Polish Language and Culture Summer Program

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What's Included

Students who want to study abroad in Krakow with API will be able to take a Polish language course along with cultural electives in English.

What's Included?

Highlights

Pre Departure Services

Advising

@api Online System

Orientation Materials and Resources

Access to International Phone Plans

API Alumni Network

Social Networking

Scholarships

On Site Services

Airport Reception

On-Site Orientation

Resident Director

Tuition

Medical and Life Insurance

Excursions (overnight, day)

Social and Cultural Activities

Welcome and Farewell Group Meals

Volunteer Opportunities

Transit Pass

Tutoring

Housing and Meals

Re-Entry Services

Re-Entry Materials and Support

Post-Program Evaluation

Transcript

Alumni Network and Global Leadership Academy
View all opportunities and amenities

Application Requirements

  • Minimum 2.75 G.P.A.
  • Open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors
  • Open to all levels of Polish speakers
  • Completed API application
  • University Approval Form
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Official transcript
  • Statement of purpose
  • Course pre-registration form
  • Entry requirement: valid passport
Excursions

API students participate in several excursions per session designed to help familiarize them with areas of their host city, country, and surrounding region. The following is a listing of all excursions for API Krakow programs. All excursions are subject to change.

  • Dunajec Canyon

    The raft trip down the Dunajec River through the Pieniny Gorge and along the Polish-Slovak border is one of Poland’s greatest tourist attractions. The trip begins in Sromowce-Katy, while the entire five-mile journey ends up in Szczawnica. A silent run, lasting 2-3 hours, reveals many wonders in an undisturbed environment, often offering close encounters with rare birds and animals. The towering cliffs and limestone rock formations offer an unforgettable experience in a pristine and wild environment.

  • Oswiecim (Auschwitz)

    About 40 miles southwest of Krakow is the town of Oswiecim. Most people know the city by its German name, Auschwitz. This was the site of the largest Nazi concentration camp, and during the years 1940-45 more than 1.5 million people lost their lives there. The main gate still has the original inscription “Arbeit macht frei” (work sets you free). The Martyrdom Museum, included on the list of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, was established in 1947 and provides student visitors with the history and personal testimonies of the survivors of the camp.

  • Warsaw

    Warsaw has been the capital of Poland since 1596 when, after the fire at the Wawel Castle in Krakow, the king’s residence, the royal court, and the crown offices were moved to the extended Warsaw Royal Palace. The city was completely destroyed during World War II and painstakingly rebuilt by Varsovians based on old photographs, paintings, and memories of residents. Today Warsaw is a bustling city, a center of political, economical and cultural life in Poland.

  • Wieliczka Salt Mine

    The Wieliczka Salt Mine has been listed as a UNESCO monument since 1978. This 700-year-old mine attracts visitors from all over the world. Located just 15 km outside of Krakow, the salt mine (kopalnia soli) is still operating. Because the mine is renowned for the preservative qualities of its microclimate as well as for its health-giving properties, it also functions as an underground sanatorium where chronic allergies are treated. The most beautiful chamber is the Chapel of St. Kinga, which was voluntarily carved out between 1862-80. The floors, walls, chandeliers, and banisters are all carved from salt. The bas-relief wall carvings depict scenes from the New Testament and display amazing dimension and realism.

  • Zakopane

    Zakopane is a cozy village embedded in the Tatras, the highest mountain range of the Carpathians. This quaint town attracts over a million tourists a year, and is famous for its “góralski” (highland) culture and way of life. Moreover, Zakopane has left its mark on Polish culture due to the fact that many Polish artists, writers, and painters have been inspired by the village’s unique atmosphere.

Program Details

What You’ll Study

TOTAL CREDITS - 5-10 semester credits

Students who choose study abroad in Krakow with API attend courses at the Jagiellonian University of Krakow’s School of Polish Language and Culture. All students are REQUIRED to take a Polish language course during the summer session. Language classes are taught in Polish and most culture courses are taught in English. Some culture courses are taught in Polish for advanced students. For the summer program, students can earn a total of 5-10 semester credits. All courses are taken with other American and international students.

TRANSCRIPTS

Students will receive a transcript from the Jagiellonian University of Krakow upon completion of their program.

Staff & Coordinators

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    Piotr Gebalski

    Piotr will be your Resident Director in Krakow and will be a resource for you while you are in Poland!

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    Kelsey Patton

    Kelsey Patton will be your Program Coordinator and prepare you to go abroad!

    Email - kelsey.patton@apiabroad.com

Courses

COURSE OFFERINGS

All summer students are required to take one Polish language course. Students complete a placement exam on-site to determine their level and are placed in one of the following courses.

Students may then choose up to two cultural classes to round out their schedule.

The course selection is subject to change and enrollment in specific courses can only be guaranteed upon formal registration at the university. Some courses may require a minimum enrollment, and not all courses are offered each summer. Some courses may have prerequisites. In these cases, equivalent coursework and/or experience may be considered. API recommends that you obtain pre-approval for all of your course selections prior to departure.

CREDIT INFORMATION

Jagiellonian University operates on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). It is generally accepted that in order to convert from ECTS to U.S. credits, one should divide the ECTS total by 2.

Required Polish Language Courses

All summer students are required to take one Polish language course. Students complete a placement exam on-site to determine their level and are placed in one of the following courses. Courses taught in Polish are listed in orange.

BEGINNING LEVEL A1 – Introduction to Polish – Breakthrough (5) – Conducted in Polish

This course is designed for students who with no previous background in the Polish language. Students will increase their vocabulary and knowledge of grammar. Students should be able to read basic texts.

