The Role of Quotations in Studying Modern Polish History and Culture. A Description of an Elective Course for Foreign Students as Part of a Polish Studies Programme

Abstract

Članek predstavlja vlogo zbirke citatov, gesel, sloganov, izbranih iz široko razumljene kulture za ponazoritev zgodovinskega, političnega in moralnega konteksta. Opis se nanaša na polonistični izbirni predmet Poljski jezik in sodobna kultura. Jezikovno gradivo je bilo uporabljeno za ilustracijo prelomnih trenutkov v novejši zgodovini Poljske v letih 1944–1989. Namen predmeta je posredovanje kulturnega in jezikovnega znanja slušateljem z interdisciplinarno uporabo informacij iz zgodovine, kulturne zgodovine (kina, popularne glasbe, mode), književnosti ter stilistike in frazeologije. Metodologija formalne kategorizacije predstavljenih izrazov in fraz temelji na raziskavah Grażyne Zarzycke o funkcijah krilatic v poučevanju poljščine kot tujega jezika.The article discusses selected quotations, catchphrases, and slogans belonging to a broadly defined culture and their role in presenting the wider historical, political, and social context. The description concerns an elective course that is part of a Polish programme, titled “Język Polski a kultura współczesna” (The Polish language and modern culture). The linguistic material was used to illustrate watershed moments in the history of Poland between 1944 and 1989. The goal of the course is to teach the participants about culture and language in a more accessible way through an interdisciplinary approach which combines issues related to general history, the history of culture (motion pictures, popular music, fashion), literature, and stylistics and phraseology. The taxonomy of the expressions discussed is based on Grażyna Zarzycka’s studies on the function of winged words in teaching Polish