Beginning Czech Language

These courses provide students with basic skills needed to communicate on a daily basis. They include grammar, conversation, listening, and reading comprehension.
Contact hours: 50
Semester Credit Units: 3

Instructor: Blanka Ferklová

Office hours: by appointment

Class time: Intensive Course

Final exam: Written exam

Course Descriptions:
This course is designed for students who:
- have little or no previous knowledge of Czech language.
- are NOT interested in continuing their study of Czech (or other Slavic languages) into the future, and only wish to learn basic skills in communicating during their study program in Prague.
- desire a simplified introduction to the fundamentals of Czech grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.
- practise using language in everyday situations through role-playing, excursions, etc.

This language course provides the linguistic tools necessary both for students to make themselves understood as well as to enable them to gain a better understanding of the way of life in the Czech Republic. Successful communication is the main goal.
Troughout the course, lessons will be sequenced from presentation activities to guided practice activities to communicative activities. Because language practise should be meaningful, it will be communicative and based on situations with the emphasis on 'real" language. Listening activities also be incorporated into the lessons to improve students´ aural abilities. The material covered during the semester will be 'spiraled" and reviewed so as to build upon and reinforce the students´ knowledge base.
The curriculum is designed by ÚJOP faculty.
Course Learning Objectives:
This course is designed to:
- develop students´ practical knowledge of Czech language.
- allow students to function in 'everyday situations" (i.e. restaurants, shops, train stations, etc.) so as to allow greater integration with Czech culture and society.
- promote greater confidence in speaking Czech language.
- provide the most basic foundation necessary for gaining conversational ability, limiting the amount of formal grammar study to the minimum, and focusing instead on situations, pronunciation, and understanding basic phrases.
Course Requirements:
Quizes 25 %
Final test of intensive course (written)-25 %
Portfolio 10%
Homework 20 %
Active participation in class and activities-20 %

Students will have regular graded quizzes according the schedule.
Homework (both oral and written excercises, dialogues, etc.) assigned for each class meeting.
Attendance: Excessive unexcused absences (i.e. more than 3) will be reflected by a half of a final grade down progressively.

Required texts:
Adamovičová, A., Ivanovová, D.: Basic Czech 1, Praha: Karolinum, 2007
Reccommended:
Re?ková Ivana, Pintarová Magdaléna. Communicative Czech (Elementary Czech).
Praha: ÚJOP UK, 1995 (ISBN 80-901 947-2-9) (selected chapters)
Re?ková Ivana, Pintarová Magdaléna. Communicative Czech (Elementary Czech) Workbook. Praha: Karolinum 1999 (ISBN 382-145-99)(selected chapters)

Supplementary reading: handouts

*Course content subject to change