I work at Varia because I like people and here you can meet people from the whole world. I like enthusiasts, if it was not for them, who else would learn Polish? :) In general, I like otherness, even the absurd – at least it´s not boring, and you can look for similarities. My motto is “Having Fun With Polish”, you can have fun teaching both conversations and Polish grammar. This way, I invite you to my lessons.
Varia team
We are a close-knit team of interesting people.
Among us, there are the fans of cats and passionate fish keepers, those with a sweet tooth and those obsessed with a healty lifestyle, calm readers and intrepid adventurers, volleyball and ballet fans, talented choir singers and creative gardeners... And even though we are so differnt, we all like each other as well as our work, regardless if we are just working on the curriculum, preparing the workshops, making sandwiches for our parties or simply sharpening crayons.
Aneta Kawa
Katarzyna Hoffmann
Maria Krawczyk
Office manager
I am a businesswoman and a diplomat by profession, by passion - a ballroom and ballet dancer.
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I am a businesswoman and a diplomat by profession, by passion - a ballroom and ballet dancer. The emotions that accompany me during every performance or tournament cannot be compared to anything else. Apart from dancing, I love books, especially historical, biographical and adventure. And flowers – all of them, without exception. In my free time I like going for long walks, travelling, visiting theatres, museums and art galleries, as well as painting on porcelain. Ideally, when I'm accompanied by my favourite classical or film music.
Justyna Słąb
Agnieszka Zięba
Curriculum director
I’ve been promoting the Polish language...read more
Curriculum director
I’ve been promoting the Polish language and culture for a couple of years now, not only here, in Poland, but also abroad: I’ve spent the last four years as a Polish teacher in Bulgaria. I’m constantly looking for inspiration for my classes, even while on vacation. I travel whenever I get the chance to, usually to Istanbul and the Balkans, but my biggest wish is to visit Asia. My passions include cinema, folklore, forgotten stories and legends (especially the Cracow ones), fashion, museums and flea markets. My all-time favourite place in Cracow is the Planty Park.
Klaudia Mucha - Iwaniczko
Children's curriculum director
I love to travel,... read more
Children's curriculum director
I love to travel, so I teach Polish as a foreign language. My students tell me most about the culture, tastes and colours of the world. Learning a language is above all getting to know the other person, and this is what I like most in my job. I teach both children and adults. Academically I study the inherited language by researching the Polish youth studying in the British Isles. Privately I read contemporary literature, watch TV series and films and develop culinary skills.
Magda Król
I work at Varia because I like people... Read more
Magda Mielimonka
What do my students say about me? “A terrorist”. :) ...Read more
I have a soft spot for Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, I love the smell of freshly mowed grass, people with a good sense of humour, and red wine. What do my students say about me? “A terrorist”. :) But this is what must happen when you teach Polish grammar…And what do I say about my students? A good material for hostages. ;) They are disciplined and obedient. The classes with them are always very interesting, it’s also great fun. All the fearless are invited to my lessons!
Kamila Dąbrowska
My hobbies, apart from languages, are also biking, swimming, hiking, and lately – skiing.
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Being a teacher and a guide is a long tradition in my family. In my case, teaching is not only a continuation of this tradition, but most of all – a great passion.
Polish language lessons give me an opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people from different parts of the world. I’ve been working as a Polish language teacher for almost 10 years now. During this time I had the possibility to teach students of various ages and professions. When it comes to the methodology, I’m a fan of a direct method. That’s why I do my best to create the environment of natural language acquisition. Cutting a long story short: it’s all about speaking, speaking and speaking. :) In my private life, I’m a mother of two adorable girls. I love to spend my free time with them, especially in an active way. My hobbies, apart from languages, are also biking, swimming, hiking, and lately – skiing.
Joanna Michalczyk
"Someone once wrote, 'the boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world'
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Someone wrote once: ‘the boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world’. I am a teacher of a Polish language for a several years now. And as such, I believe to be helping people from all over the world to stretch those boundaries.
I enjoy teaching grammar as its base is logic of a language. Besides, I'm a translator, I like photography, cats, knitted toys and reading until late at night. I dream that one day I will learn Finnish, Japanese and Icelandic.
Ania Stelmach
It is said that as a teacher you can concentrate on material or on a student
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It is said that as a teacher you can concentrate on material or on a student. For me, the latter is the most important. However, also the most difficult, as it forces you to be always attentive and to seek for inspiration. I do my best to organise classes in a way that there is a lot going on in a friendly and creative atmosphere; there is no chance that the routine could sneak in! I want the lessons to be a meetings that are awaited! Despite many years of work, I still enjoy teaching, because I know that giving a lot means getting a lot.
