What prompted me to think about this issue is that it is believed that the Czech language is very easy for students from the countries of the former CIS to learn. In this article I will try to talk about the arguments both for and against. By the way, I have been studying languages for a long time - I studied at a school with in-depth study of English, I even won a couple of Olympiads, I took French and German courses for a couple of years (and I still remember a little of them), I taught at the institute Spanish- in general, you can trust me :)
First, I would like to talk about a couple of myths, where they come from and confirm/refute them.
Myth one. The Czech language is very easy, like Russian, only in Latin letters.
The Czech Republic is a fairly attractive country for tourists. Of course, the main flow of tourists goes to Prague. She is especially popular center. Entrepreneurs are not fools at all, so their services provide on different languages . Russian, English - including. An unprepared person will draw his first conclusions here after hearing Russian speech and seeing many signs. In fact, this is, nevertheless, a purely tourist place, and drawing conclusions here is stupid.
Those who are lucky enough to get outside of Prague will also not experience huge problems. For example, what can be seen in Poděbrady - the words “museum”, “církev”, “ostrov” (see the sign on the right) - are quite clear, and if something is not clear, you can guess it from the pictogram. From this we can also conclude that Czech is a very understandable language, however, this is not the case. In fact, all signs are made to attract maximum amount people, so they are written as simply as possible. In such cases, international variants of words are often used.
In fact, the vocabulary hidden from tourist eyes is not as easy as it might seem. For those who want to try their hand at understanding Czech texts right away, you can try reading the news on http://ihned.cz/ - it’s unlikely to be very easy.
Speaking of what language Czech is similar to - it is similar only in Slovak. With the others there is only similarity, which does not always help, and more often it only hinders.
Myth two. You can learn Czech quickly.
This myth is born mainly among those who have already tried to start learning this language. And it’s hard to argue here - the first period of study is quite easy for Russian-speaking students - in the first month of our study, almost everyone had excellent grades.
Then, very often, everything falls into place - the grammar becomes complex. The main problem (for me personally) is the frequent illogicality. If a rule applies in one case, it is not a fact that it can be applied in another. However, this feature is inherent in many Slavic languages, including Russian.
The test results at the end of the year are proof of my words. Rare student more than 90%. As for admission to top universities in Prague, I’m just silent.
Myth four. I am a techie (doctor/lawyer/athlete/idiot), I won’t need Czech in my profession.
(If you want to find out whether a Czech student can work -!).
Everything here is also quite controversial. Firstly, work in the Czech Republic without knowing Czech language- at least strange. Secondly, you need to be very lucky to immediately get to a foreign country like this. Thirdly, you need to study, and here you can’t go without a language - foreign students have the same rights as Czech students (and, therefore, the same responsibilities), which means their studies will take place in Czech. And in the end, sooner or later you will also want to talk to someone.
One of the subtypes of this myth is the myth that knowing English is enough here. I admit, I thought so too. It seemed to me that if I knew the language, then everyone knew it too. And this is Europe, civilization. Oh, how wrong I was. English language, mostly educated people know, which means they are unlikely to help you in everyday tasks - in shops, banks, at the post office - everything is in Czech. And if suddenly a person knows English, this is also unlikely to help you. Usually, it was taught at school and forgotten without practice, so you won’t be able to show off your knowledge.
It just so happens that I am now (yes, which is the antivirus). The working language is English; you can also speak Czech with colleagues. Do you think there are many techies here who boast that language is just a tool? In a nutshell: if you don’t know the language, well done, go work where you don’t need to communicate.
Well, I guess I talked about myths. Now, I think it’s worth talking about the Czech language and looking at it with my Russian-speaking eyes :)
The Czech language belongs to the Indo-European family (like Hindi, Farsi, Spanish - do you think they are all similar?). This is very large group languages, and they are quite different. Czech belongs to the Slavic group of languages (that is, it still has something in common with Russian), or more precisely, to the West Slavic group (together with Slovak and Polish, which actually already have a lot in common with Czech).
Czechs write with Latin letters with diacritics. There are 3 diacritics: charka (á), gachek (č) and krouzek (ů). There are 42 letters in the Czech alphabet, it is very easy to begin to understand the Czech letter.
Now - about the difficulties that any Russian-speaking student will most likely encounter.
1) False friends of the translator
This phenomenon has been known for a long time. For example, the word “město” (read as mnesto) is translated as city. Everyone will definitely come across the word “pozor” (read as disgrace) - this is a call to be more attentive. In fact, it happens very often, so it’s a shame!
As you can see in the picture, there are a lot of them. There is no need to learn everything; it comes naturally with the experience of living in a particular place. In Russia the situation is different, on Far East You will most likely be understood just as well as in Moscow (if they still speak Russian in Moscow 🙂).
