About us

Our activities, both in the areas of teaching and research, offer two educational paths, Applied Linguistics – which includes Teacher Training, and Translation Studies, which has cultural, literary and linguistic components whilst also being a catch-all subject for other interests. A new field of interest that has emerged in recent time is Scottish Studies, and other fields are also set to emerge, inspired by the wide range of interests held by both students and our research team. BA and MA courses for full-time and extra-mural are offered with exciting supplementary modules.

Our teacher training programme gives students the opportunity to gain a certificate that facilitates teaching at all levels of education. The programme of studies has been organised according to the requirements set out by the Ministry of Education and Science, which includes a wide range of pedagogical and psycholinguistic courses. They prepare students for the teaching profession both in Poland and in other European countries. All the courses offer the latest trends in foreign-language teaching (see the links to the descriptions by Prof. Agnieszka Otwinowska-Kasztelanic, Prof. Zbigniew Możejko, Dr Agata Klimczak-Pawlak, Dr Katarzyna Hryniuk, Dr Agnieszka Kałdonek-Crnjaković and Dr Breno B. Silva). Our team of lecturers are also involved in conducting research within the European framework of foreign-language teaching, co-operating with other centres and institutions in Poland and abroad (e.g. The European Centre of Modern Languages in Graz). Their articles and books, based on their research, observations and teaching, have been published both in Poland and abroad. They have also produced many English-language textbooks which are widely used and referred to.

The second very important field of interest promoted is Translation Studies. We offer a wide range of courses that take in both the theory and practice of translation, from the historical as well as contemporary perspective. Because we perceive Translation Studies as an inter-discipline, we draw on the linguistic, cultural and literary aspects of the translation process, which also informs our practical approaches when dealing with specialist texts and materials. The different courses and MA seminars cover a very wide range of topics within Translation Studies, from those touching upon literary prose, including children’s literature (see the link to the description offered by Prof. Izabela Szymańska), to the relationships between translation and semiotics (see the link to the description offered by Dr Anna Rędzioch-Korkuz), and media translation (see the link to the description offered by Prof. Barry Keane). The offer also takes in specialist translation (see the links to the descriptions offered by Dr Tatiana Kamińska and Dr Wojciech Kasprzak) and courses on the theory of translation, especially those devoted to Relevance Theory (contemporary linguistics) in reference to translation (see the link to the description offered by Prof. Agnieszka Piskorska), or constraints in translation illustrated by vocal translation and general theory of translation (see the link to the description offered by Dr Anna Rędzioch-Korkuz), showing how the knowledge of theory may help in understanding how the translational act functions in the world. A new and also very intriguing and challenging aspect of translation is rendering non-standard; and here we draw on an increasing number of examples of contemporary literature. We also approach this problem in our course offer (see the link to the description offered by Prof. Aniela Korzeniowska).

Thanks to our research and work in the classroom, we have the opportunity to publish our real-word findings and reflections in a wide range of publications both at home and abroad. Our participation in and organisation of prestigious conferences contributes to our different research programmes, which in turn has fed into our work in the classroom. Indeed, for a number of years now we have co-organised a series of international conferences devoted to Relevance Theory and Translation (Interpreting for Relevance: Discourse and Translation). Since 2012 we have also organised a series of interdisciplinary conferences on Scotland and its presence in Europe (Scotland in Europe). We also co-host a yearly Irish Festival with the Irish Embassy of Poland.

Scotland and its various facets of identity has found itself more and more often to be the centre of interest within literary and cultural studies, as well as linguistics. This has become particularly visible following the upheavals associated with Brexit and the push for Scottish independence. Through the courses offered students will have the opportunity to find out more about the country, both past and present, its attractiveness as a nation, its fascinating literature and culture, as well as its intriguing linguistic background (see the links to Prof. Aniela Korzeniowska and Dr Dominika Lewandowska-Rodak).