Silesian Monsters. Folk Demonology in Teaching Polish as a Foreign Language

cover
Published
6 November 2025

Details about this monograph

ISBN-13 (15)
978-83-226-4596-3

Synopsis

Silesian Monsters. Folk Demonology in Teaching Polish as a Foreign Language uses the glottodactic potential of Silesian tales of supernatural beings. The monograph presents the culture of the Upper Silesia from the perspective of folk demonology, as well as the possibilities of its use in teaching Polish as a foreign language. The publication therefore combines knowledge about Silesian demons with its practical application. Stories about extraordinary characters became an inspiration to tell the contemporary fates of Silesian demons and half-demons. In addition to discussing each of the six demons (Utopek, Skarbek, Bebok, Chabernica and Heksa), the author has written texts about supernatural characters, which served as a basis for developing language exercises. As a result, each chapter contains a story related to a given character and suggestions of tasks to be completed both before and after reading the text (comprehension, vocabulary and grammar exercises, writing and speaking). The last, additional chapter introduces the phenomenon of the character of Bebok in the urban space of Katowice – thanks to the exercises included in this part of the book, foreigners can understand the pop-cultural presence of the demon in the cultural landscape of the Upper Silesia. Silesian Monsters thus fulfill the assumptions of linguistic and cultural competence, according to which learning Polish entails not only the knowledge of the language system, but also of the cultural realities.

Author Biography

Tomasz Gęsina, University of Silesia in Katowice

PhD in Literary Studies, Assistant Professor at the School of Polish Language and Culture at the University of Silesia in Katowice. Research interests: contemporary Polish literature, literature focused on the Upper Silesia, space in literary studies (especially geopoetics), teaching Polish language and literature to foreigners. Member of the Research Team on Teaching Polish Culture as a Foreign Language operating at the “Polonicum” Center of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners at the University of Warsaw. Author of books and articles published in journals and collected volumes in the field of literary studies and glottodidactics of Polish studies, including Space – Literature – Experience. From the Inspiration of Geopoetics (co-edited with Zbigniew Kadłubek, Katowice 2016) and Cuisine in Language and Culture in the Past and Today (co-edited with Wioletta Wilczek, Katowice 2018). [27.10.2025]

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