On the other side, single standard, nevertheless, exists - it is what is studied in schools, universities, and used in official documents.
5) Ignorance of Czech realities and history
From my own experience, knowing these things is very important for learning a language. Sometimes only history helps to understand why a word is called one way and not another. And knowledge of realities recent years In general, it is necessary - in order to understand peers.
So, let's summarize. Czech is a difficult language. Only Slovaks understand it relatively easily; the rest need to work on themselves. Knowledge of the Russian language does not always help, and even more often it confuses. Knowing English helps very little. On the other hand, if you use this knowledge correctly, success in learning Czech is much easier to achieve. It is worth learning a language (any language) in the country in which it is spoken. However, if it is not needed for practical application, but as a hobby, you can do it at home. It’s also worth saying that you shouldn’t judge the Czech Republic and the Czech language by the center of Prague - there are a lot of interesting things around, take it at least.
Czech is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Distributed both in the Czech Republic itself and in the USA, Canada, Slovakia, Serbia, Austria, etc. The total number of native speakers of this language is 10.6 million people. Learning Czech is not difficult, since it is related to others Slavic languages. Closest to Slovak.
There are many reasons why people learn this language:
- tourism;
- education;
- Job;
- moving to this country;
- interest in culture and history.
It is worth noting that the Czech Republic provides an opportunity to get a well-paid job. Alternatively, you can study at the University of Karlovo, which was founded in 1348 and is one of the oldest universities in Central Europe.
Whatever the reason, you can be sure that knowledge foreign language opens up new boundaries for man.
Photo of an evening Czech city.
What is important for a beginner to know?
One of distinctive features Czech is phonetics:
- The stress always falls on the first syllable;
- The alphabet uses superscript characters: apostrophe and acute. An apostrophe is placed above consonants to indicate a hard sound. Above vowels - to show the softness of the preceding consonant sound.
From a grammatical point of view, Czech is distinguished by the presence of archaic (old) forms. For example, unlike Russian, there is still a vocative case.
Pronunciation has specific features. The Czech language uses Latin letters, most of which are read as they are written.
However, some sounds require explanation. For example, h is pronounced like Ukrainian, and y is the middle sound between i and ы. It’s interesting that the Czechs themselves cannot pronounce our Russian ы.
It is difficult for both foreigners and Czechs to learn to write correctly - you can hear and understand the meaning of words incorrectly.
Czech is unusual and at the same time interesting language especially for Russian speakers. For example, the inscription in the store POZOR:SLEVA does not at all mean that there is something shameful on the left. It actually translates to "Attention: Discount". Or the word “čerstvý” (stale) does not mean, as in Russian, something spoiled (stale bread), but on the contrary, something new, fresh. Therefore, in order to correctly understand all the intricacies of this language, it is necessary to choose the right methodology and method of teaching.
Ways to learn Czech
Exist various ways for training. You can try to master the language yourself. To do this, it is important to purchase a tutorial that is suitable for you. Dictionaries and phrase books are also needed, it is advisable to find films and books in order to get used to speech that is foreign to you from the very beginning. On the other hand, you can find a tutor who will conduct classes with you once a week, and if desired, twice. It is worth noting that if you have a teacher, learning goes faster, as there is an incentive to learn in the form of homework and direct practice with a native speaker. In addition, do not forget that only an experienced teacher can give the correct pronunciation. In this case The best way for training - these are courses.
If you decide to attend language courses, it is important to find out about the details: what exactly they are ready to offer, what program the training is based on. Is there an original method, how many times a week are classes, the amount of homework and workload in class? Plus, it is important to find out whether you can study individually, at home or via Skype, in the evening or during the day.
Czech language courses in Moscow
Foreign language courses "Master Class" offer several training programs. The duration of each level of training is 48 academic hours (3 months). Upon completion of the program, a certificate is issued indicating the course and number of hours.
The training is intended both for beginners from scratch and for those who have already studied the Czech language. They will help you update your old knowledge or gain new knowledge, correct your pronunciation and teach you how to speak and write correctly. During individual training, the methodology is built taking into account your wishes. The courses are taught by experienced certified teachers, both Russian-speaking and those for whom Czech is native.
You can choose any of the branches for learning the Czech language in Moscow, which are located next to the metro stations: Belorusskaya, Oktyabrskoye Pole and Kashirskaya.
Price for individual and group Czech language training
The price is per group.
Corporate training price
The price is per group.
Basic Czech language course
Based on rich experience in this field and the best educational materials Effective programs have been created that will allow you to develop a strong grammatical base and communication experience. You can learn Czech language basic course which includes training both in small groups and individually. Czech language courses in basic level are aimed at students mastering the necessary aspects of grammar, phonetics, and vocabulary.
The basic Czech language course lasts 4 months. At the end of the course, the student will be able to communicate in Czech on everyday topics, read adapted texts, and conduct simple correspondence.
