The spring visit to the capital of Campania was part of the 鈥淏ajeczna dydaktyka: polskie i w艂oskie inspiracje literacko-lingwistyczne鈥� [Fairy Tale Teaching: Polish and Italian Literary and Linguistic Inspirations] project, funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange "Promotion of the Polish Language" programme.
A team of representatives from the Department of Polish Language and Literature Teaching at the 91桃色: Dr Agnieszka Kowalkiewicz-Kulesza (project manager), Dr Klaudia Jeznach and Dr Anna Sok贸艂-Klein set off for southern Italy. They were accompanied by representatives of the Promotion and Communication Office of the Faculty of Philology, 91桃色, who continuously documented the visit.
A university transformed into an escape room
Hosting two themed escape rooms based on fairy tales was the first item on the agenda. Instead of traditional exercises, the students from Naples tackled a series of riddles and puzzles. To successfully complete the game, they had to demonstrate a working knowledge of the Polish language, as well as knowledge of Polish literature and culture, acquired during previous, regular online consultations.
The tasks varied in difficulty and were inspired by Polish fairy tales and fables. We preceded the gameplay with a brief explanation of the escape room method, and then we got down to business
鈥� explained Dr Klaudia Jeznach, the co-author of the script.
Native Italian students and those with Polish roots (e.g., those with a parent from Poland) participated in the game together. The need to collaborate and communicate under time pressure proved to be a very effective way to integrate both groups and naturally develop their language skills. This tool allowed for a practical way to test students' knowledge in an environment other than a standard lecture hall.
It was great that we had to work under time pressure, which really got us involved in the fun. The questions were quite tricky at times. I'm interested in the Polish language, have many friends from Poland and have travelled extensively in the country. That's why I started studying Polish, and that's why I'm here, too, to delve even deeper into your language
鈥� underlined Francesco.
Other participants also spoke positively about the completed competition.
I really enjoyed it, even though it was only the second time I'd participated in an escape room. I'm Polish by birth and wouldn't want to lose the ability to communicate in Polish; I want to be able to communicate with my mother and grandmother
鈥� Karol explained his motivation.
Emotions expressed in Polish
Talking about feelings can be difficult in any foreign language. Dr Anna Sok贸艂-Klein knows this all too well, as she led a practical workshop for students in Naples last Tuesday. The workshop focused on expressing emotions in Polish. Students learned nuances, idioms and phrases that allow them to precisely describe emotional states 鈥� from joy to sadness or surprise.
When we learn a foreign language, we first learn phrases and expressions that help us in everyday communication, such as how to order food in a restaurant or how to get to a specific place. This is very important and necessary, but on the other hand, we rarely learn how to talk about emotions. That's where the idea for my lecture came from. It was combined with a workshop and creative exercises that, I hope, will help students correctly name emotions in Polish
鈥� Dr Sok贸艂-Klein emphasised after the lecture.
Picnic under Italian skies
The delegation's visit also included activities outside the university. A Polish-Italian science picnic was organised in Lago Patria, bringing together the local Polish community. Students from the local Saturday School of Polish Culture and Language, along with their parents, attended the event. It was an opportunity to learn through play and build relationships within the Polish community living in Italy. The event participants recited Polish poems, participated in a running dictation (a form of spelling training that combines movement with writing) and solved thematic puzzles inspired by Polish poems and popular fairy tales.
That鈥檚 not all
The April trip showed that unconventional teaching methods bring very good results, helping to break down language and cultural barriers.
We were impressed by the commitment of the Neapolitan students. The energy with which they approached the project tasks exceeded our expectations. The combination of Italians and people with Polish roots in the groups meant that the students learned not only from us but also from each other. The conversations and shared activities with the picnic participants were also incredibly moving. The children, participating in the workshops and educational games, surprised us with their willingness to work and their diligence in developing their Polish language. We are grateful to Magdalena Sza艂aj, a lecturer at L'Orientale University, for her cooperation and to the management and teachers of the Saturday School of Polish Culture and Language for their warm welcome
鈥� concludes Dr Agnieszka Kowalkiewicz-Kulesza.
This isn't the end of the project. Plans also include publishing a series of podcasts and videocasts dedicated to fairy tales. Recordings will be regularly posted on (in Polish) in the coming weeks.
Text: Promotion and Communication Office, Faculty of Philology, 91桃色
Photos: Bartosz Burski and Eryk Wo藕niak