POLSKI JEST COOL is a self-contained, cohesive course for studying Polish as a foreign language which develops reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at elementary (A1/A2) level. Level A2/B1 is being developed presently.
The series consists of:
POLSKI JEST COOL. A2/part I is a new part of our popular series dedicated to teaching Polish as a foreign language. Part I - coursebook and workbook in one, consists of 10 lessons covering half of the material necessary to master Polish at level A2.
consists of 24 units and two “special occasions” classes (Christmas and Easter). Each unit contains various tasks which allow students to practice different linguistic competences (listening and reading comprehension, speaking, grammar and writing). The book encompasses authentic materials, dialogues imitating natural communicative situations and clear grammar tables. Moreover, the book includes a phonetic course of Polish with recordings. The attached MP3 disc contains the recordings of the texts and dialogues from the book.
is a guide to the course, with general instructions for teachers. It proposes the way to introduce, practice and use together the contents of the Student’s Book, Workbook and Games and Activities Book. Teacher’s Book offers also tests after each unit, the answer key to exercises and scripts of all listening activities from the Student’s Book, as well as an instructional DVD.
is a ready to use, photocopiable source of ideas to make learning Polish an enjoyable experience. There are multiple individual, pair and group communication activities including e.g. surveys, questionnaires, board games, role-play and simulation exercises, dominoes, “match and say” games etc.
Polski jest COOL is a complete in its design, comprehensive attempt to create a coursebook intended for the threshold level of teaching Polish as a foreign language. Its Authors take a creative and professional approach to the configuration of the lexical and grammatical material taught in the book, maintaining the rigour and the gradation ensuing from methodological recommendations. The material is composed in a modern manner which allows to use it both during classes and when learning independently. It was made possible thanks to the Authors’ great self-imposed rigour. Subsequent units, words, grammatical problems and sentence constructions consistently result from the preceding ones. Moreover, the book follows the spiral method of introducing and learning vocabulary, which is an indispensable technique at this level of language proficiency. In comparison with the leading publications in the same field, it can be seen as a very good project. I recommend Ewa Piotrowska-Rola and Marzena Porębska’s coursebook Polski jest COOL with all my willingness and a sense of responsibility.
Prof. Piotr Garncarek, Ph. D.
I would like to recommend a new coursebook intended for elementary groups which was written in the School of Polish Language and Culture at the Catholic University of Lublin (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski, KUL) – hence, at least partially, the name Polski jest COOL. The authors of the publication, Ewa Piotrowska-Rola and Marzena Porębska, wanted to convince their students that the Polish language, from the very first lesson, can be above all a communication tool anyone can handle. […] The authors managed to maintain the balance between grammatical and communicative progress – each new structure is immediately used in a specific situation in which students may find themselves in everyday life. Repeating the same material multiple times, but in a different exercise each time, causes each topic to be consolidated during classes, while the pupil gains the so needed courage to speak as well as fluency. This process is assisted by numerous illustrations, photos and diagrams. Another advantage of the book is the fact that it works well in groups which have had no contact with Polish so far and who find this language quite exotic, especially in its phonic layer. The book is also worth recommending for teachers preparing their groups for language certificate exams. Read the whole review at bristol.us.edu.pl.
Maria Łaszkiewicz, the Catholic University of Lublin
A graduate in Polish philology of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, where she also completed a course in language education. She studied journalism in the College of Social Communication and Journalism KUL. Her adventure with teaching Polish to foreigners began when she was still a student and started working in the Summer School of Polish Language and Culture KUL. She gained experience in applying modern methods of teaching Polish in the Institute of Polish for Foreigners in Warsaw. She also cooperated with the School of Polish Language and Culture KUL. She has taught individual, group and business courses, as well as Erasmus language courses at all proficiency levels. She is especially fond of students who are only beginning to learn Polish.
She graduated in Polish philology from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin and completed postgraduate studies in didactic measurement and evaluation. Since 2008, she has been working for the School of Polish Language and Culture KUL, where she teaches different types of classes at all proficiency levels, semester and summer courses, Erasmus language courses, as well as preparatory courses for future students of Polish universities as a part of The English Perfect International Curricula (EPIC) programme. She participates in the work of the Task Authors and Examiners Unit at the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language. She is a member of the "Bristol” Association of Polish and Foreign Teachers of Polish Culture and Polish as a Second Language. She specialises in teaching groups at the elementary level. Her professional interests centre around the problems of the methodology of Polish as a foreign language, and especially the communication method, kinaesthetic learning and using games in Polish as a foreign language classes.