|
charles gray
-
[anon]
|
Sun Jan 20th 17:27 2002 / #1 |
|
Mainly, you have to put forth some effort. The Teach Yourself (related to the Dummies guide books) Beginners Czech is about the best starting place if you are learning on your own. |
|
tractor
-
[anon]
|
Sun Jan 20th 21:32 2002 / #2 |
great but cheap private teachers to recommend: yes i do. let me contact her to see which contact number i should put here.
courses:
I have heard the classes at Charles Univ. are inexpensive and useful.
favorite czech learning book: Colloquial Czech. i dont know this book that charles mentioned.
|
|
charles gray
-
[anon]
|
Mon Jan 21st 05:33 2002 / #3 |
The Colloquial Czech is excellent as well. The two are pretty similar, but I think the Coll. is probably better on vocabluary. Whatever you do, avoid the Berlitz books. The phrase book that I foolishly bought is a total farce. The Czechs love to laugh at it. |
|
R.BArney Rachmanahan
-
[anon]
|
Mon Jan 21st 12:33 2002 / #4 |
There is a series of books called Communicative Czech that are very good. Basically it will not come easy a la French or Spanish. I would reccomend learning as much grammar as possible and then building your vocabulary. It is a language that requires a lot of rote learning and a lot of practice. You must try and use Czech, or at least be around it hearing it all the time, hanging out with foreigners in ex-pat pubs will not speed the process. It is worth it though, it will give you a foothold should you want to aquire another slavic langauge.
The main thing however is that it is an amazing language, very rich. The Czechs have a very particular way of looking at the world and, of course, there is no better place to see how such an outlook is manifested than in the language of a people.
Good luck.
|
|
fred
-
[anon]
|
Mon Jan 21st 14:24 2002 / #5 |
some tips:
create your own phrase book. think of the things you say in a day and get them translated. learn them. add to your phrases. learn the possible responses. i am convinced we humans don't really say so much. |
|
Luna
-
[anon]
|
Mon Jan 21st 14:26 2002 / #6 |
|
comic books and television |
|
willie
-
[anon]
|
Mon Jan 21st 15:42 2002 / #7 |
|
Get yourself a czech boyfriend/girlfriend and move to a village. However, do not be selfish and date this person for language porposes only. It's just not fair! |
|
j
-
[anon]
|
Wed Jan 23rd 10:30 2002 / #8 |
|
10 words a day. |
|
dennison bertram
-
[anon]
|
Fri Jan 25th 10:02 2002 / #9 |
whoa, this is one heck of a hard language. Someone once told me at the roxy it was actually more of a 'code' than a language. Yeah, I don't know. Those czech kniha's (kniha=book) are great but the initiative is what kills me. Best bet is to date a czech, and take a course. It's just not something you'll pick up on your own.
Oh BTW: Best tip on learning czech? Pretend not to speak english. Worst thing is trying to practice your czech on czech's trying to practice their english on you. |
fellis
-
[profile]
|
Mon Aug 16th 14:13 2004 / #10 |
I speak fluently 5 languages, and the best way I found to learn a foreign language was to get a hearing impaired TV box, this way, you can listen to the language and read it at the same time.
Of course the method should be used in addition to the classical methods of learning, like books.
Hope this helps. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Mon Aug 16th 15:27 2004 / #11 |
Yeah, czech definitely won t seep in the way german, french and spanish do. Don t expect to not put forth effort and get any results, especially in a city where most people will reply to you in english even if you have fair czech. I m currently taking the course at charles and highly recommend it, very professional teachers, field trips, and you even have to take tests and get grades so you know how you are improving. heres there website
http://www.sfservis.com/en/spuinfo.html . You can contact these teachers for private courses, and I also believe that they have a three times a week course. Honestly there are people in my course that have been here for two months and they speak better than people I know that have been here for 3 years. Don t let anyone tell you that czech is impossible, the majority of people in the course are taking the course in their second language (english) and they still learn quite quickly. You just need to put forth the effort, like anything, you can t learn to play the guitar just by listening to music, you ve got to try to play. Czech girlfriend/boyfriend of course is the best way to learn because you will actually want to learn how to say things to communicate. |
|
spravny muz
-
[anon]
|
Mon Aug 16th 20:08 2004 / #12 |
the 6-week intensive course at charles univ. is a great start. the teachers i had wouldn't speak a word of anything other than czech for hours a day. cheap and good, but takes a lot of time. and the above-endorsed communicative czech books i...also endorse.
good luck, and don't give up. |
|
BRAD
-
[anon]
|
Mon Aug 16th 21:12 2004 / #13 |
I'VE BEEN USING THE COLLOQUIAL CZECH AND IT HAS BEEN WORKING WELL...JUST PACE YOURSELF AND REPEAT THE LESSONS OVER AND OVER TILL THEY SEEP IN...
