Teaching English in Poland Program

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The TEIP Program, sponsored by the Kosciuszko Foundation in conjunction with The Polish National Commission for UNESCO and the Polish Ministry of National Education, provides hundreds of Polish students (upper elementary through high school) with instruction and practice in conversational English within an American cultural context. It also enables American teachers and students, who volunteer their services, to become acquainted with the people, history, language, and culture of Poland.

The Polish National Commission for UNESCO has been organizing summer foreign language immersion "camps" for Polish students since 1956 and has hosted teachers and student assistants from Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, and the United States. The Kosciuszko Foundation, The Polish National Commission for UNESCO, and the Polish Ministry of National Education have worked cooperatively in preparing and implementing the Teaching English in Poland Program since 1991. Over the past eighteen summers, approximately 1,675 Americans have rendered volunteer service at 100 Kosciuszko Foundation/UNESCO English Language Immersion Camps throughout Poland. More than 10,000 Polish students have benefited from this program.

Program Goals:

• To refine and expand the listening and conversational English language skills of Polish students through English language experiences and activities within an American cultural context.
• To familiarize Polish students with various aspects of American life and culture.
• To introduce American teachers and teaching assistants to the culture, history, traditions, and people of Poland so that their knowledge and impressions will be shared with their colleagues, students, families, friends, and communities.

Program Elements:

The three-week English language immersion segment of the program will take place at four locations (to be announced) in Poland during the month of JULY 2009. In past years, we were assigned to boarding schools in Warsaw, Tczew, Gorzow Wielkopolski, Lomza, Ustka, Olsztyn, Gdansk, Myslenice, Goldap, Pulawy, Ustka, Limanowa, Krakow, Przytok/Zielona Gora and "Nadwarcianski Grod" at Zalecze Wielkie. The American staff at each language immersion campus includes one American Staff Leader, nine teachers, and up to ten teaching assistants (American students). The American Director of the Teaching English in Poland Program and her Assistant oversee the project for the Kosciuszko Foundation. A representative of the Kosciuszko Foundation in Warsaw is available for assistance. A Polish staff consisting of a Camp Director, Assistant Director, teachers, a doctor and/or nurse, and camp counselors is provided by the Polish Ministry of National Education and the local school administration. Representatives of The Polish National Commission for UNESCO and the Polish Ministry of National Education also monitor the program.

During the three-week instructional term, American teachers are
responsible for conducting a homeroom period and three fifty-minute classes each weekday morning for small groups of Polish students who are generally at the intermediate level of proficiency. A curriculum guide is provided by the Kosciuszko Foundation. Utilizing topics or themes based on life in the United States and on American cultural experiences, the teachers prepare the students and engage them in English language immersion activities that stimulate vocabulary expansion and correct usage, encourage the acquisition and use of American expressions, and promote the improvement of conversational skills and pronunciation.

Suggested topics for lessons that are appropriate for the age and
level of the students include: daily living experiences and challenges; hometowns of teachers and students; aspects of the democratic process; tourism in the USA and Poland; health and safety; the environment; entrepreneurship for young adults; preparing for college and/or employment; communications (advertising and marketing techniques, recognizing hidden messages in TV and news programs, etc.); business etiquette; Native American cultures; dealing with counter-cultures; multi-ethnicity in the USA; the preservation of American and Polish ideals, values, culture, and traditions; current events; and American literature, music, art, sports, dance, holidays, foods, money, banking, etc.

Teachers and Teaching Assistants organize and lead popular American extracurricular activities or "clubs" such as: drama, musicals, talent shows, sports (especially softball, volley ball, basketball, and soccer), board games, scavenger hunts, crafts, line dancing, literary magazine, campus newspaper, debates, local field trips, etc. during afternoon and evening recreational periods. They are also required to accompany the students on field trips scheduled during weekdays and on weekends and to maintain the use of English in all contacts with students. Time off is scheduled during the week and on a weekend.

American student participants serve as teaching assistants and tutors. They work with the teachers in preparing classroom materials and assist during classes and extracurricular activities. They also organize and lead some extracurricular activities. TAs work together to plan and organize special events such as American Field Day, Fourth of July, Halloween and other holiday celebrations. They are essential in reinforcing the immersion process by interacting with the Polish young people during classes, meals, activities, free time, and trips.

During the fourth week of the program, the Polish Ministry of National Education provides the American teachers and American students with a tour of important cultural and historical sites in Poland.

Eligibility Requirements:

Experienced teachers/administrators certified in the United States, educators with private/parochial school or other verifiable teaching experience, college/university faculty, and those engaged in student services (school nurse, social worker, guidance counselor, school psychologist, etc.) are eligible for participation. Although educators who are actively involved in teaching are given priority, beginning teachers, retirees, and those on leave are also considered for participation.

College/university students and high school students, who are at least eighteen years of age, and younger teens whose parents, older siblings, or guardians are participating teachers can apply for teaching assistant positions. Teachers participating in the elementary school and junior high campuses may bring their own younger children who are at least thirteen years of age. These younger Americans serve as peer tutors.

All applicants to the TEIP Program must be responsible, energetic, flexible, and in excellent physical, mental, and emotional health. A great deal of stamina is required to keep up with the rigorous pace of the program and the high energy level of the students. They must also be creative and dynamic and must possess superb communication and interpersonal skills. They must be native speakers of American English and have an excellent command of the language. The ability to work cooperatively with team members is required. All teachers and assistants must have a strong commitment to attain the goals of the program and must be willing and able to accept the responsibility of working within the program's daily schedule and of living harmoniously in a dormitory setting.

To ensure the quality of the program, American personnel must adhere to the educational, ethical, and behavioral guidelines and standards set forth by the Kosciuszko Foundation in The Kosciuszko Foundation's Teaching English in Poland Program and Curriculum Guidelines and the regulations of the Polish Ministry of National Education and local school administrations.

Applicants must be able to work effectively with teenagers and upper elementary/middle school students. They must be willing to adapt readily to cultural and professional variations and to individual differences in interpersonal relationships. As guests, our staff members must respect and observe the regulations stipulated by the joint sponsors of the program. The Kosciuszko Foundation, the Polish Ministry of National Education, local Polish school administrations, The Polish National Commission for UNESCO, and their representatives reserve the right to dismiss any participant for breach of professional, ethical, or moral conduct.

Letters of reference must give evidence of the applicant's professional ability, positive interaction with colleagues and students, communication skills, creativity, flexibility, excellent mental and physical health, stamina, maturity, emotional stability, exemplary character, and adaptability.

Polish ancestry and knowledge of the Polish language are not prerequisites for acceptance to the program.

For more information please review Important Information and Forms.

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