The full course lasts for a year. Training is based on individual program, based on the student’s goals (Czech for doing business, studying at higher education educational institution, communication with native speakers, learning specific vocabulary professional sphere etc.).
Educational process in the classroom
Native Czech-speaking teacher Teresa
LESSON 1 – LEKCE 1
We start the first lesson with the Czech alphabet and phonetics. Unlike the Russian language, the Czech language uses the Latin alphabet. Many letters have the same pronunciation as the Russian language, for example:
- a = a
- b = b
- c = c
- č = h
- d = d
- e = e
- ě = e
- f = f
- g = g
- ch = x
- i, y = and
- j = th
- k = k
- m = m
- n = n
- o = o
- p = p
- r = r
- s = s
- š = w
- t = t
- u = y
- v = in
- z = z
- ž = w
Some letters are either pronounced slightly differently or do not exist in Russian at all, for example:
- l = l – pronounced like the Central European “l” - neither hard nor soft;
- h = pronounced like the Ukrainian “g”;
- ř = pronounced as ringing sound“rzh”, or like a dull sound “rsh”;
- w = in;
- x = x;
- q = que;
Having studied the alphabet and phonetics, and explained the rules of stress and vowel reduction, we begin to practice reading and learning new words, for example:
Čeština, kavárna, daň, trojúhelník, skříň, praxe, šlehačka, štěstí, žádný, řeka, moucha...
At the end of the first lesson, we will get acquainted with the basic phrases and slowly begin to form simple dialogues.
- Good day.
- Good day. Jak se máte?
- Děkuji, dobře. A vy?
- Take it easy, děkuji.
- Jak se jmenujete?
- Jmenuji se Jana Nováková. A vy?
- Já se jmenuji Karel Slaný.
- Těší mě.
- Take it easy.
- Na shledanou.
- Na shledanou.
Other Czech lessons
At the beginning of each subsequent lesson we repeat the grammar and lexicon. Then we try to speak more and use phrases that we have already learned and acquire new ones (colloquial and literary).
We are considering a new grammar that concerns verbs (present, future, past tenses), nouns, adjectives, their endings in different cases, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions...
To remember the new grammar better, we put it into practice.
Despite the fact that I am a native speaker, sometimes I need to listen to another Czech voice, because of this we first listen to simple texts, then to Czech radio. You can’t learn all the words from a textbook, so we read different articles from newspapers and magazines on any topic so that everyone can find it interesting.
.Belonging to the Slavic group of languages, Czech has many similarities with Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian, so it is much easier for residents of the CIS to learn it than, for example, for a German or Englishman. This language is not without grace and melody, and the streets of Prague captivate with mysterious legends, which will certainly become clearer as you learn the language.
Czech lessons with Advent EuroConsult
The channel's materials will help you learn the Czech language at an elementary level, starting with the very basics - the alphabet, pronouns and conjugations. The video explains grammar, rules for writing sentences, and much more in a concise and understandable manner. 10 lessons are allocated to conquer the entry level. Knowledge of a foreign language is not required - training is in Russian.Czech language with Czrepetitor
During lessons, vocabulary and grammar are explained through presentations - elementary level is taught. At the same time, explanatory comments are in Czech, but the presentations are so simple and understandable that you can safely start the lessons without those who know the language. Course participants will be able to expand their vocabulary and learn to form simple sentences, and will also provide the correct pronunciation. The channel was created for those who study closely and are simply interested in Czech.Czech with Elena Shipilova
The listener will find more than 30 video lessons on the channel that will help immerse themselves in the world of the Czech language. Grammar, vocabulary and much more. Charming Elena will tell you about the nuances and subtleties of using this or that word in a sentence.It’s interesting that the channel’s teacher, in addition to Czech, teaches other languages. By delving into the channel's archive, you can learn how to learn languages correctly, overcome problems in learning a language, be able to get the correct pronunciation and much more. The lessons are well suited for those who are learning the language from scratch and are conducted in Russian.
Simple Czech
Listening to foreign speech is known to be one of the main problems of a Russian-speaking user. The lessons posted on the channel are designed to correct this misunderstanding - a pleasant audio reading of Czech is so well, simply and clearly organized that you want to start learning Czech without any particular goal. First, the student listens to the Russian version of a fragment of the book, then listens to its translation into Czech.Czech with Go Study group s.r.o.
Here they will teach you how to introduce yourself, introduce you to the Czech alphabet, teach you how to answer the question “what time is it” and ask “how much does it cost”, introduce you to public transport and help you solve other everyday issues that require you to explain yourself in Czech.