Monika Barańska
I am a virtual teacher. :) At VARIA I teach on-line classes, and... Read more
I am a virtual teacher. :) At VARIA I teach on-line classes, and every day I “move” to a different corner of the world. In this way I have already met students from … 30 different countries: from United States, Iran to Japan and Australia.
My lessons? A mix of various cultural information and interesting facts about the Polish language, phonetic exercises, grammar and above all - communication. Always in a relaxed, stress-free atmosphere!
In my spare time I read, travel, walk through the oldest volcanoes in Europe, work on improving the makeup techniques and I let myself to a slight addiction to watching TV series.
Natalia Wójcik
"The true journey of the discoverer is not about finding new landscape... Read more
My favourite writer, Marcel Proust, used to say: "The true journey of the discoverer is not about finding new landscapes, but about finding new eyes." These words has become my motto in a private and a professional life.
I love travelling and during each trip I really try to "see" other cultures. My work and passion is to teach those who set out on a trip to Poland and settle down there for a while - I help them to find "new eyes" in Polish reality. I cannot get bored, I like riding a bike, practicing yoga, buying cool clothes and talking to people!
On my lessons you can have fun and a lot of homework :), because the success gained by hard work brings real joy!
Paulina Stawarz
I’m trying to teach in such a way so that my students... Read more
I’m trying to teach in such a way so that my students can have a feeling of „fullfilment” and success 😊. I take great joy from joint meetings and inspiring conversations with my (fantastic! 😊) students.
In addition to teaching, I also enjoy having contact with nature, admiring the wonders of nature on all continents, reading interesting books and winter sports (especially skiing).
Małgorzata Wilkosz
I’ve already tried many things in life... Read more
I’ve already tried many things in life, but for several years teaching Polish as a foreign language has become my great passion and main job. I was a freelancer once, having a start-up specialised in online teaching. I quitted it for Moscow, where I’ve been actively promoting Polish culture and language at the State Pedagogical University, in the Polish Institute and as an examiner of the Polish Language Certificate.
Being a polyglot, I can appreciate my students’ efforts and having in mind my own experience, I help to find them a right way. I share my methods to memorise things quickly and to find analogies between the languages, which could help to understand some of their aspects. In my opinion, while teaching one mustn’t forget what is like learning a language: what we would feel, think, have difficulties with, when we used to study a foreign language because this helps to understand them.
Anna Winczura
I teach Polish as a foreign Language since 2005.
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I teach Polish as a foreign Language since 2005. I have gained experience in working as a lector both in Poland and abroad - at universities in the Czech Republic, in France and in Germany. Currently I’m teaching online lessons.
My passion are foreign languages. Because of the fact that I am still learning a new language, I can perfectly empathise with the role of a student and understand his needs. I try to make my lessons diversed, dynamic, with information about Poland – its geography, culture and society.
Private passions, including passion for cooking, cinema, music and board games, I transfer to my lessons in a natural way.
Aleksandra Barczyk
I grew up in the family of teachers and I was always surrounded by foreign languages... Read more
I grew up in the family of teachers and I was always surrounded by foreign languages, as well as music. Over time, I decided to study philology and for several years now I’ve been following my passions as a teacher of Polish and Russian. My area of expertise is pronunciation and intonation. At work, I share my passions and skills, I like helping students to break down linguistic barriers and I heard that my good humour is contagious 😊. Privately I love theatre and I'm passionate about the borderland of Podkarpacie. I sometimes sing and in my free time I like to ice-skate.
Małgorzata Vailleau-Wołczyk
Learning foreign languages has always been my great passion!
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Learning foreign languages has always been my great passion! Now I find this passion in teaching Polish language and I want to enthuse my students with it. The opportunity to meet people from all corners of the world is one of the biggest advantages of my work.
Privately, I love cats, traveling and good movies. I spend my free time on culinary experiments and catching up on cinematic backlogs.
Karolina Bogacz
When I was a child, I loved playing school...
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When I was a child, I loved playing school. After several years, the teddy bears that I taught as a girl were replaced by people from all over the world! What fascinates me in being a teacher is the contact with other people, looking at how unique each of my student is. I am excited about electing methods and materials for students so that they can achieve their goals without any problems. I especially like teaching grammar - showing students in intresting ways, that there is no need to be afraid of it, and that knowing grammar can make everyday communication much easier. I also love talking to students about the similarities and differences between their cultures and Polish culture. I usually spend my free time at the pool or in the mountains as well as on long talks over coffee.
