FOREIGN LANGUAGES TEACHING CENTER

    The Foreign Languages Teaching Center (Centrum Nauki Języków Obcych, CNJO) is an interfaculty unit whose tasks comprise organizing and running courses in foreign languages for students of Pultusk Academy of Humanities. Its Director, Marek Szabłowski, holder of an MA degree in the French Language and Literature, is responsible for the overall performance of the Center, working in this respect in a close cooperation with its Administrative Manager, Malina Rybarczyk, and with mgr Agnieszka Pawlak-Śniegocka and mgr Beata Bayer-Mączyńska, the Reporters.

    The Center makes it possible for AH students to master foreign languages chosen from among a number of those covered by the CNJO Didactic Program.  The requirements of the teaching syllabi are modified in such a way so as to enable students to read foreign language publications related to their special subjects. Particular consideration is given to work with students whose interest in foreign languages exceeds what is required under the relevant syllabi. Such students may attend language groups for more advanced learners, which enables quite a number of them to earn certificates recognized by institutions which pay special attention to fluency in foreign languages as part of their job recruitment requirements.  

What constitutes an integral part of the Center is its Media Lab operated and headed by mgr inż. Paweł Kiela whose tasks comprise collecting materials from which to prepare teaching aids for use at foreign language classes.  

    The teaching resources made available for our lecturers go beyond the ready-made teaching materials brought to market by publishing houses. At a lecturer's request, mgr inż. Paweł Kiela creates teaching materials based on foreign TV broadcasts. The downloaded audio-visual content is then processed, respectively, and explanations of grammar and lexical items are added to it. The material so prepared is finally mixed with freeze frame shots to which the lecturer's explanations are added as well.

The Center has been provided with technological facilities enabling the use of a variety of recording media. Its teaching staff have at their disposal both movable audio-visual equipment (radio/tape/CD players, TV sets with VHS video cassette players, DVD players), and technologically advanced modern language labs.


    The attractiveness of the foreign language learning/teaching process is closely connected with the attractiveness of the teaching aids used. The AH Library makes its syllabi resources comprising ca. 150 foreign language teaching syllabi accessible in "comprehensive packages" including the respective audio-visual materials as well. Each lecturer wishing to introduce new attractive reading texts or the so-called "non-workbook, non-textbook approach" to teaching language skills may do so. 

    Moreover, the CNJO makes use of a variety of materials that derive from satellite TV broadcasts. The Media Lab, at a request from a lecturer or from a group of students, may download any broadcast aired in English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, or Russian languages, and prepare it for further use at a foreign language class. The Center seeks to develop and implement new teaching methods. This is why, for a number of years already, efforts have been made to create a data pool for storing information pertaining to individual teaching methods. The recordings of classes with individual lectures are then discussed in the context of teaching methods selection and effectiveness.

    AH students may choose to purchase their workbooks / handbooks and other learning/teaching aids on site, during the book fairs held by established publishing houses at the AH premises.

    The recently developed system of language competency certification is intended to provide the most effective stimulus for students to learn foreign languages. Such certificates shall only be issued to those students who shall prove their full linguistic competence on the B2 level on the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Teaching, Learning and Assessment, developed by the Council of Europe.