GOODLUCK, |
|
artdog
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 17th 10:33 2004 / #14 |
I recommend the Czech Step by Step book as it uses newer methods to teach the Czech language. The Charles Univ intensive is a great course. Although I have never taken it, the only native English speakers I have known who were fluent in less than 4 years were ones who took that course. Unfortunately, I can't take the time off from work for it. I think intensive is the way to go with Slavic languages. Memorizing grammar tables is all well and good but Czechs normally do not speak this way. The declenations just come naturally to them as a habit. Saying phrases over and over again and being corrected will give you some language abilities much faster than trying to work everything out grammatically before starting every sentence.
Motivation is easily sapped here as many Czechs are unable or unwilling to make the mental leap to figure out what you are trying to say in your broken, beginner's Czech. In the center, they will switch to English. Out of the center they will just say "Co ze?" in an unfriendly manner. So practicing in daily life can be tough and it seems like you are not making any progress. If you get "Co ze?" and you know you are correct, it is probably your pronuncitation which also befuddles most Czechs. Try saying it over and over again very slowy and make sure to put space between the words. Don't give up and eventually they will put their brain in gear and figure it out.
The most discouraging thing for me is my poor ear for Czech and my inability to convince almost everyone to speak slowly. "Mluvite pomalu prosim" never seems to work. Studying and then finding I still don't understand bums me out but I keep trying anyway. Even if I am never fluent, the more I know and understand, the better I feel about living here. Just don't give up! |
|
jerry the wonder jew
-
[profile]
|
Tue Aug 17th 11:15 2004 / #15 |
Hana 607 220 578 from the Czech language Center
She taught me and two of the only four other foreigners I know who I would say speak Czech fluently. Plus, she teaches the American ambassador. I highly recommend her.
I started with 6 months at the Chas. Uni group classes, then took her twice a week for 2 years. Its worth it if you're going to stick around...
I'm not sure what cheap is anymore, but I think she's like 350czk an hour... |
|
helper
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 17th 11:17 2004 / #16 |
try out WinCzEduc -- Czech History and Language Software at:
http://mujweb.atlas.cz/www/winczeduc/
great conjugation and declension help though texts are a bit difficult for beginners. worth the investment for the future and cultural lessons. |
|
anonymous
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 17th 11:18 2004 / #17 |
Czech boyfriend/girlfriend is not the way to go to learn Czech. If their English is good then you really are only going to speak English to them despite all your best intentions. And you also have a ready made translator/interpretor for all the difficult situations where you might have been forced to speak Czech so you end up not using any Czech at all.
This is my own experience and also my observations of many Czech-English couples in Prague. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 17th 14:40 2004 / #18 |
|
true, if you date a girl/man who speaks good english they will switch to english. I have freinds here however who have only been here a year who have the ability to carry on a converstion (albeit they have incorrect grammar) even though they ve never had one class. I ve lived here for two years and consider myself close to fluent, i understand everything on television, and can read the newspaper. I did however take the charles intensive as well and highly recommend it. Don t give up, it will come, but it does take patience. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Mon Aug 23rd 18:32 2004 / #19 |
|
Two years and your fluent? I hate you! |
|
pragueboy
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 24th 03:40 2004 / #20 |
Fluency comes in two forms, the Czech intensive courses, or immersion.
Immersion is cheaper, more fun, and will offer you a cool local dialect and better understanding of Czech culture. I spent my first 6 months out of praha, and was fluent by the time i reached the capital. I can reccomend a list of towns to move to, where you are sure to not find any gringos. Spend the first month studying the basics to the point you can converse, maybe an hour or so a day. Then, carry the dictionary with you, and you will learn in no time. I would say, in my tenure here, i have met only a dozen or so native english speakers, who were both fluent and sounded czech. They ALL lived outside of praha, at one point or another.
