Held annually, #KtoTyJesteś aims to encourage foreign-based Poles to learn the native tongue and appreciate the various benefits of speaking more than one language.
This year, the initiative is addressed to the Polish diaspora in Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia, Russia and the Czech Republic, the foundation said.
In the new promotional video, launched on Wednesday, the foundation’s CEO Mikołaj Falkowski notes that “bilingual persons have greater educational and professional possibilities,” such as being able to choose from twice as many universities and work in either of the two countries.
Moreover, bilingualism opens doors to prestigious professions, from book translator to embassy staffer and foreign correspondent, making it “one of the greatest assets on the labour market,” Falkowski said.
The foundation noted in an accompanying statement that knowing two languages enhances someone's attractiveness and brings a host of cognitive advantages, from greater creativity to better memory and concentration, as well as being a more effective learner.
This latest promotional video for the #KtoTyJesteś campaign is available on the foundation’s YouTube channel, the campaign’s Facebook and the ktotyjestes.pl website.
The two-month campaign, which also includes a grant competition for schools, a contest for journalists and webinars with experts, runs until the end of November.
Established in 1992 and affiliated with Poland’s foreign ministry, the Foundation for Aid to Poles in the East seeks to help foreign-based Poles cultivate their roots, by spreading the knowledge of the native language.
(pm/gs)