldiers during the Battle of Ancona in 1944.
Learning Polish can be interesting and inspiring. Welcome to the KLUB DIALOGU School of Polish for Foreigners.
Text and photos from Wikipedia: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warszawska_Syrenka
Would you like to start learning Polish, but you don’t know where to start? Start by checking your language level! Why is it so important?
KLUB DIALOGU Polish Language School for Foreigners teaches many levels. Learning for non-Slavic speakers starts from the A0 level. It is an important course that familiarises the student with the structure and specificity of the Polish language, the most important phrases and information that will be useful on the street, in a shop or in a restaurant. Due to the linguistic similarity, students from Ukraine, Belarus or Russia can start from A1 level.
The next stages of learning Polish are the levels: A1 (beginner), A2 (elementary), B1 (pre-intermediate), B2 (intermediate), C1 (advanced).
At the KLUB DIALOGU school, the learning process is divided into smaller units, known as modules, thanks to which the groups are homogeneous, i.e. students in a given group have very similar skills.
How does it look in practice? Each level (A1, A2, B1, B2) is divided into 5 modules (e.g.: A1.1, A1.2. A1.3, A1.4, A1.5). Learning in such a system becomes extremely effective, and students can notice significant progress. However, this means that a placement test is not only advisable, but also necessary. The result of the test gives a strong recommendation which Polish language course will best suit your skills. An additional conversation with the school methodologist will precisely outline the student’s strengths as well as areas for improvement.
Thanks to the defined program of learning Polish as a foreign language at the KLUB DIALOGU School, the student does not incur unnecessary costs or lose valuable time as a result of inadequate group placement. In addition, you can clearly define your learning goals and the timeline for implementing them.
We warmly invite you to KLUB DIALOGU!
Have you seen the M-shaped entrances to the Metro in Warsaw? Or maybe you noticed the names of the stations: Świętokrzyska, Uniwersytet or Rondo ONZ? These are things that reveal Wojciech Fangor’s character.
Wojciech Fangor (1922 – 2015) – a well-known Polish painter, draftsman, sculptor and poster artist. He is considered one of the last “great masters” of the 20th century. In the early 1960s, he became famous for his ‘pulsating’ painting – abstract paintings that gave the impression of movement. His painting experiments were groundbreaking not only in Poland, but likewise in art around the globe.
The works of this famous Varsovian can be found in various places in the city. Only 300 meters from KLUB DIALOGU Polish Language School there are other, often ignored by passers-by, Fangor accents that decorate our surroundings. An ordinary subway journey to a Polish language course can be a time to encounter colourful mosaics. What are we talking about here?
The mosaics that decorate the Warsaw Śródmieście Railway Station were entered into the national register of monuments last year. In total, there are 52 ceiling mosaics – it’s worth looking up sometimes! – as well as 27 mosaics that are in the halls and in the former waiting rooms along the side platforms. The tiles were made in the Faience Works in Włocławek, and some of the necessary dyes were even imported from Italy.
For fans of Fangor and art lovers, the Polish Language School KLUB DIALOGU has good news! Until March 2023, you can see two exhibitions celebrating the 100th anniversary of the artist’s birth: ‘Fangor. Poza Obraz‘ in Gdańsk https://www.mng.gda.pl/wystawy/fangor-poza-obraz/ and ‘Fangor. Wielowymiarowy’ at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Warsaw https://u-jazdowski.pl/program/wystawy/fangor-wielodimensional
Images courtesy of Wikimedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=fangor+metro&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image
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 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%.
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.
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.
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 ?!
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.
The year 2022 was full of many events that, from a global point of view, have had tragic consequences. Of course, we are talking about Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the cruel war being waged against the country’s civilians. We also remember the huge wave of refugees on the border, terrorised by the Belarusian authorities and treated in no less cruel way by the Polish authorities. Read the KLUB DIALOGU report and learn more.
The KLUB DIALOGU school categorically opposes all these tragic events, not only in word but also in deed. When the first protests began under the slogan: ‘Stop torture at the border!’ – we couldn’t miss it. Walking through the streets of Warsaw, we wanted to express that we show solidarity with people who are hurt, whose chance for a normal life is taken away just because they were born in a country affected by war or a humanitarian crisis.
The war in Ukraine mobilised us to: initiate the collection of things and money for its inhabitants, organise free Polish language courses, participate in humanitarian convoys, take home refugees, and many, many other activities. See our blog post.
KLUB DIALOGU’s manifesto is simple and unambiguous. We, as employees of the KLUB DIALOGU Polish School for Foreigners, which is not only an educational institution, but also a meeting place for people from different continents and cultures, cannot accept a situation where the law and international conventions are broken.
