Polish is spoken by almost 40 million people in Poland as well as by millions throughout a global diaspora of Poles in countries as diverse as Brazil, Central Asia, Australia, Germany, Russia, and the United States. The earliest organized Polish settlement in the US was in Panna Maria, Texas (1854), which actively preserves its heritage. A Slavic language, Polish is related to, for example, Russian, Czech, and Serbo-Croatian.

Poles have always been proud of the contributions to world culture and science of the medieval astronomer Mikolaj Kopernik ('Copernicus'), the two-time Nobel prize winning chemist/physicist Maria Sklodowska ('Marie Curie', who discovered radiation) and the composer Fryderyk Chopin. The twentieth century has added two Nobel prizes in literature in 16 years and the peaceful social revolution initiated by the Solidarity movement which led to the collapse of communism. From that movement emerged two figures who will surely enter the historical record: Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) and Lech Walesa (electrician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate).

In addition to facilitating cultural, sociological, and political studies of this fascinating and complex nation, at once traditional and modern, a knowledge of Polish would expedite a career in the foreign service or business relations with this staunch American ally and member of the European Union at its eastern border.

UT Austin offers two years of Polish language instruction and various courses in translation on Polish literature and culture. A student at UT can minor in Slavic languages by taking upper-division courses on Poland in translation in combination with other Slavic or Russian/East European courses.