“Since 2000, the English Teaching program has been reshaping Poland’s educational landscape. Not only does it improve the quality of English instruction in small towns, but it also serves as a catalyst for the social activation of local communities,” emphasizes Agnieszka Mazur, Program Director at PAFF.

The ET Market conference began with a ceremonial opening and a lecture by Prof. Jacek Pyżalski on the latest Polish EU Kids Online research regarding young people’s use of technology. On the first day of the conference, participants also had the opportunity to attend sessions on students’ path to fluency in English and on boosting motivation, led respectively by the conference partners: Pearson Central Europe and the British Council.

The program for the second day of the conference included workshops for teaching staff focused on topics such as teaching English as a foreign language through literature, fostering student engagement and agency, handling challenging classroom situations, conflict prevention in the role of a homeroom teacher, and the use of LEGO bricks in teaching the English core curriculum. Subsequent sessions focused on critical thinking, factchecking, and identifying misinformation in English language classes, as well as the well-being of teachers and supporting the youngest students in learning a foreign language.

Collaboration was a key element of the program. Participants took part in a team-building session titled Smart Integration: Building Beehives and worked in workshop groups on topics such as empathy, diversity, effective communication, and supporting children with autism in English classes. At the same time, workshops were held as part of the InstaLing program, an online educational platform designed for daily, several-minute sessions of learning foreign language vocabulary and spelling.

That day also featured a fair for publishers and non-governmental organizations, offering participants the chance to explore the latest teaching aids, textbooks, and trends in education, as well as ways to secure funding for language projects and opportunities to get involved in initiatives led by other organizations.

The U.S. Embassy in Poland also presented its activities, along with the Educational Enterprise Foundation (Projector Program), the Foundation for the Development of the Education System, and Polish-American Freedom Foundation, the sponsor of English Teaching Program.

The final day of the meeting was devoted to further reflection on the modern school and the role of English teachers in the education of children and youth. Participants discussed relationships, immersion, and bilingualism, as well as mental health and both the need of and ways to achieve teacher well-being.

The conference concluded with speeches by Piotr Szczepański, President of the Foundation for Rural Development, and Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, a diplomat and member of the Euro-Atlantic Association Council, on the role of English teachers in the modern world, as well as a lecture by Professor Dariusz Jemielniak of the Kozminski University, a member of the Advisory Board of English Teaching program, on artificial intelligence and technology in education.

“This year’s English Teaching Market showed that modern English language teaching is much more than just working from a textbook. It involves attentiveness to students, mental resilience, critical thinking, the mindful use of technology, openness to diversity, and concern for the well-being of both students and teachers,” — says Justyna Kowalczyk, director of the English Teaching program at the Nida Development Foundation in Nidzica.

Nearly 330 people participated in the 22nd edition of the English Teaching Market, the vast majority of whom were teachers from towns with populations of up to 20,000.

The English Teaching Market conference is a recurring event organized by the Nidzica-based

“Since 2000, the English Teaching program has been reshaping Poland’s educational landscape. Not only does it improve the quality of English instruction in small towns, but it also serves as a catalyst for the social activation of local communities,” emphasizes Agnieszka Mazur, Program Director at PAFF.

The ET Market conference began with a ceremonial opening and a lecture by Prof. Jacek Pyżalski on the latest Polish EU Kids Online research regarding young people’s use of technology. On the first day of the conference, participants also had the opportunity to attend sessions on students’ path to fluency in English and on boosting motivation, led respectively by the conference partners: Pearson Central Europe and the British Council.

The program for the second day of the conference included workshops for teaching staff focused on topics such as teaching English as a foreign language through literature, fostering student engagement and agency, handling challenging classroom situations, conflict prevention in the role of a homeroom teacher, and the use of LEGO bricks in teaching the English core curriculum. Subsequent sessions focused on critical thinking, factchecking, and identifying misinformation in English language classes, as well as the well-being of teachers and supporting the youngest students in learning a foreign language.

Collaboration was a key element of the program. Participants took part in a team-building session titled Smart Integration: Building Beehives and worked in workshop groups on topics such as empathy, diversity, effective communication, and supporting children with autism in English classes. At the same time, workshops were held as part of the InstaLing program, an online educational platform designed for daily, several-minute sessions of learning foreign language vocabulary and spelling.

That day also featured a fair for publishers and non-governmental organizations, offering participants the chance to explore the latest teaching aids, textbooks, and trends in education, as well as ways to secure funding for language projects and opportunities to get involved in initiatives led by other organizations.

The U.S. Embassy in Poland also presented its activities, along with the Educational Enterprise Foundation (Projector Program), the Foundation for the Development of the Education System, and Polish-American Freedom Foundation, the sponsor of English Teaching Program.

The final day of the meeting was devoted to further reflection on the modern school and the role of English teachers in the education of children and youth. Participants discussed relationships, immersion, and bilingualism, as well as mental health and both the need of and ways to achieve teacher well-being.

The conference concluded with speeches by Piotr Szczepański, President of the Foundation for Rural Development, and Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, a diplomat and member of the Euro-Atlantic Association Council, on the role of English teachers in the modern world, as well as a lecture by Professor Dariusz Jemielniak of the Kozminski University, a member of the Advisory Board of English Teaching program, on artificial intelligence and technology in education.

“This year’s English Teaching Market showed that modern English language teaching is much more than just working from a textbook. It involves attentiveness to students, mental resilience, critical thinking, the mindful use of technology, openness to diversity, and concern for the well-being of both students and teachers,” — says Justyna Kowalczyk, director of the English Teaching program at the Nida Development Foundation in Nidzica.

Nearly 330 people participated in the 22nd edition of the English Teaching Market, the vast majority of whom were teachers from towns with populations of up to 20,000.

***

The English Teaching Market conference is a recurring event organized by the Nidzica-based NIDA Development Foundation as part of the English Teaching program of Polish-American Freedom Foundation.

as part of the English Teaching program of Polish-American Freedom Foundation.