Polish Association of Modern Languages

The Polish Association of Modern Languages (Polish: Polskie Towarzystwo Neofilologiczne, PTN) is a Polish scholarly and professional association that brings together researchers, translators, teachers and others interested in the teaching and learning of foreign languages — including Polish as a foreign language — at all levels and for all age groups. Its statutory activities include popularising and developing knowledge about foreign-language learning and the cultures of modern countries, improving teaching methods, and disseminating research results in this field. The association may cooperate with government institutions responsible for national education policy by taking positions, submitting proposals and preparing expert opinions. It organises annual scientific and didactic conferences at which researchers share the results of their work on foreign-language teaching and acquisition. The association was founded on 2–4 February 1929 in Warsaw during a congress of teachers of modern languages, held on the initiative of Dr Jan Piątek, a member of the modern-languages section of the Association of Secondary and Higher School Teachers. Five hundred people representing modern-language teachers from all types of schools took part. In its first decade the association held three congresses and operated in five districts (Warsaw, Poznań, Kraków, Lwów, Vilnius) and six circles (Łódź, Lublin, Silesia, Kalisz, Tarnopol, Lida). Its representatives also took part in international congresses, including in Paris in 1931 and 1937. After the Second World War no association of foreign-language teachers operated in Poland until 1969, when PTN was reactivated through the efforts of Ludwik Zabrocki, professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Since then the association's seat has been in Poznań. PTN is a founding member of the Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes (FIPLV), a federation of organisations of teachers of modern languages. Its members are ordinary, honorary and supporting (collective) members. Its authorities are the General Assembly of Members, the Main Board, the Audit Commission and the Arbitration Court; the General Assembly meets every three years. The Main Board is based at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. As of 2025 the following local circles were active: Lublin, Lower Silesia and Gdańsk. The association publishes the peer-reviewed journal Neofilolog, issued in print from 1930 to 1939, reactivated in 1989 and available in open-access electronic form since 2009 under a CC BY-ND 4.0 licence. It publishes articles in Polish, English, German, French and Spanish; from 2025 the electronic version is the primary version of the journal (eISSN 2545-3971). In 2025 Bernadeta Wojciechowska became editor-in-chief. The association also awards the Prof. Ludwik Zabrocki Medal to persons particularly meritorious for its activities.