Dorota Rybińska
I am a city guide in Kraków, and moreover - its great lover!
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I am a city guide in Kraków, and moreover - its great lover! In this job, apart from the beautiful monuments, I appreciate people above all. I really enjoy meeting people from different countries, learning about their culture, discovering their mentality... I care about the same things when I teach Polish. I believe that languages are a window to the world and I want to show my foreign students a little bit of "Polish world". I also travel and my great dream is to visit South America.
In my spare time, I ride a bike, go hiking in the mountains, meet friends or play with my dog 😊.
Agata Miks-Lorenzoni
My name is Agata Miks-Lorenzoni and I have a license for teaching 😊.
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My name is Agata Miks-Lorenzoni and I have a license for teaching 😊. It is not only my job, but above all, my passion. I have gained my experience in Poland and Italy, in cooperation with Università di Pisa and Università di Firenze. I believe that we learn throughout our lives and that is beautiful!
A recipe for successful lessons? A large dose of communication and a pleasant atmosphere, plus a large pinch of grammar and vocabulary. I like to use authentic materials and various cultural texts.
In my spare time I cook, read and travel, especially in Tuscany. My passion is sociolinguistics and learning foreign languages, which is why I appreciate every, even the smallest, attempt at communication and support my students.
Justyna Szybińska
Always on a bicycle, fascinated by the language and people!
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Always on a bicycle, fascinated by the language and people!
Language captivates me from every perspective – I love seeing how it influences our perception of reality, how it shapes ourselves, how it changes throughout history, how it co-creates our culture. For this reason, for me, learning a language means discovering a new world, meeting new people, developing my personality and... having fun!
A bicycle trip combined with discovering the local area, a bonfire and long conversations with students about the Polish language, about ourselves, about our cultures – that's what I love about my job.
Katarzyna Kałwak
Uwielbiam uczyć się języków obcych, ale najbardziej lubię uczyć języka polskiego obcokrajowców. :) czytaj więcej
Uwielbiam uczyć się języków obcych, ale najbardziej lubię uczyć języka polskiego obcokrajowców. :) Jestem absolwentką filologii słowiańskiej i dlatego szczególną miłością darzę właśnie języki słowiańskie. Wciąż chciałabym się uczyć nowych języków i szlifować znajomość już mi znanych. Jestem zwolenniczką nauki i rozwoju przez całe życie. :)
W wolnym czasie najchętniej czytam książki, spotykam się z rodziną i przyjaciółmi, chodzę na spacery, jeżdżę na wycieczki poza miasto. Uwielbiam zarówno góry, jak i morze. Bardzo lubię też śledzić zmagania sportowe w telewizji np. skoki narciarskie, siatkówkę i piłkę nożną.
Magdalena Kotarska
I log on to Varia's virtual classroom from the Baltic Sea... Read more
I log on to Varia's virtual classroom from the Baltic Sea, specifically from the beautiful seaside town of Sopot. I graduated from Polish Philology at the University of Gdansk and I have been teaching Polish language to students from all over the world for a few years now. Polish language is my great passion, which I really like to share with others 😊. Meetings with foreigners are always a great experience for me, a chance to learn about other cultures, customs and different points of view.
During my lessons I try to do my best, and above all I make sure that each class is engaging, action-packed, varied with virtual (and original 😊!) games and activities. That way, there's never a dull moment in my lessons 😊!
Free time? Foreign languages, travels and a good book.
Iga Strzałka
Foreign languages are my specialty... read more
Foreign languages are my specialty. Although I am fluent in Russian and English, Polish language has always been my biggest passion. After graduating from Russian Philology and specializing in teaching Polish as a foreign language, I took up Polish language professionally. I take great pleasure in passing my knowledge to all students, including the youngest ones. There are two rules in my lessons: "we do not say sorry" – we have the right not to know something and to make mistakes, we are here to learn - and "chill and relax" - Polish lessons for my students should be pure pleasure! :) In my free time I love to travel. My dream is to hitchhike across the former Soviet Union and travel by Trans-Siberian railroad to China. I have a million ideas per minute, so don't be surprised when I answer the question about my dream trip completely differently! When I can't travel, I do it anyway - cooking dishes from the most remote corners of the world.
