Plan for Czech

Ask specific questions about your target languages. Beginner questions welcome!
Cavesa
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4960
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:46 am
Languages: Czech (N), French (C2) English (C1), Italian (C1), Spanish, German (C1)
x 17566

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Cavesa » Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:46 am

So, I have been peaking into the Czech learning shelves in the bookstores out of curiosity and in past looked something up for a friend. A few things I have found out:

These days, there are several courses leading up to B2. The best looking and most comprehensive start appear to be Chcete mluvit česky (do you want to speak Czech), Communicative Czech or Čeština Express. Than there are some follow ups like Čeština pro cizince.

There is as well the czechpod101 mutation but I don't know how much content there is, considering their varying quality and limited content when it comes even to langauges of the popularity of Swedish and Polish.

What is much harder to find are the grammar workbooks and such things. THere are some, for beginners for example Cvičebnice češtiny, but I don't know much about it. Out of the foreign ones, I used another book from this series and it was good: Czech: An Essential Grammar

What is a good thing is the fact you can use some of the tools designed for czechs learning English without any trouble. Nová cvičebnice anglické gramatiky is basically a book full of translated sentences. One side Czech, the other English. Dictionaries of all sorts (I can recommend a good and user friendly slovnik.seznam.cz), forvo is well supported for Czech and can therefore help with pronunciation. There is quite a lot of bilingual readers.

Online tv: surely ceskatelevize.cz should let you watch their archive, and hopefully the life stream too. The private channels may have the region limits or only paid online services. Lots of things can be found online though ;-) including whole libraries of ebooks. Some older movies are on youtube, just as a lot of music.

If you want to browse mostly websites in Czech, try seznam.cz instead of google. It is a relict many czechs still keep using.

Memrise appears to have quite a lot of courses for Czech learners but I don't know much about those.
3 x

Speakeasy
x 7658

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:09 pm

A couple of years ago, while I was concentrating on learning some Polish and Russian, the thought occurred to me that learning a little Czech might be both interesting and stimulating. Eventually, the rigors of working on several languages simultaneously dampened my enthusiasm and this project never got out of the garage. Nonetheless, I did prepare a list of some basic materials that might be useful for beginners. You are most likely aware of these "standards"; however, in the event that you missed one of them, here they are, in no particular order:

HTLAL Czech Profile
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/ ... index.html

UCLA Language Materials Project
While you might not be able to access to the materials listed on the UCLA Language Materials Project, their list is a useful place to start/continue your search for materials.

Indiana University Celtie Recorded Materials Archives
This site has free audio files that were recorded to accompany some older texts. http://www.iu.edu/~celtie/czech_archive.html

A Practical Czech Course for English-Speaking Students, by Milos Sara
This is a fairly old course, 1962! I mention it because the audio files are available on the Celtie site.

A Modern Czech Grammar, by William E. Harkins
Once again, this is a fairly old course, 1953! I mention it because the audio files are available on the Celtie site. When I Googled the title, I came up with some free PDF download versions.

Other Celtie Textbooks
You can search the Internet for additional textbooks matching the recorded archives.

JLU Archives
Learn how to call in an air-strike! https://jlu.wbtrain.com/sumtotal/langua ... 20courses/

FSI Czech FAST
As you are probably aware, these materials were prepared to accompany a basic course that was meant to be delivered by a competent instructor in a classroom setting. Accordingly, the notes would be a little skeletal. Still, for a seasoned language-learner like yourself, they could be quite useful.

Slavica Publishers
Slavica Publishers specializes in Slavic languages. Here is the list of their current listings.
https://slavica.indiana.edu/search/node?as_q=czech I have corresponded with them several times in the past in my search for Polish materials and I found them to be quite helpful. They might even know whether or not audio recordings exist for their "Contemporary Czech" textbook and, if so, where to locate them.

