About Me

My name is Joanna Michalak-Gray.  I started my teaching career in 1980 as a tutor of English as a Foreign Language in Poland. Encouraged by my mentor, I pursued the study of English language and literature at universities in Lublin and Poznań whilst gaining practical experience in teaching students at all levels across all age groups at the same time.

In 1990, I moved to Britain and started working as a Polish tutor, translator and interpreter. The lack of appropriate textbooks forced me to write my own materials and develop a new approach to teaching Polish. My experience and interest in innovative teaching methods combined with a passion for all aspects of Polish culture allowed me to develop a unique style.

In 1994, I was invited to co-author the Teach Yourself Polish Complete Course, which has subsequently been translated into French and German. Later I wrote both Teach Yourself Speak Polish with Confidence and Teach Yourself Get Started in Polish. I have also worked as a language consultant on the Teach Yourself One-day Polish Course. Since 1993 I have been an assessor of Polish GCSE examinations.