Also when living in a town outside of prague, pretend you don't speak english. Tell people you are from a place you know they won't know a word of the language, like say Nairobi, and you will do fine... if they can speak english to you, they will. |
|
anononon
-
[anon]
|
Mon Aug 30th 14:32 2004 / #21 |
|
Mluvite pomalu prosim, means you speak slowly please or you are speaking slowly please in other words you are basically asking them to speak faster. You need the imperative Mluv pomalu prosim to get people to speak slowly |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 31st 11:04 2004 / #22 |
|
Ahhh! All this time I have been asking them to speak faster? LOL. Ok thanks for the lesson. Na cestinu jsem hloupy. |
|
Jeffree from Think
-
[anon]
|
Sat Sep 4th 17:21 2004 / #23 |
|
Waan learn czech the easy way, its easy! Just read http://www.think.cz/issue/15/12.html |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Sat Sep 4th 18:56 2004 / #24 |
Drink litre of Becherovka before bed each night.
Leave TV on all night and you will absorb the language fully within six months while you sleep.
Making you qualified to present the news on TV Nova. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Sat Sep 4th 20:32 2004 / #25 |
|
The fastest way to learn Czech is to hang out with Czechs, to watch Czech TV etc. Try to avoid expat ghettos. The absolutely best way of learning would be through a Czech boyfriend. If you find one though, avoid words like "fuck" when with him because Czech guys are not used to such language from girls. |
|
Rude Words Mean I'm Grown Up
-
[anon]
|
Mon Sep 6th 10:28 2004 / #26 |
Start by getting a control of yourself and your own language.
Anyone that posts on a board and feels the need to use the "F" word in relation to such a request is in my opinion a total w***er. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Mon Sep 6th 11:37 2004 / #27 |
Yes. Clearly a man who uses that dreaded word has no chance of learning Czech.
After all, vulgar words don't exist in Czech... |
|
Momy
-
[anon]
|
Sun Jan 30th 03:35 2005 / #28 |
Hi;
It is not worth to learn czech, it is not a world sperade language..
I advise you: don't spend your time. bye |
|
Jeffro
-
[profile]
|
Mon Apr 11th 03:13 2005 / #29 |
MOMV; You wrote" It is not worth to learn czech, it is not a world sperade language.. I advise you: don't spend your time. bye", and I too thought, wow, what a useless language I've mastered, unless I get stopped byt he cops without my ID and want to pretend I don't understand them, but living in Singapore I learned an amazing thing... you're at some fashion show, and start talking to one of the models... you ask her where she's from and she says "I am from Czech Republic" and you can reply "Ja taky!, Jak se mate?" (Me too, How are you?) and she will be amazed, wrap her arm around yours and spend the remainder of her 3 month modelling contract in your bed.... really!
Jeffree |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Wed Apr 13th 16:56 2005 / #30 |
#21 is right, but that's only the familiar form. Better in shops, restaurants and any other public forum to say, "Mluvte pomalu, prosim." It's the polite form of "you."
The Czechs usually will admire anyone who takes the effort to learn the language and really appreciate the effort. The truly tricky part, as Artdog says, is to tune your ear (and tongue) to the actual accent/pronunciation. I think the English/American pronunciation is what throws a lot of Czechs. Practice definitely makes perfect. I simply don't let them speak English to me, and reply "Mluvte cesky, prosim." Hell, if all else fails, tell them you're from Brazil. How many Czechs speak Portuguese? |
|
opossum
-
[profile]
|
Mon May 9th 22:23 2005 / #31 |
|
Howdy,
I recently met a woman on a cruise that lives in Canada that I think is the "Cat's Meow" and she speaks Czech. I'll see her in August, but if I'm lucky I'll see her at least once before that.
I have my motivation!
However, I am one of those Americans and living in Washington State right next to Portland, OR. Any suggestions on software or a place to contact locally like a Czech cultural soiecty?
I like The Learning Company sofrware that I had for German, but they don't seem to have one for Czech.