The Polish Association of Modern Languages (Polskie Towarzystwo Neofilologiczne, PTN) was founded on 2–4 February 1929 in Warsaw during a congress of teachers of modern languages. The congress was organised on the initiative of Dr Jan Piątek, a member of the modern-languages section of the Association of Secondary and Higher School Teachers. Five hundred people representing modern-language teachers from all types of schools took part. The association was established as a result of the exchange of experience and the need to create a discussion forum on issues concerning the teaching and learning of foreign languages. During its first ten years of activity three congresses were held, at which the importance of foreign-language teaching methodology and ways of improving it were discussed. Before the Second World War PTN operated in five districts (Warsaw, Poznań, Kraków, Lwów, Vilnius) and six circles (Łódź, Lublin, Silesia, Kalisz, Tarnopol, Lida). Representatives of the association were also active internationally, participating in congresses, including in Paris in 1931 and 1937. After the Second World War, until 1969, no association of foreign-language teachers operated in Poland. PTN was reactivated through the efforts of Ludwik Zabrocki, professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Since then the seat of the association has been in Poznań. The association is a founding member of the Fédération Internationale des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes (FIPLV), a federation of organisations of teachers of modern languages. The association consists of ordinary, honorary and supporting members (i.e. collective members). Its authorities are the General Assembly of Members, the Main Board, the Audit Commission and the Arbitration Court. The General Assembly of Members is held every three years. The seat of the Main Board is at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In 2025 the following local circles were active: Lublin, Lower Silesia and Gdańsk. Chairs of the Main Board have included Zygmunt Łempicki (1929–1932), Ludwik Zabrocki (1969–1973), Jacek Fisiak (1973–1979), Waldemar Pfeiffer (1979–1986), Henryk Zbierski (1986–1989), Józef Darski (1989–1992), Hanna Komorowska (1992–1995), Teresa Siek-Piskozub (1995–2001), Weronika Wilczyńska (2001–2007), Halina Widła (2007–2013), Mirosław Pawlak (2013–2016), Katarzyna Karpińska-Szaj (2016–2019), Anna Jaroszewska (2019–2025) and Mariola Jaworska (2025–2028). Honorary members of PTN have included Rudolf Zellweger (Switzerland), Waldemar Pfeiffer (honorary president of PTN), Stanisław Gniadek, Jacek Fisiak (honorary president of PTN), Mieczysław Brahmer, Zygmunt Czerny, Stanisław Helsztyński, Tadeusz Grzebieniowski, Michał Cieśla and Zdzisław Żygulski. The association publishes the peer-reviewed journal Neofilolog. It was published in print from 1930 to 1939 and was reactivated in 1989. Since 2009 it has also been published in electronic form in open access under a CC BY-ND 4.0 licence. Articles are published in Polish, English, German, French and Spanish. From 2025 the electronic version is the primary version of the journal (eISSN 2545-3971). In 2025 Bernadeta Wojciechowska became editor-in-chief. The association awards the Prof. Ludwik Zabrocki Medal to persons particularly meritorious for its activities. The medal is round and made of bronze. The obverse shows a likeness of Professor Ludwik Zabrocki surrounded by the inscription: PROF. LUDWIK ZABROCKI 24·XI·1907 – 8·X·1977. The reverse features the logo of the Polish Association of Modern Languages, around which appears the inscription: Polskie Towarzystwo Neofilologiczne. Recipients have included Jolanta Sujecka-Zając, Krystyna Droździał-Szelest and Ewa Andrzejewska (2025); Katarzyna Karpińska-Szaj, Anna Michońska-Stadnik and Jolanta Knieja (2022); Mirosław Pawlak (2019); Halina Widła (2016); Kazimiera Myczko (2013); Weronika Wilczyńska and Halina Maleńczyk-Boguszewska (2010); Elżbieta Zawadzka-Bartnik (2007); Marian Szczodrowski and Katarzyna Trychoń-Cieślak (2005); Władysław Woźniewicz (2004); Teresa Siek-Piskozub and Paweł Płusa (2001); Jan Zaniewski (1996); Franciszek Grucza, Ludwik Lange, Hubert Orłowski and Aleksander Szulc (1994); Harald Schubert (1990); Hanna Komorowska, Zofia Magnuszewska, Elwira Banasik, Władysława Roszczynowa and Marceli Szafrański (1989); and Antoni Prejbisz, Stefan Kubica, Stanisław Gontarczyk, Jacek Fisiak, Stanisław Gniadek, Waldemar Pfeiffer, Jerzy Brzeziński, Michał Cieśla and Witold Ostro… (1986).

• 2025

  Electronic version becomes the primary version of Neofilolog (eISSN 2545-3971); Bernadeta Wojciechowska becomes editor-in-chief; Mariola Jaworska becomes Chair of the Main Board.

• 2009

  Neofilolog begins open-access electronic publication under CC BY-ND 4.0.

• 1989

  Neofilolog reactivated.

• 1969

  PTN reactivated through the efforts of Ludwik Zabrocki; seat moves to Poznań.

• 1939

  Print publication of Neofilolog ceases.

• 1931

  Association representatives participate in an international congress in Paris.

• 1930

  The journal Neofilolog begins publication in print.

• 1929

  Founded on 2–4 February in Warsaw during a congress of teachers of modern languages, on the initiative of Dr Jan Piątek.

A Polish scholarly and professional association for modern foreign-language teaching and research, affiliated with FIPLV and based at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

• Neofilolog

  Peer-reviewed journal published by the association; print 1930–1939, reactivated 1989, open-access electronic since 2009; articles in Polish, English, German, French and Spanish; eISSN 2545-3971.

• Prof. Ludwik Zabrocki Medal

  Round bronze medal awarded to persons particularly meritorious for the association's activities.

1. 1Official websitepoltowneo.org
2. 2Wikidata: Polish Association of Modern Languageswikidata.org
3. 3Polskie Towarzystwo Neofilologiczne – Wikipedia (Polish)pl.wikipedia.org