Poster - the overview of the most important information: *.rtf and *.html

General Information

The intensive two-week-long courses in the Polish language and culture have been organized since February 1997. They take place twice a year: in winter (February - April) and in summer (July - October). In the period from February 1997 to October 2005, 73 two-week courses were organized with a total of over 1800 attendees. Our courses are attracting more and more interest and the number of participants (aged between 18 and 71) is constantly rising. The high standard of our courses and their attractiveness are shown not only by the fact that some participants have returned to Cracow several times to continue learning Polish with us, but also by the results of surveys, which are carried out at the end of every course. In the survey, all components of the course are assessed, and the average overall mark for the course in our 5-point grading system is over 4.5.

Our courses are designed both for beginners and participants with higher levels of proficiency in Polish.

The participants who declare themselves as beginners will automatically be assigned into the beginners' group. However, participants who in their registration form state some knowledge of Polish or at least some minimal previous contact with it will be given a placement test on the first day of the course. Depending on the test results, they will be assigned to groups of an appropriate language level, including the beginners' group if their Polish language skills prove insufficient.

Our language courses are run by experienced teachers who graduated from language departments and completed additional courses in Polish as a Foreign Language. Almost all teachers have taught Polish as a Foreign Language for at least a few years.

On average, one two-week-long course is attended by 35-60 participants, who are divided into 4-6 groups, ranging from beginners to advanced (conversational) level. Each group usually consists of ca 10 persons and covers the teaching syllabus adjusted to the language level of its members. The most advanced (conversational) group usually has the lowest turnout, therefore this group is taught less regularly (i.e. it is not formed every two weeks). This means that we may be forced to ask the people interested in participating in it to change the requested course time to that proposed by us.

University students comprise about half of the course participants, the remaining participants being professionals and old-age pensioners.

Course Dates:

WINTER 2006

1. Course 1: 19 February - 4 March 2006
2. Course 2: 5 March - 18 March 2006
3. Course 3: 19 March - 1 April 2006
4. Course 4: 2 April - 15 April 2006
5. Course 5: 17 April - 30 April 2006

   SUMMER 2006

   1. Course 1: 2 July - 15 July 2006
   2. Course 2: 16 July - 29 July 2006
   3. Course 3: 30 July - 12 August 2006
   4. Course 4: 13 August - 26 August 2006
   5. Course 5: 27 August - 9 September 2006
   6. Course 5: 10 September - 23 September 2006
   7. Course 5: 24 September - 7 October 2006

   You are free to choose the time that is most convenient for you.
   If you have more time at your disposal, it is perhaps a good idea to take part in several courses or weekly installments of the courses, up to 14 weeks.
   
   

   Course Schedule:

   Each course comprises:

   1. 6 language-teaching lessons a day (each lesson lasts 45 minutes) - 5 teaching units plus 1 consultation hour for interested participants
   2. lectures on history, culture and current political situation of Poland (subject to availability)
   3. welcoming and farewell parties
   4. introductory guided tour through Old Cracow
   5. a day trip to the mountains combined with a hiking tour into the Tatra Mountains.

   We can also organize various additional events (such as visiting Wieliczka Salt Mine, subject to a separate fee), which is dependent on the degree of interest on the part of our participants and our organizing powers.

   Daily Schedule:

   • Sunday - arrival in Cracow
   • Monday - Friday:
     • morning session (9 am - 2.15 pm) – language classes + a consultation hour in PROLOG Language School
     • afternoon session - lectures, sightseeing, additional events

     On the first Monday only the beginners have language classes; other participants take a placement test which consists of a writing and oral part.

   • Saturday - day trip to the mountains combined with an outing into the Tatra Mountains. Please do not forget to take appropriate hiking boots.
   • Sunday - day off.
   • the last Saturday of the course - depart

   Accommodation

   All participants are granted accommodation in private flats. The rooms are rented out most frequently by people living on their own: students, professionals, retired people, sometimes also by families. They may have some knowledge of German or English; they may also turn out to speak Polish only. In addition, we have a few flats fully at our disposal which we offer solely to our course participants. In every flat we offer, you have access to the kitchen which you are free to use to make your breakfast or dinner.

   Most of the rooms we offer are double rooms. You can request accommodation in a single room or a separate flat at a surcharge of 30€/$35 (a single room) or 100€/$120 (a separate flat for a single person).

   Meals

   You can make your own breakfast and dinner in your place of accommodation. Low-price lunches are available in any of numerous small restaurants in the city centre, where you will be spending most of your spare time. Alternatively, you can buy your lunch card (for 10 weekday lunches) in a restaurant located in the vicinity of the language school at 40€/$50 a card. Participants interested in purchasing the card should indicate this on their course registration form.

   Registration Deadlines for Winter Courses 2006:

   • 10 January 2006 for course 1 and 2
   • 5 February 2006 for course 3 and 4
   • 5 March 2006 for course 5

   Registrations will also be accepted after those dates if places are still available.

