NAWA

Language Identity and Culture Polish Level Up

Programme: Promotion of the Polish Language, Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)
Project number:BJP/PJP/2024/1/00012
Funding agreement number: BJP/PJP/2024/1/00012/UM/001
Implementation period:1 November 2024 – 31 October 2025
Project Leader: Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Project Lead from IBL PAS: Professor Agata Roćko
Project Partner: Polish University Abroad in London (PUNO)
PUNO Project Coordinator:Dr Dorota Hrycak-Krzyżanowska

Language, Identity and Culture – Polish Level Up was delivered to support teachers, lecturers and young people of Polish heritage preparing for the A-level examination in Polish. The project responded to the need for educational resources that combine systematic examination preparation with the development of language, cultural and intercultural competence among learners living in multilingual environments.

The project produced two complementary publications:

1. Language, Identity and Culture. Polish Level Up. A Textbook Preparing Learners for the A-level Examination in Polish.
2. 200 Ways to Prepare Students Effectively for the A-level Examination. A Methodological Guide to the Textbook “Language, Identity and Culture. Polish Level Up”.

The textbook was designed for secondary-school students and young people learning Polish as a heritage language. It includes language, literature, history, society and culture, in line with the requirements of the A-level examination. It supports the development of listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, as well as preparation for the Independent Research Project.

The methodological guide complements the textbook with a practical resource for teachers. It includes pedagogical and methodological principles, an overview of the A-level examination, strategies for working with literary texts and film, project-based learning, lesson scenarios, worksheets and examination-focused tasks. The publications draw on storytelling, digital storytelling, educational games, gamification, audiovisual resources, research projects and interactive learning tools.

Consultation and testing with teachers, lecturers, students and learners formed an important part of the project. The needs analysis involved 120 participants. The online academic and methodological seminar, held on 21 September 2025, brought together 21 participants. Through lectures and workshops, participants explored the principles of the textbook and guide, approaches to literary texts, film and project work, and contributed feedback through evaluation questionnaires.

The project concluded with a promotional conference held at PUNO in London on 19 October 2025. The event presented the project, the textbook and the methodological guide, while also creating space for the exchange of experience in preparing young people of Polish heritage for the A-level examination.

The resources have been made available free of charge in digital form. The project strengthens the competence of teachers working in Polish complementary education, supports high-quality teaching of Polish as a heritage language, and promotes Polish language and culture among young people in the United Kingdom.

>>>Download textbook<<<

>>>Download teachers’ guide<<<