Routledge Colloquial Czech
As you're probably aware Routledge recently rendered the audio files that their Colloquial series free: http://www.routledgetextbooks.com/textb ... #languages Reviews on Amazon are all-over-the-map which, for me, is actually quite encouraging. That is, based on my experiences with Routledge Colloquial Polish, their Czech course is probably fairly thorough. It would probably take one to something approaching the A2 level provided one put in the necessary hours of study. I suspect that the negative reviews reflect the opinions of English-speaking students who are not quite aware just how much of effort is required to learn a Slavic language. Furthermore, I would expect that the audio recordings would be delivered at a speed approaching that of native speakers and that this can seem like an insurmountable barrier for some beginners. PS: Routledge also publishes a Czech Grammar and, based on my experiences with their grammars for other languages, it is probably well-written.

Teach Yourself: Complete Czech
Again, I would imagine that you're familiar with the series. Although, generally speaking, I afford particular attention to negative reviews on Amazon, I would tend to discount the few negative ones on this particular series.

Pimsleur Czech
Although I am a fan of the Pimsleur method and although I have not used their Czech course, I cannot recommend it. My experiences with two other Slavic language Pimsleur programmes, Polish and Russian, were not as positive as they were with the programmes for German, Spanish, Dutch, and Italian. Despite having purchased a simple grammar and dictionary to accompany the Polish and Russian courses, I found the approach simply too labourious. That is, trying to infer the grammar and decipher the case endings and anticipate verb tenses, all the while working backwards from the afore-mentioned supplementary materials, was simply not worth the additional effort.

Ciao for now!
Last edited by Speakeasy on Wed Aug 05, 2015 6:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2 x

Cavesa
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4960
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:46 am
Languages: Czech (N), French (C2) English (C1), Italian (C1), Spanish, German (C1)
x 17566

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Cavesa » Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:44 pm

Wow, thanks for the routledge website! I will certainly find their free material useful. Perhaps that useful I fill actually buy some colloquial books!
0 x

Speakeasy
x 7658

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:07 pm

Hi Cavesa,

The credit for the link to the Routledge Colloquial Audio Files goes to daristani who posted an advice on the HTLAL Forum: http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/fo ... 40718&PN=1 Member kyukumber included ZIPPYSHARE LINKS to the discussion thread that enable a massive download of the files.

Ciao!
Speakeasy (one of your biggest fans!)
0 x

User avatar
vm_nm
White Belt
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 5:16 pm
Location: Germany (Southeast)
Languages: DE (N)
Current focus: JP (reviewing N4), ES (working on C1)
Others: EN (C2/CPE), FR (passive intermediate), CZ (pre-intermediate?) plus long-neglected ones I have no idea how to rate.
x 126

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby vm_nm » Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:22 am

Interaktivní čeština http://www.cupress.cuni.cz/ink2_ext/ind ... &id=220065 (>= A2, listening comprehension + grammar workbook)

Česká čítanka: http://www.cupress.cuni.cz/ink2_ext/ind ... &id=224298 (>A2 reader)

Česky, prosím I and II: https://www.kosmas.cz/knihy/143038/cesky-prosim-i/ (comes with workbooks)

Some Cerego sets I created:

Czech Verbs (A2) With Example Sentences
https://cerego.com/sets/745546

Czech Grammar: Verbs of Motion + Determinate/Indeterminate Pairs
https://cerego.com/sets/745550

Czech Grammar: Perfectiva Tantum
https://cerego.com/sets/746148?tab=items

Czech Grammar: Imperfectiva Tantum Part 1
https://cerego.com/sets/745558

Czech Grammar: Imperfectiva Tantum Part 2
https://cerego.com/sets/746147

Let me know if you find mistakes. I created those for review, but I'm currently focusing more on Japanese and Spanish.
2 x

Cavesa
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4960
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:46 am
Languages: Czech (N), French (C2) English (C1), Italian (C1), Spanish, German (C1)
x 17566

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Cavesa » Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:00 pm

That looks nice.