Czech with Kurz Češtiny
The channel contains many lessons for learning Czech. Educational information is provided primarily through high-quality presentations.The lessons are taught by a native Czech speaker, but explanations are given in Russian with a pleasant Czech accent. Kurtz will talk about the features of learning Czech, introduce you to grammar, warn about the main mistakes that people make when learning this particular language, and introduce you not only to the language, but also to Prague. On the channel you can find frivolous ones, but interesting videos like “What you shouldn’t shout in Russian in the Czech Republic.”
Czech with LINGVOPORTAL
Study the Czech language using a textbook with detailed explanations in Czech. The speaker's voice is pleasant, the pace of teaching is calm. The textbook comprehensively covers the material: grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, history of the language and much more are studied. In addition, the authors of the channel offer to complete a full training course posted on the official website. The material is qualitatively commented by the reader.Czech language with Gennadij Jakimov
The author of the channel, being a professional linguist and translator, will tell you how easy it is to start speaking Czech and introduce you to the country itself and its customs and cultural values. Here you can expand your vocabulary and speed up the process of learning the language, and get the correct pronunciation. The lessons are designed for beginners and advanced users of the language, training is conducted in Russian. All educational information provided primarily in clear and simple presentations.Name: Czech language - Self-teaching textbook for beginners.
In a new edition of the classic teaching aid, which has been reprinted many times, corrections and additions have been made, mainly relating to the changed socio-political realities.
The manual consists of 20 lessons, including texts, exercises for them and grammar. A reference apparatus is given at the end of the book.
The main volume of phonetic material, grammatical and lexical topics and a system of exercises are aimed at developing everyday communication skills, mastering the mechanism of reading, understanding simple texts, and writing skills. Grammar is reinforced based on vocabulary learned in previous lessons.
Designed for everyone who wants to master the basics of the Czech language. Can also be used as a tutorial.
The first edition of the proposed textbook was published in 1960 in Prague. Its authors were prominent Czech Bohemians and Russian scholars, and the reviewer was the largest Soviet Slavist A. G. Shirokova, Doctor of Philology, Honorary Professor of Moscow State University named after M. V. Lomonosov, Honorary Doctor of Charles University in Prague.
Despite its compactness, the manual fully complies with the requirements of the genre - its goal is to teach how to communicate on everyday topics, read and understand simple Czech texts, and write a simple letter, congratulations, etc. An important advantage that distinguishes it from many publications of this kind is a consistent comparative approach, taking into account data from the Russian language (most of the quite conscientious Czech language textbooks for foreigners now published in the Czech Republic are aimed at English-speaking students, for whom common Slavic vocabulary is as incomprehensible as common German vocabulary for Russian, and the developed case system is a nightmare).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
CONTENT
From the editor
Czech alphabet
1 Letters AEOUBDJKLMNST
Accent
Bunch
2 Letters I Y P R V Z
Long vowel sounds
Present tense of the verb byt "to be"
Past tense of byt
3 Letters II C SI F G X R
Negation
4 Letters C S Z D f N Е
Verb mil "to have"
5 Dialogue
Future tense of byt
Future tense of imperfective verbs
Czech-Russian homonyms
6 Topic of conversation: “Family”
Cardinal numbers
Diphthongs
Verbs tina nest “to carry”
7 Topic of conversation: “Breakfast, lunch, dinner”
Gender of nouns
Adjectives
8 Topic of conversation: “Hotel”
Hard and soft consonants
Numerals
9 Text: “Prague”
Syllables I and g
Verbs ending in -fin, -is
10 Topic of conversation: “Station”
Verb chu"t “to want”
The semantic role of long
and short vowels
11 Topic of conversation: “Mail”
Verbs like kupovat “to buy”
Letters Q q and W w
12 Text: “Karlovy Vary Resort”
Verb like dclal "to do"
Aspiration
Vocalization of prepositions
13 Topic of conversation: “Vacation”
Matching full vowel combinations
in Russian and Czech languages
Declension of nouns
Declension of nouns female
14 Topic of conversation: “Cinema. Theater. Concert"
Declension of neuter nouns into -o
And male on a hard consonant
15 Text “Prague Astronomical Clock”
Plural of nouns
masculine and neuter
16 Text: “Calendar. Time"
Syntactic connection of quantitative
numerals with nouns Demonstrative pronoun
ten, la, to “this, this, this”
17 Text: “Shopping”
Conditional mood
Vowel alternation
18 Text: “Czech Republic”
Declension of adjectives starting with -у, -а, -е
19 Text: “Charles Bridge”
Declension of adjectives starting with i
Passive voice
20 Text: “Dogheads”
Personal pronouns
Subject dictionaries
Brief Russian-Czech phrasebook
Tables
The Key to Exercise
Czech-Russian dictionary
Russian-Czech dictionary
Free download e-book in a convenient format, watch and read:
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Publication date: 04/26/2011 15:39 UTC
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