Thanks! |
|
Anonymous
-
[anon]
|
Tue May 31st 06:41 2005 / #32 |
|
I have been learning Czech for a while, and it can be really difficult. What has really helped me though is buying the Czech version of a book I have in English. That way you can really figure out what is going on. |
|
Ordep
-
[anon]
|
Tue Jun 28th 21:39 2005 / #33 |
|
What the fuck #30!! I'm from Brazil and want to learn czech!! And of course I speak Portuguese.l.. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Fri Jul 1st 22:46 2005 / #34 |
|
Czech is similar to Polish, so you may learn Polish first ;). |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Sun Jul 3rd 18:53 2005 / #35 |
|
Hey, #33. #30 here. Chill the hell out, dude. I asked the following question in my last post: "How many Czechs speak Portuguese?" And I'm waiting for an answer. Since you're from Brazil, it only stands to reason that YOU speak Portuguese. But you were not the subject of my question. There is probably one Czech person in this whole country who does speak Portuguese, and what are the chances that you would run into them? One in 10.3 million (population of the Czech Republic). So, calm down. Before you get yourself worked up like that, read the damned post carefully! |
|
Ewa
-
[anon]
|
Sat Aug 6th 09:47 2005 / #36 |
|
I am Polish and hardly understand a word of Cesky. In fact the other day I heard two couples talking at a table. One couple was Cesky and one was Polish, what langauge did they speak...english. |
|
Andrea88
-
[anon]
|
Mon Aug 15th 17:23 2005 / #37 |
|
HA! thanks 2 my parents i speak czech fluently. I live and I was born in The Netherlands. #28 says it's not worth it learning czech cause it isn't a world sperade language. That means not many people know how to speak Czech in other countries and because of that I have a great job for a couple of years now, it's a great benefit for you when you can speak Czech cause the economy is growing and they are really interested in people that know the language so they can do business with you....so you're not wasting your time |
|
bubbax
-
[anon]
|
Mon Sep 12th 15:27 2005 / #38 |
|
yep. Ewa, czechs doesn´t undestand polish, it is sad, but true. They have also problems to understand yugoslavians, they dont understand russians.But when they come to croatia, they always talk czech with local people..so we are slavic, aren´t we?..and croatian are a little bit unhappy about it.on other hand, right know there is something like czecho-croatian language used in croatia.If russian meets a czech, he immidiatelly start to talk with him in russian lang. after a few minutes he gives it up with sentence..damn, aren ´t we both slavic? but czechs always try to talk with them....they use czechs expressions with russian accent and they try to look very seriously..I must say, I enjoy it. I guess that czechs love it too..one of the ways how they show their sence for humour |
|
g
-
[anon]
|
Wed Oct 5th 20:57 2005 / #39 |
well going back to the fcuk word ,its actually a czech meaning ,not spelt the same though .It means "really" ,so not 2 bas afterall ,hehe .
Cao
G |
|
czek
-
[anon]
|
Sat May 6th 22:01 2006 / #40 |
|
Dumped: advertising |
pragueboy
-
[profile]
|
Sun May 7th 09:22 2006 / #41 |
Czek, how is your post relevant to this discussion?
I get a bit tired of people pluggin their sites on forums when they have nothin to do with the topic... even #34 was pushin it, but at least they had something to do with language, czech-info.net seems to be little more then a collection of google ads and stock photography.
Quite sad, Milos from Benatky nad Jizerou. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Tue May 9th 14:24 2006 / #42 |
if you're in one of the cities covered by the czech centres, try language courses there. (www.czechcentre.org.uk i think for london). the courses are excellent value for money, and quite good fun too.
also try www.bohemica.com for links to teachers database.
good luck :-) |
The Grinning Lemur
-
[profile]
|
Tue May 9th 15:22 2006 / #43 |
In terms of learning Czech i would always go the private tutolage route. It's more intensive and you can learn at your own pace. There are some good private teachers out there.
I would like to add that it seems to be easier for me to speak Czech when i'm a little drunk. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Wed May 10th 10:09 2006 / #44 |
|
Get down to the pub and just talk. Seems to me that if you are half drunk, your confidence increases and you learn a lot. I would like to offer my gratitude to the Plzen Prazdroj brewery for assisting me to get to grips with the slippery octopus, that is the Czech language. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Wed May 10th 10:33 2006 / #45 |
Never go to a pub and try to learn, thats silly, drink and learn???