But why are so many people learning Czech right now? :-D
I mean, it is just as good or just as bad choice as most middle sized languages, but why now? Is it like fashion?
0 x

User avatar
Via Diva
Green Belt
Posts: 262
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 12:11 pm
Location: somewhere around Moscow
Languages: Russian (N), English (~C1), German (~B1)
Wanderlust/abandoned: Czech, Swedish, Italian, Modern Greek, Esperanto, French, Dutch, Finnish
Hit-list (?): Icelandic, Hungarian, Sanskrit
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=929
x 412
Contact:

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Via Diva » Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:07 pm

Well I was directed to Jarek Nohavica and his Kometa stroke right into my wanderlust field, hehe.
1 x

User avatar
RyanSmallwood
Orange Belt
Posts: 187
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 12:15 pm
Languages: Native: English
x 779

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby RyanSmallwood » Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:21 pm

I just want to watch old Czech musicals

2 x

Cavesa
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4960
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:46 am
Languages: Czech (N), French (C2) English (C1), Italian (C1), Spanish, German (C1)
x 17566

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby Cavesa » Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:56 pm

Nohavica? I love Kometa too, and others. But he is a dangerous musician for someone not wanderlust immune. He uses both Czech and Polish, even though the latter one less.

A few Czech songs I recommend:
Kubišová: Magdaléna, Depeše, Modlitba pro Martu, Nechte zvony znít (I love all these)
Kryl: Bratříčku zavírej vrátka, Veličenstvo kat, Král a klaun, Morituri te salutant (awesome and very intelligent. Well, no wonder Kubišová was forbidden to publicly sing for twenty years by the communists and Kryl rather chose to emigrate.)
Znouzecnost: Letecká
Čechomor (you quoted in your log): apart from Proměny there are as well many others, not sure whether the band is active anymore
Nohavica: Kometa, Fotbal (I think you will like this one ;-) ), Když mě brali za vojáka, Zítra ráno v pět, Darmoděj...
Btw if I remember correctly, Nohavica put all his work for free download on his website.
Kabát-very popular, even though not my cup of tea, their style is being mockingly called "agrorock"
Lucie:Amerika, Panic (yes, that is a Czech word for virgin, not a song in English) and others
Chinaski: Dobrák od kosti, Klára
Muk: Stín katedrál (that singer isn't one of my favourites but I like the song)
Gott: Trezor, Když muž se ženou snídá, Lady Karneval
I remember a htlaler who was learning Czech because of Karel Gott. He has been quite popular both here and in Germany for half a century or so, he is really old.

Wow, I remembered a lot of interprets, considering the fact I don't listen to Czech music much. And there are really things that are well known but I could continue, there are many songs people sing at campfires, than there are some songs I enjoy but I would never admit it publicly, there are musicians for most generations. My generation doesn't usually stick to the Czech music that much, but we still love music festivals and there are many smaller and not known bands.

I've recently read an article about annual summer Czech langauge school being held at the university again. The article was quite nice, obviously there are many enthusiasts (certainly more than one would expect, when it comes to a middle sized language with much worse PR than many languages of similar size and importance). The teachers interviewed mentioned the grammar to be the main problem for foreigners. A good thing is taht the classes are nearly 100% in Czech it seems. The bad: when they cited what are the students learning as their first sentences, it felt really outdated and ancient. Ok for learning grammar but not useful for normal conversation at all.
3 x

User avatar
vm_nm
White Belt
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 5:16 pm
Location: Germany (Southeast)
Languages: DE (N)
Current focus: JP (reviewing N4), ES (working on C1)
Others: EN (C2/CPE), FR (passive intermediate), CZ (pre-intermediate?) plus long-neglected ones I have no idea how to rate.
x 126

Re: Plan for Czech

Postby vm_nm » Fri Aug 07, 2015 8:00 pm

For me it's not really new - I grew up very close to the Czech border, and then always stayed somewhat close. I find it a bit embarrassing actually that so few Germans try to learn Czech.

I did an intensive course at university which went up to B1 level, but then rarely used it for over a decade, except for some very half-arsed tries to review ;-) . 2 years ago I started a just slightly more serious attempt to brush it up and signed up for a casual conversation class. The group was nice and I was glad to see that I recognized more vocabulary than I had dared to hope for, but didn't make much progress. My knowledge about conjugations was nearly gone, and it didn't come back "by osmosis". So half a year ago I realized that despite being able to read a B2 textbook, I will just have to relearn all the grammar.
1 x


Return to “Practical Questions and Advice”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests