I grew up in Poland with parents for whom German was almost second nature. My father worked for a German company and frequently went on business trips there, while my mother spent several years of her life travelling and working in Bavaria before she had my sister and me. I was almost meant to speak German. However, I couldn’t help but fall in love with English instead. I distinctly remember looking forward to English class even in kindergarten, and my enthusiasm only grew from there.

Slowly, I became obsessed with the idea of being able to communicate in a foreign language, and from that point onward, I endeavoured to achieve it. 

English was not everywhere

A fun fact about Polish television is that approximately 95% (or so I estimate) of foreign content is dubbed over by a single voice actor, so I didn’t hear or read English unless I specifically sought it out. Thankfully, seeking it out was not a problem for me. I quickly fell in love with (mostly) American music, films, and culture. I spent my days watching television shows from the 2000s and 2010s, and listening to music on YouTube.

In middle school, I got my hands on my first novel entirely in English, and I remember how exhilarated I felt to have another world of knowledge, ideas, and stories open up to me (which continues to be one of my favourite aspects of learning new languages). To be honest, a significant amount of time passed before I could read it in its entirety, but once I did, I realised it was my calling to help others find that same happiness.

A scientific mind and humanistic studies

Somehow, I found myself in high school, specialising in mathematics, physics, IT, and other scientific fields. However, over the three years spent there, English remained my favourite subject. While most of my friends pursued engineering, programming, and even robotics, I found myself applying to a Bachelor of Arts course. I studied English Philology and witnessed almost half of my cohort resign due to the difficulty of this particular programme. Nevertheless, my love for the subject remained unwavering.

From the love of English to the love of my life

I was so enamoured, in fact, that I wanted to continue exploring the fields of English linguistics, literature, and history, while also applying my skills practically in a foreign country. When I enrolled in the Erasmus+ programme, I went to Austria and took courses I could never have dreamt of before. I also met many wonderful people, one of whom is now my husband. As I fell in love with him, I also fell in love with living abroad, and subsequently with Slovenia as well. I am now happy to call it my home.

My LanguageSitter journey

As soon as I completed my studies, I moved to Slovenia and applied to LanguageSitter. I was immediately drawn to the personalised, flexible, and human approach, not only towards its students but also towards its teachers. This approach enabled me to pursue a second degree in Psychology, along with other passions, while supporting my students in their goals. I hope that you (yes, you reading this!) might be one of them. I look forward to seeing you in English class!

Piše: LanguageSitterka Zofia Stare

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