ROZPOWSZECHNIANIE, ZACHOWYWANIE I NAUCZANIE JĘZYKA POLSKIEGO W ŚWIECIE W LATACH 1918–2018
Popularising, preserving and teaching Polish across the world in the period 1918–2018.

Part I: Polish language and Poles around the world in the period 1918–1939

Summary/Abstract: On the occasion of Poland’s regaining its independence in 1918, several papers have been written to depict the development and transformations of the Polish language over the period 1918–2018. However, none of the studies covered popularising Polish by emigrant communities in various countries around the world, preserving it and passing it down to new generations in a bilingual environment, and its teaching not only in ethnic schools but also in higher education institutions. This paper addresses the abovementioned issues by presenting relations between the Polish state and emigration communities in the period 1918–1939 first. A characteristic typical of this period was the fact that governmental authorities treated emigrants and their descendants as Poles around the world who may pursue the objectives of the Polish foreign policy. With this in mind, the World Union of Poles (Światpol) was established in 1934, which was opposed by representatives of the Polish American community. A further part of the paper presents the organisation of summer school of the Polish language and culture at the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University in Kraków beginning from 1931, teaching of the Polish language in Polish schools abroad and aid provided to them by Poland, and finally, courses of Polish and programmes in Polish Studies offered at foreign universities.

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