We would also like to thank OUR STUDENTS who supported and continue to support our initiatives – it is thanks to you that we can learn tolerance and openness. Thank you for your lessons for us and for being you!
Despite these sad events, the KLUB DIALOGU Polish Language School for Foreigners was constantly working, organising Polish courses at all levels from A0 (for beginners) to B2 (advanced). During the year, classes were held on a regular basis (mainly in the evenings, 2-3 times a week).
The summer holiday period (June, July, August) turned this structure upside down as usual ?. Intensive courses prevailed (3 hours a day, every day), and students could additionally learn Polish, have fun, and chat during unique integration events. This year we invited our students to: KLUB DIALOGU’s birthday party, a trip to the Zoo in Łódź, bowling, silent disco dances and salsa, and canoeing on the Wkra River. See the summer holiday movie.
In 2022, we managed to conduct 4 exams for the State Certificate in Polish as a Foreign Language at B1 level. 190 people took part in four examination sessions appointed by the State Commission (in February, March, June, and November), and 179 passed the test and received the Certificate. Congratulations!
You too can take the exam and get the Certificate. Check the dates of the B1 exams in 2023 and the courses preparing for this exam. terminy egzaminów na B1 w 2023 roku oraz kursy przygotowujące do tego egzaminu. Check out.
Throughout the year, we invited the school to Film Evenings, during which Polish films with English subtitles were presented. It is a great opportunity to learn about the culture and lifestyle of Poles, as well as to understand their mentality.
And as of December, we have the pleasure of inviting everyone to see Polish films at the Wisła Cinema. PFFF: ‘Polish Films For Foreigners’ is a series of Polish films prepared in cooperation with the Wisła Cinema, Polonicum, and the School of Polish Language for Foreigners KLUB DIALOGU.
Thank you for being with us!
– Polish? We make it possible –
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US!
Saying goodbye to summer is never easy, and summer 2021 is already behind us. Luckily, after a one-year break, we managed to organise a summer calendar full of KLUB DIALOGU events. Despite the worldwide pandemic, many difficulties and limitations, we spent this time very intensively and effectively, and the return of our side events sweetened us even more than usual! So what’s so special about this summer?
At the end of June, our intensive Polish language courses began, which are liked and sought after by students who need a faster pace of learning. These courses are very demanding and oblige you to work independently from home, but they give you really great results! However, learning Polish every day does not have to be difficult, boring or tiring! The pleasant summer weather allowed us to go outside the classroom as part of the lesson. We were at the park, at the market, at the cafe, and at Hala Mirowska to buy ingredients for the rest of the lesson where we cooked in Polish! After all, the goal of learning Polish is to use it every day, in various situations, not only with a course book in hand!
During the summer holidays, there were also regular group Polish language courses, as well as individual lessons, the nature and frequency of which depend entirely on the student’s needs.
We love to see our school full of students with happy faces, filled with the desire to learn Polish! We have also become experts in conducting online classes, offering online group Polish language courses and individual online lessons to meet the needs of all our students. We have introduced hybrid courses that allow lessons to continue even when a student was absent due to going on vacation. The beauty of online and hybrid classes is that they can be joined from anywhere!
Traditionally, the Polish Language School for Foreigners KLUB DIALOGU invited its students with their family and friends to additional summer events aimed at integrating and sharing everyday life in Poland. The interest in the events exceeded our wildest expectations! As every year, together with students and friends, we celebrated another birthday of KLUB DIALOGU. More than 40 people came to share this special date with us! Thank you very much! The following Saturday, there was a canoeing trip on the Pilica River near Warsaw. Beautiful, sunny weather, playing volleyball on the beach and a barbecue gave everyone a lot of needed energy for the next week. In addition, we visited the Night Market to enjoy street food and card games, had a lovely evening at a Silent Disco, had a great time in an intense phonetics workshop and exercised our bodies in a cheerful atmosphere while playing bowling. What’s more, we hosted our regular meetings: ‘Film Piąteczek’, during which we watch Polish films with English subtitles and discuss Polish culture, tradition and mentality of Poles. We love these events because they give the opportunity not only to show our life, but also learn a lot of interesting things about other cultures, and our students come here from all over the world!
This summer we welcomed many new students who came to us from the USA, Argentina, Israel, Iran, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany and Great Britain! Moreover, we also enjoyed the time we spent on our own vacations. This summer, our employees visited, among others, Italy and Sicily, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Slovenia, and of course they had a great time in Poland and in Warsaw itself.
Summer will be over soon. But life at KLUB DIALOGU school goes on! 🙂 We are fully ready, full of energy and new passion to teach our Polish language!
