Storytelling i Digital Storytelling w Nauczaniu Języka Polskiego Jako Odziedziczonego w Wybranych Szkołach Polskich w Wielkiej Brytanii

Abstract

The doctoral dissertation presents an in-depth analysis of the impact of storytelling and digital storytelling methods on the effectiveness of teaching Polish as a heritage language in the Polish community in the United Kingdom. The work focuses on two main objectives: examining the role of storytelling and digital storytelling in motivating students to learn Polish and assessing their impact on the development of students; linguistic and social competencies. The dissertation begins by defining the concept of a heritage language and reviewing the literature on foreign and heritage language teaching, with particular emphasis on the role of motivation in the learning process. In the context of teaching Polish among children and adolescents of Polish descent in the United Kingdom, student motivation has been recognized as a key element influencing their engagement and success in learning. Reference is made to motivational theories such as Gardner and Lambert’s integrative motivation theory, which highlights the importance of motivation to integrate with the language group in achieving language proficiency. The first theoretical part of the dissertation discusses the specifics of teaching Polish as a heritage language, pointing out the challenges faced by children of Polish descent raised in the United Kingdom. It is shown that these children often treat Polish as a foreign language due to limited contact with the language in social and educational contexts. The second theoretical part focuses on the methodology of teaching Polish as a heritage language, presenting various approaches and techniques used in language education, with particular attention to storytelling and digital storytelling.