Learning Polish in Katowice

Everyone who lives in Silesia surely knows this joke:

There is a bridge of miracles between Mysłowice and Sosnowiec: you enter it on a wheel, and leave it on a bicycle.

This says much about the distance between the Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie regions and points to an essential difference: the way we speak depends on which part of Poland we are in (in Silesia a bicycle is referred to as a “wheel”)!

Walking the streets of Katowice and neighbouring cities, you have an opportunity not only to listen to the so-called official Polish, but also its local dialect, even in a number of variants. If you live here for a while, you will find that indigenous Silesians living in Katowice speak differently from the people of Zagłębie who live in Sosnowiec, and if you make a longer trip, you might find out the inhabitants of e.g. Cieszyn Silesia also speak differently. This is due to the long and complicated history of the region. At a course of Polish for foreigners you will learn the official Polish language. On the streets, however, you will quite frequently hear the local dialect. If you want to quickly find out what it sounds like and how much it differs from common Polish, you can visit the “Gryfnie” store next to our school – the assistants there speak the dialect, and you will also have an opportunity to shop for some interesting gadgets related to the region. Thanks to this linguistic diversity of Silesia, your learning of Polish here will be even more interesting – particularly if you pay attention to nuances, and enjoy language puzzles :)

If you find this topic interesting, maybe you’ll find it even more interesting that with our school you are able to participate in workshops or a course of Silesian dialect!

If not – don't worry, most Silesians are bilingual: at home they speak the dialect, and otherwise they speak common Polish, so you will be able to communicate with us!

Apart from the dialect, there are many practical reasons for learning Polish in Katowice: it is the most populous city of the Upper Silesian conurbation, and a location with a well-developed infrastructure, and an interesting educational and cultural offer. In Katowice you will meet many people like you – people who came from abroad and are starting to learn the language. Katowice is also the seat of the Silesian region authorities, and one of the main centres of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region. If you are looking for a job, chances are high that you can find it here or in close vicinity. It is also worth noting that Katowice is very well connected with other cities of the region – it will not take much time to get to the course of Polish for foreigners!