Polish as a New Minor Subject
Why take this New Minor Subject?
Polish is the language of the largest minority community in Ireland, as well as about 40 million people worldwide. It is the language of long-standing and rich literary, film, and artistic traditions. Knowledge of Polish opens up the possibility of communicating directly with people, institutions, and companies from one of the largest EU countries. Poland is the largest country in Central Europe and Polish is the biggest Slavic language in the EU. The Polish economy has been growing steadily since the early 1990s, reaching record highs in the EU. Poland is ranked 6th in the EU and 23rd worldwide in terms of GDP, and classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank.
By learning Polish, you will also learn to read critically and become better prepared for the challenges of the job market in an era of ‘glocalization’.
Because of quickly developing Polish economy, graduates with culturally-specific knowledge and regional expertise, combined with strong language skills, are sought after by employers both in Poland and all over the EU.
What will I learn?
By taking up Polish as a New Minor Subject, you will study Polish language, history, and culture, as well as gain a rudimentary knowledge of the broader region. In SF and JS, you will learn Polish from A1 to the level of B1/B2 (beginner path) or further hone your advanced written and oral skills in Polish (heritage speaker path). You will also gain a foundation in the history and culture of Poland and Central Europe, examining issues the region and country are facing today.
If you decide to continue with Polish as a minor, you will continue to learn the language and finish your degree by learning about the key concepts in Polish society and culture today on a more detailed level.
What will I do?
Senior Fresh
In SF, you will learn the language and gain knowledge of the broader region:
Polish Beginners 1 or Polish Advanced 1, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
One of the following optional modules:
Introduction to Central, East European, and Russian Area Studies, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
Polish Diaspora, year-long, 10 ECTS
Literary Translators’ Workshop: Poland, year-long, 10 ECTS
Translation Tools for Polish, year-long, 10 ECTS
Junior Sophister
If you decide to take Polish as a Minor, you will continue to study the language and get a basic introduction to the history, culture, and society of Poland:
Polish Continuing Beginners 2 or Polish Advanced 2, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
Polish Area Studies, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
If you decide to not continue to award, you can still take Polish Area Studies for 10 ECTS breadth.
Senior Sophister
In SS, you will dive deeper into the basics covered in Polish Area Studies:
Contemporary Polish Society, year-long, 10ECTS
Modern and Contemporary Polish Culture, year-long, 10ECTS
How will this be assessed?
Language modules are assessed with continuous assessment and tests. The other modules combine continuous assessment with research essays (one per term).
Contacts
Please contact Dr. Krzysztof Rowiński at k.rowinski@tcd.ie for more details.
More information on the New Minor Subject program here: https://www.tcd.ie/tjh/new-minor-subject/