   There is no need to fill in a complicated questionnaire to register for a course. Please simply send an e-mail, fax or letter providing the following data:

   1. First name and surname;
   2. Selected course time;
   3. Degree of knowledge of Polish and/or previous contact with it; if you have already been taught Polish, please tell us where, for how long and how many hours a week;
   4. Your studies or profession;
   5. Your age;
   6. Accommodation requirements (smoker/non-smoker)
   7. Address, phone number, fax, e-mail.

   Fees:

   350€/$420 - including the language course, accommodation, parties and all other elements of the program.

   Some of the participants are entitled to pay the reduced price of 290€/$350. These are the following groups:

   1. young people aged 26 or less with some previous knowledge of Polish, who are students or are unemployed, provided, however, that they register within the regular registration deadline;

      ATTENTION: Only people who simultaneously fulfil all of these conditions can apply for the reduction.

   2. all participants who register for at least two courses; the reduced price then applies to the second and each of the following courses;
   3. all participants who participated in at least two of our courses in the past.

   Participants who wish to apply for the reduction should indicate so on their registration form, and present suitable documents (e.g. student ID card) to us upon arrival in Cracow. Please note that the reductions available under points 1, 2 and 3 are not cumulative, i.e. if somebody is entitled to more than one reduction, they will always pay the reduced fee of 290€/$350.

   The fee excluding accommodation (only language instruction and accompanying program): 260 €/$310 or 200€/$240 (reduced fee).

   The fee for an additional single course week (in addition to a regular two week course) 170 €/$205 (incl. accommodation) or 120 €/$145 (excl. accommodation).

   The fee for a single course week only: 240 €/$290 (incl. accommodation) or 170 €/$205 (excl. accommodation).

   Reduced fees do not apply to single weeks or additional course weeks.

   Payment

   When the required registration deadline for a given course passes, you will receive a letter from us with detailed information about the course and the payment conditions.

   Health insurance

   As the course fee does not include the health insurance, you are responsible for buying a travel / health insurance policy for yor stay in Cracow.

   Arrival in Cracow

   You are also responsible for your own travel arrangements.

   ATTENTION:It is now possible to reach Cracow at bargain price (starting with 20 Euros one-way) with the low-cost flying airlines. You can fly to Cracow directly from the following European cities:
   - London, Manchester, Paris, Milan, Rom, Amsterdam, Nice, Barcelona with SKYEUROPE: www.skyeurope.com
   -London, Dortmund, Berlin with EASYJET: www.easyjet.com
   - Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart with GERMANWINGS: www.germanwings.com
   Via these cities you can fly to Cracow from many other European cities.
   
   The other low-cost flying airline WIZZAIR: www.wizzair.com offers flights to Katowice and Warsaw from: London, Liverpool, , Milan, Stockholm, Brussel, Paris, Rome, Athens, Frankfurt/Main, Dortmund, Barcelona, Budapest, Palma de Mallorca.
   
   You can also fly to Katowice and Warsaw with CENTRALWINGS (www.centralwings.com) from: Hannover, Cologne, Nuremberg,Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London, Prague, Rome and others European cities.
   
   From the airport in Katowice you can reach Cracow directly by bus. The travel is organised by the travel office AXET and lasts 1.5 houres. On the website: www.axet.com.pl you will find detailed information concerning the offer and the booking of travelcards (price: 50 PLN).
   

   Traveling via Warsaw, you can reach Cracow making use of the convenient express or Intercity train connection. The trains run every 1-2 hours; it takes ca two and a half hours to reach Cracow; the tickets cost ca 73zł/16€/$18 (express train) or ca 76zł/17€/$19 (Inter City).

   Flying with regular airlines you can reach Cracow on a direct, non-stop flight connections with Chicago, Copenhagen, Frankfurt/Main, London, New York, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Munich, Cologne and via Warsaw with many other cities.

   By rail you can travel to Cracow directly (i.e. without changing the train) from the following European cities: Berlin, Budapest, Hamburg, Vienna, Prague, Lvov (Lemberg).

   There are also a number of inexpensive bus connections coming from as far as London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and Rome, from Geneva, Zurich, Vienna and from many German cities (e.g. Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Hannover, Koblenz, Mannheim, Munich, Stuttgart, Ulm).

   We would be happy to offer logistical support to those participants who feel insecure in a foreign country: we can arrange for a Polish student to pick you up at the railway/bus station. If you wish to be collected from the station this way, please indicate so in your course registration form.

   If you prefer to take a taxi to reach your accommodation, we recommend RADIO TAXI cabs (these are cabs marked RADIO TAXI or a symbol of the taxi company and their telephone number). RADIO TAXI cabs are less expensive than other cabs. If there is no RADIO TAXI cab available at the taxi rank when you arrive, please wait for a few minutes until one comes.