Panu bogu świeczkę, a diabłu ogórek. Positive education and Polish language instruction in Taiwan (The Museum of World Religions)

Adopting Martin Seligman’s PERMA model in education has been widely discussed in the literature. Still not enough, however, is known about it in the LOTE (Languages Other Than English) setting. This paper provides a detailed account of the deployment of PERMA in Polish language instruction in Taiwan. The lessons were conducted at the university and in the local Museum of World Religions (in New Taipei City). The author intended to see (a) the relationship between positive education and academic achievement, (b) how learners perceived religion in the curriculum, and (c) whether museum-based instruction enhanced learning. Given the soaring interest in PERMA, realistic accounts like this are essential. In this qualitative study, Seligman’s model provided a framework for exploring a potentially risky topic in an unobvious setting, a gallery filled with religious artifacts from all over the world. The data was obtained from a bilingual questionnaire and paired with the students’ actual performance, exam included. The instructor’s observations were described in detail. Unlike in other studies, the project did not produce excellent learning results, despite positive participant feedback and the teacher’s efforts to introduce and consolidate the material. One of the key findings was that a cheerful atmosphere of PERMA-enhanced learning did not necessarily translate into desired academic outcomes. Regarding religion in LOTE classrooms, there is no need to shy away from the topic if it is handled appropriately. The paper is meant to be a part of the global discussion on positive education while providing a realistic insight into the reality of foreign language instruction in this part of Asia.