BEGINNING LEVEL A2 – Waystage (5) – Conducted in Polish

Students are taught to read texts with proper intonation and accent, learn basic grammar, and use Polish in its communicative function in a set of life situations. Using about 1,000 words, they can speak about themselves and the world around them.

BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1 – The Threshold (5) – Conducted in Polish

This course is meant for those who come to Poland as pre-intermediate students of Polish. After the course, they should attain a basic knowledge of Polish grammar and possess basic communication competence. They should know about 2,000 words of the Polish lexicon.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B2 – Vantage (5) – Conducted in Polish

This course is meant for intermediate students of Polish. The students are taught the structure of the Polish language and how to use it appropriately. This course prepares students to function in most everyday situations and to actively participate in conversations in Polish.

ADVANCED LEVEL C1 – Effective Proficiency (5) – Conducted in Polish

This course gives students a firm grasp of Polish grammar. Students are taught to function adequately in everyday situations and to participate in Polish conversations. On this level, specialized Polish is introduced. Students are prepared to speak and write on specialized topics, and to understand specialized Polish (e.g. lecture note-taking). It is assumed that students on this level should use about 6000 general Polish and 500-1000 specialized Polish words.

ADVANCED LEVEL C2 – Proficiency (5) – Conducted in Polish

Advanced students of Polish are placed in the Proficiency program. The program aims at teaching the students individualized linguistic behavior in all communicative situations and a full range of Polish language structures. The students are also taught to write longer essays and compositions. Achieving a full understanding of written and spoken Polish texts is an important aim of this curriculum.

SUPERIOR LEVEL D – Native Speaker (5) – Conducted in Polish

This course has been designed for very advanced students of Polish whose proficiency is close to that of a native Polish speaker.

Language of Instruction: Polish   

Recommended US semester credits: 5  

Polish Art - Past and Present

The development of Polish art since the 10th century. Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of Poland within Europe, including the formative effects of geopolitics on the development of Polish artistic movements, Polish church art, folk art, poster, and architecture. In-depth art history lectures will be conducted both at the University and in museums. The course will be accompanied by a program of field trips.

Language of Instruction: English   

Recommended US semester credits: 2  

View Syllabus   

Polish Culture: Lessons in Polish Literature

This course offers a presentation of some of the most interesting problems in the thousand-year history of Polish culture, with special emphasis on themes related to national existence. Literary masterpieces of the past and present, including poetry of the two Nobel Prize winners – Czesław Miłosz (1980) and Wisława Szymborska (1996); Polish Romanticism; culture in a political context; the phenomenon of exiled culture; literature and totalitarianism, and other “great questions” of Polish culture will be discussed.

Language of Instruction: English   

Recommended US semester credits: 2  

View Syllabus   

Polish Grammar

A series of lectures on the structure of the Polish language – its morphology and syntax, in English. The lecturer will let you know everything about the Polish grammar you always wanted to know but never had any occasion to ask.

Language of Instruction: English   

Recommended US semester credits: 2  

View Syllabus   

History of Poland: From Kingdom to the Third Republic

This course offers a survey of Polish history from the Piast dynasty through the period of Jagiellonian rule, the time of the elected kings, 123 years of partitioned Poland, the 1920’s and 1930’s, World War II, the creation and functioning of the People’s Republic, the collapse of the communist system. This class is also taught in Polish for advanced Polish speakers.

Language of Instruction: English   

Recommended US semester credits: 2  

View Syllabus   

The Jews in Poland

This course will make students familiar with the long and glorious history of Jewish communities in Poland as well as with the period from 1939 to 1945 (the Holocaust). Post-Holocaust history of the Jews and Jewish culture in Poland will also be covered, with emphasis on Jewish-non-Jewish relations and anti-Semitism, and the recent revival of the Jewish life in Poland.

Language of Instruction: English   

Recommended US semester credits: 1  

View Syllabus   

Polska Kultura Współczesna – Polish Contemporary Culture

This course presents some of the most important phenomena and changes in Polish culture (literature, film, theater, music, painting, sculpture, media … ) since the fall Communism (1989) and up to the present time.

Language of Instruction: Polish   

Recommended US semester credits: 1  

Czy rzeczywiście ten język jest taki trudny? - IS THIS LANGUAGE REALLY THAT COMPLICATED?

This is a theoretical course for students interested in studying the Polish language. Lectures concern characteristics of language structure, syntaxes, irregularities, and vocabulary discussions.

Language of Instruction: Polish   

Recommended US semester credits: 1  

Polish Film – Selected Topics

This course will provide several video presentations of the most outstanding Polish films: from the classics of Andrzej Wajda to the most recent releases. The films are analyzed using a variety of criteria that reveal individual styles of their directors. The classes aid students in understanding how various film genres “make meaning.” They progress from the most specific aspects of cinematic production techniques to more abstract problems.

Language of Instruction: English   

Highlights
  • Classes taught in Polish and English
Housing

Summer students will live in a student dormitory. The dormitory offers a restaurant, a cafeteria, laundry facilities, a convenience store, a post office, a library, and a TV room. Each suite has two rooms (single and/or double occupancy) and a shared bathroom.

DURING THE SUMMER, TWO MEALS PER DAY ARE PROVIDED AT THE DORM CAFETERIA.

Dates & Fees
Session Program Dates Program Cost Application Deadline Payment Deadline
Summer Jun 29, 2019 - Jul 31, 2019 $4,680 Apr 1, 2019 Apr 30, 2019