The aim of the volume is to focus on research interests that are rarely presented in the literature on the subject and that arise from the currently perceived needs of the developing didactics of Polish as a foreign language. The research results presented in the contributions provide a new look at the process of acquiring and/or teaching/learning Polish from the following aspects: the peculiarities of Ukrainian speakers learning Polish; problems of acquiring Polish by students from Japan, China, France and Lebanon, methods of developing language skills and activities, and specific phenomena in teaching Polish as a business language. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed analyses, as well as experimental corpora, allow the results described to be considered important for the developing discipline.

This volume provides a strong theoretical introduction to the field of intercultural communication, offering practical examples of classroom activities, as well as presenting empirical research which demonstrates that intercultural communicative competence (ICC) can be developed effectively in specially tailored courses adjusted to the needs of learners. It presents a novel model of intercultural sensitivity assessment, and outlines the results of research into intercultural communicative competence conducted among the students of English Language Studies in state colleges in Poland. The cultural component in developing ICC as an extra-linguistic determinant is assigned particular prominence in the book. A thorough analysis of the empirical material collected from participant observation, the administered questionnaires and interviews allowed the most common values and attitudes held as components of intercultural sensitivity to be identified. The obtained findings are subsequently analyzed to predict the potential areas of communication misunderstandings and failures between Polish learners of English and representatives of other cultures.

This volume compiles the latest research on learning and teaching Polish as a foreign and second language among Ukrainian migrants and refugees. The authors address the growing necessity for developing both theoretical frameworks and practical solutions to facilitate efficient language acquisition and acculturation amidst the unprecedented inflow of migrants resulting from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The research presented in this volume marks an important initial step in recognizing and analyzing the diverse needs of individuals with migrant and refugee experiences. Furthermore, it offers new perspectives that pave the way for future advancements in the field of Polish language education.

This volume starts with an overview of the history of teaching Polish as a foreign language from the beginning of the 16th century to 1939. The authors then present the rapid development of teaching Polish as a foreign language from 1992 to 2015. This is supplemented by information on the methodology of teaching Polish. In the next part they describe the didactics of the Polish language abroad, followed by the introduction of the Polish language policy and the promotion of Polish outside Poland. Then they present the teaching of Polish as a second language and the problems of communication. At the end, information is given about the achievements of European didactics in the field of teaching Polish as a foreign and second language. The volume concludes with a proposal for the creation of a didactics of European languages (including Slavic languages as well).

This collection gathers contributions from scholars from Poland and abroad addressing different facets of research into the processes of foreign-language and second-language learning and teaching as they transpire in a typical language classroom. The book is divided into three parts, which address in turn: research directions and methodology, the findings of empirical research, and links between theoretical considerations and classroom practice. Accordingly, the first part includes papers that examine the role of different research paradigms, put forward concrete research proposals, present innovative data gathering tools or assess the role of such instruments in language teaching. The second part includes reports on original research studies focusing e.g. on teachers’ beliefs, the role of lexis and pragmatics, the application of modern technologies, the teaching and assessment of primary school children, and the development of social skills from a cross-cultural perspective. Finally, the third part of the book demonstrates how theory-driven approaches can enhance the effectiveness of instructed second language acquisition.

This book provides an overview of current trends and practices in English Language Teaching (ELT) across the European Union. It offers insights into key ELT issues which are at the forefront of twenty-first-century classrooms. It discusses theoretical and empirical work based on topics such as linguistic imperialism, English as a Medium of Instruction, contrastive language analysis, and the interplay between English and the use of countries’ respective native languages. It also explores the challenges of English Language Teaching under different circumstances such as, while using different technological platforms, working with different learner groups (those with Special Educational Needs) and revising traditional practices in grammar and vocabulary teaching. Throughout the book, the link between policy, theory and practice is explicitly highlighted and exemplified. The book is of interest to ELT instructors, course designers, language teachers and teacher trainers, and students enrolled in pre-service English training courses.

Youth in Education explores the multiple, interrelated social contexts that young people inhabit and navigate, and how educational institutions cope with increasing ethnic, cultural and ideological diversity. Schools, families and communities represent important settings in which young people must make successful transitions to adulthood, and the classroom often becomes a battleground in which these contexts and values interact. With contributions from the UK, Belgium, Germany and Canada, the chapters in this book explore rich examples from Europe and North America to suggest strategies that can help to counter negative perceptions, processes of stigmatization and disengagement, instead prioritising peer support and cooperative learning to give pupils a renewed sense of worth. This book takes the growing ethno-cultural diversity in education systems to heart and studies the various related educational processes from a multidisciplinary and multi-method approach. It aims to offer more insight into underlying mechanisms that are often implicit, but can be important factors that positively or negatively influence educational trajectories and outcomes. It is essential reading for researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of education, sociology, higher education, policy and politics, and social and cultural geography.

Virtual exchanges provide language learners with a unique opportunity to develop their target language skills, support inter-cultural exchange, and afford teacher candidates space to hone their teaching craft. The research presented in this volume investigates the role of virtual exchanges as both a teaching tool to support second language acquisition and a space for second language development. Practitioners obtain guidance on the different types of exchanges that currently exist and on the outcome of those exchanges so that they can make informed decisions on whether to include this type of program in their language teaching and learning classrooms. To this end, this edited volume contains chapters that describe individual virtual exchanges along with results of research done on each exchange to show how the exchange supported specific second language teaching and learning goals.

Computer-based technologies can enhance language learning and help students embrace the complexities of an additional language. Due to rapid technological changes, innovative teaching approaches and strategies are necessary in order to successfully integrate new technologies within language teaching. Explorations of Language Teaching and Learning with Computational Assistance provides cutting-edge research which evaluates, improves, and applies effective pedagogy in the fields of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and foreign language learning. It expands on the principles, theories, design, and implementation of computer-assisted language learning programs.

Debates about the place of mission work in English Language Teaching continue to rage, and yet full-length studies of what really happens at the intersection of ELT and evangelical Christianity are rare. In this book, Johnston conducts a detailed ethnography of an evangelical language school in Poland, looking at its Bible-based curriculum, and analyzing interaction in classes for adults. He also explores the idea of ‘relationship’ in the context of the school and its mission activity, and more broadly the cultural encounter between North American evangelicalism and Polish Catholicism. The book comprises an in-depth examination of a key issue facing TEFL in the 21st century, and will be of interest to all practitioners and scholars in the field, whatever their position on this topic.