Najnowsze polskie powieści jako źródło wiedzy o życiu codziennym współczesnych Polaków
The Most Recent Polish Novels as a Source of Knowledge about Everyday Life of Contemporary Poles

Author(s): Justyna Zych
Subject(s): Polish Literature, Philology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: contemporary Polish literature; Polish culture; teaching Polish as a foreign language
Summary/Abstract: The paper promotes using accurately chosen literary texts in Polish as a foreign language classes. The author claims that from the perspective of foreign language teaching the anthropological approach to literature is advisable. In this approach, literature is perceived as a source of knowledge about the culture of speakers of the language in which it was created. The author also proves that fragments of contemporary Polish novels are the most desirable choice of a literary text in a language class. She points out everyday life as a topic of particular interest and usefulness for foreigners, and she considers it to be a relevant criterion to select literary texts for a language class. She also demonstrates that it is possible to find adequate literary works for each proficiency level, including beginner’s level. In the second part of the article, concrete examples of using literary texts in a language class are presented, namely three fragments of contemporary Polish novels featuring different aspects of everyday life of Poles. A fragment of the novel Jak pokochać centra handlowe by Natalia Fiedorczuk is suggested for the A1 level, a piece of Lata powyżej zera by Anna Cieplak is recommended for the B1 level, and a paragraph of Siódemka by Ziemowit Szczerek is proposed for the C1 level. Cultural content present in each of these texts is analyzed in detail, as well as vocabulary and grammar structures. Finally, different exercises based on these fragments are presented. They are focused on such language skills and components as: reading comprehension, vocabulary, speaking, and writing. Many of these exercises implement the intercultural approach to teaching foreign languages.

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