Inauguration of the bilingual French-speaking programme for secondary school students was one of the strategic goals of the Secondary School No. 20 in Kraków. Our school aims to expand our selection of foreign languages taught to our students, as well as to improve the effectiveness of our courses. We strive for our students to achieve the language comprehension level of B2 – C1, which will allow our graduates to study abroad in French speaking countries, as well as to use their language skills for career and personal development, while continuing their education in Poland. To achieve these ambitious goals we needed well prepared teachers. Teachers in our bilingual French-speaking programme need to be well equipped when it comes to teaching methodologies, their knowledge of France and French culture, and to continue to improve their language skill. They need to stay up to date with the French arts, politics and current affairs. It is also beneficial for us to build strong relationships with teachers in France, as well as with French language teachers from other European countries. By taking part in the Erasmus + funded project our teachers were able to get ever closer to achieving these goals.
In 2019, Secondary School No. 20 in Kraków has opened a bilingual French-speaking programme for secondary school students, as well as a preparatory class for students with no previous knowledge of the French language. Our school has applied for the Erasmus + funding to allow our teaching staff to attend skill development courses in France, in particular French language courses, cultural immersion and teaching skills development courses. Being able to attend these courses at prestigious continuous education institutions in France was an incredible opportunity for our teachers, however, it would not had been possible without the financial support from the Erasmus + programme.