Everyone has trouble sometimes organising time; for all of us, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to work, take care of personal matters, time for family, friends, personal development or just relaxing! It is of course a matter of priorities. What is important to us?
If you are thinking about learning a new language, and especially the Polish language (we highly recommend! :-)), the best way for most people is to attend structured courses. Those Polish language lessons can be individual lessons, organised in a way that suits you and your timetable, or consistent group classes where you embark on your Polish language learning journey with other foreigners who have a passion for learning Polish, too!
During these structured, group classes at KLUB DIALOGU Polish Language School for Foreigners, you are then obliged to devote time to learning Polish on specific days and at regular times every week. In KLUB DIALOGU, we conduct lessons so that our students get the most out of them. We enjoy using textbooks that are specifically designed to help you along during your learning but we also fully believe in learning by playing, such as board games, interactive online quizzes and other means. These fun games are also a way to interact with your classmates and get your mind off the everyday thoughts of work, university studies and so on. You can actually learn Polish and unwind at the same time! It’s important especially for people, who learn basic Polish and during online Polish courses.
It is perhaps obvious, that in order to enhance the effects of your Polish language classes, it is important to study alone in order to consolidate your knowledge and the learning you have done during courses with the help of your experienced teacher. It is no secret that learning any language isn’t easy, but taking the time to also look through your work done in classroom and, once your confidence allows it, to speak to Polish people in real life scenarios, such as in the supermarket, in a cafe or even with your Polish friends! More ideas include watching TV in Polish or with Polish subtitles (to practise reading skills and understanding), changing social media settings to Polish language, listening Polish online and so on. Doing this means you don’t even have to specifically make time to study alone, as you would be doing those things anyway. It is a fact that self-study enhances your Polish language learning, as well as enables you to move on faster, not being stuck at a certain level of Polish knowledge for longer than you need to be!
Some people set aside even just 5 minutes a day for self-study. This may seem like very little but, little in this case is better than nothing! Besides, over time, those 5 minutes can always be extended when you realise that learning our wonderful Polish language isn’t actually a chore, but it is enjoyable. It will become a natural part of your daily activities before you know it. It is also important to not be deterred if you think that you aren’t making progress. With learning anything, there will be times when you plateau and times when your knowledge seems to soar. This is, too, the case with learning Polish both during courses and self-learnig, especially when you learn basic Polish. Students can find themselves at the ‘same place’ with their progress for a while, and then suddenly they are speaking with much more fluency and really getting a hand of some more complicated Polish grammar and sentence structures. This is natural, so don’t worry and don’t get frustrated and definitely don’t give up!! You can always express your concerns during lessons and our teachers will with pleasure discuss them with you and help you make a plan of how to effectively study further! The most important thing is to do it regularly and with pleasure. And never, never call it homework, but development work – you do it only for yourself.
During both group and individual classes, you learn important and practical skills to help you live life in Poland. You will be able to order coffee, make an appointment with a doctor or hairdresser, buy something in a shop, order a taxi. Group courses are structured around levels and modules, and all students within a group are on the same level. Some know a little more, some a little less, but general ability is the same. Individual lessons are tailored to a given students needs, be it time of day, length of the lesson or language level. Regardless, learning is always fun and our students see it as time to relax whilst learning, not time for more stress.
The decision to learn a language is exactly the same as the decision to start any other activity – running, dancing or eating breakfast before leaving the house. Our motivation is what is important. We just have to find this time. If time is really very limited, we can decide to study individually at home – the teacher comes your home and conducts lessons with you there. What could be more comfortable and convenient? There is also the option to learn Polish online individually or in a group. In this case, you needn’t lose time travelling. However, it’s worth remembering that Polish courses at our school are about more than just learning. It is also an opportunity to meet people who are in a similar situation, people from all over the world, an opportunity to exchange views, experiences, and to have interesting discussions. Group activities, especially in a culturally diverse group, are simply fantastic. It’s worth to mention that we, every so often, organise activities outside of the school to give you a chance to further intermingle, as well as use all the knowledge you’ve accumulated in real life situations with others who are at the same level of Polish as you. Definitely worth taking a little time out of your schedule for! The bottom line is, once you start, you’ve overcome the biggest hurdle. You will start to see your progress and, more than anything else, feel incredibly proud of yourself. You’ll not want to shy away from speaking Polish again; you’ll be speaking and communicating in no time, full of pride that YOU have achieved that! YOU are the one who has taken the time to study Polish, and YOU have really come a long way and learned a skill that will help you in certain situations, and fill you with joy in others. Come to KLUB DIALOGU Polish Language School for Foreigners to immerse yourself in a wonderful language, meet great and interesting people and learn something that you’ll have for life. We can’t wait to share the journey with you.
