From awkward encounters to inspiring conversations

A childhood shaped by languages and cultures

Zuzanna’s journey with languages began long before she ever imagined teaching Polish. Languages truly run in her family – her father, a university economics teacher who also worked as a translator, filled their Wrocław home with international guests speaking German and Russian, while her grandmother was a French teacher who gave young Zuzanna her first French lessons. “I always received postcards from him from different countries,” she recalls, describing how these glimpses of distant places sparked her curiosity about other cultures.

One particular morning stands out in her memory – a moment that would shape her linguistic future. When a German guest was awake early and her father was still asleep, the man began speaking to her in German, asking for coffee and gesturing with his hands when she couldn’t understand. “It was a little awkward that I couldn’t speak with someone for five minutes,” she remembers. “I was determined to learn German in the future, because I didn’t want to have that situation again.”

From Brussels revelations to teaching inspiration

After studying international relations, Zuzanna spent two transformative years in Brussels, where she encountered a truly multilingual environment for the first time. The experience opened her eyes to how naturally people could switch between three or four languages in conversation, making her acutely aware of how many languages were still waiting to be learned.

But it was the questions from fellow international students that proved most illuminating. “People were asking me questions about my country, where I’m from, the history of Poland, and I couldn’t answer all the questions,” she reflects. This realisation led to a deeper appreciation for her own heritage. She discovered that while Poles often think their country isn’t particularly interesting, foreigners are genuinely curious about its history and culture. Some even asked for informal Polish lessons, sharing stories of their travels through Polish cities – sometimes more cities than Zuzanna herself had visited.

Finding her voice through conversation-focused teaching

When Zuzanna eventually began teaching Polish, she initially focused heavily on grammatical rules, thinking this was what students wanted. However, she quickly noticed a contradiction: the more grammar students learned, the more anxious they became during actual conversations, constantly worrying about correctness rather than communication.

“I try to engage students in conversations and help them learn grammar a little unknowingly, without focusing on it,” she explains. Her approach prioritises fluency and natural communication over perfect accuracy. She encourages students to share their stories and speak as much as possible, not correcting every small mistake but only the most important ones.

Mountain trails and musical discoveries

Beyond the classroom, Zuzanna’s passions take her to Poland’s mountainous regions, particularly the Tatras near Zakopane, where family connections first introduced her to hiking. She prefers long walks through forest trails to professional hiking, seeking what she describes as “interaction with nature, forests, fresh air.” Winter finds her on the slopes, where she enjoys skiing holidays.

When she’s not exploring trails, Zuzanna immerses herself in books about history, particularly local histories of Polish and international cities. Music also plays a central role in her life – she plays both guitar and piano, constantly experimenting with new songs. Her musical tastes span an impressive range, from classical compositions to K-pop to rock’n’roll, though she has particular fondness for Polish artists like Czerwone Gitarre and the recently discovered Andrzej Zaucha, whom she describes as “the Polish Frank Sinatra.” The warmth of family traditions also holds special meaning for her, particularly memories of her grandmother spending days hand-making pierogi for their large extended family gatherings at Christmas – a labour of love that brought everyone together around traditional Polish flavours.

The magic of student breakthroughs

The most rewarding moments in Zuzanna’s teaching career come when she witnesses her students using Polish to communicate authentically – both with each other in group settings and in their private lives outside the classroom. When students share stories of successfully navigating conversations with Polish family members or partners, or when they naturally switch into Polish during group discussions, she knows her conversation-focused approach is working.

This natural progression from structured lessons to spontaneous communication represents everything Zuzanna hopes to achieve as a teacher. Rather than creating students who can perfectly recite grammar rules, she’s fostering genuine communicators who view Polish not as a academic challenge but as a living tool for connection and understanding.