NEVER frequent expat places or sites, when in rome, do like the romans...if you want to be with brits, go to the UK. Avoid all expats, they tend to be a childish lot... |
|
pragueboy
-
[profile]
|
Sun May 14th 18:42 2006 / #46 |
Ok, here is my shameless plug :
http://www.czechlessons.com
Do you want to learn Czech? Are you Frustrated not understanding the locals? You don’t have time for the classroom or just don’t want to learn in a classroom full of other students?
We offer friendly, flexible, private teaching. One of our experienced teachers will analyze your skills and set up a plan that is right for you. |
|
[ anonymous ]
-
[anon]
|
Thu May 11th 12:39 2006 / #47 |
If you are in Rome and want to be like the Romans, you will find that the locals like going to the pub!
Many a true word is said in jest, but getting out and socialising away from expats makes a huge difference. However, I would recommend formal lessons at the same time, the practice is the fun part of learning.
Going to a pub is not silly! It is a university, the University of Life! Hic... |
|
Pacman
-
[profile]
|
Thu May 11th 12:52 2006 / #48 |
|
carry a dictionary with you. write down words you don't know that you hear. review words at the end of the day. Speak whenever you have a chance. Take lessons to learn the grammar. Its really not that hard. |
|
Bobbo
-
[profile]
|
Sun May 14th 16:11 2006 / #49 |
|
Great advice, Pacman! And while you all, especially 43 through 46, seem to know all about learning Czech, I think you should bone up on your English. This is not an official ticket from the Grammar Police, it's just a warning from a volunteer neighborhood watcher and former English teacher. Just sayin'... |
|
The Grinning Lemur
-
[profile]
|
Mon May 15th 16:48 2006 / #50 |
Learning a lot of vocabulary might seem helpful but it can set you back. I found a phrasal approach helped somewhat. Learn phrases and you start to see an overlap in their usage.
Then go after the vocabulary |
|
muthuraman
-
[anon]
|
Tue Aug 1st 10:02 2006 / #51 |
|
I am working in Engineering company. right now our company buying czech (Tos) make gear hobbing machine. i had manual reference of the machine that is czech language. i want to convert english language give me your suggesstion |
jeff
|
Tue Aug 1st 15:17 2006 / #52 |
muthuraman -
http://prague.tv/prague/business/translation-services |
|
Aimee
-
[profile]
|
Tue Jan 9th 00:23 2007 / #53 |
|
I am considering buying The Colloquial Czech but there are many versions.Any suggestions on which one would be the better version? They aren't cheap either! |
|
Aimee
-
[profile]
|
Tue Jan 2nd 01:04 2007 / #54 |
|
I just realised this website is used infrequently. Last entry aug 2006!!! Whoa! |
|
IJ
-
[profile]
|
Tue Jan 2nd 07:51 2007 / #55 |
"I just realised this website is used infrequently. Last entry aug 2006!!! Whoa!"
Aimee, I did hear that Aussies are not too bright ... ;-) |
|
jeff
|
Tue Jan 2nd 16:08 2007 / #56 |
|
Yes, Aimee - you misread the date - the last post was in 2006... |
|
IJ
-
[profile]
|
Tue Jan 2nd 19:27 2007 / #57 |
"how do you learn czech?"
Good question - but how do you learn any language? Unless someone knows better, the definitive work here is by Chomsky.
But look at 'Situational Language Teaching', and the theories of Firth and Halliday, as well as Hymes, Gumperz and Labov, and the perhaps the writings of Austin and Searle on Speech Acts. |
|
KRANG
-
[profile]
|
Thu Jan 4th 02:47 2007 / #58 |
|
Hi, I´m native czech guy (25 y.o.) living in Prague and I want to meet some english speaking people. I want to improve my english and I´m offering you improving your czech. Send me short email if you are interested. I hope we will find our common hobbies. Rado (redrocket@centrum.cz ICQ 202-482-881) |
|
Aimee
-
[profile]
|
Tue Jan 9th 00:24 2007 / #59 |
|
comment withdrawn!! |
|
IJ
-
[profile]
|
Mon Jan 8th 01:08 2007 / #60 |
Take a few minutes to deconstruct this:
"I just realised this website is used infrequently. Last entry aug 2006!!! Whoa!"
Personally, it comes as no surprise to me that every thread does not continue into perpetuity. To consider or expect that they should isn't the action of a bright man, imo.
Czech's arrogant? Ask your father :-) |
|
Aimee
-
[profile]
|
Mon Jan 8th 09:59 2007 / #61 |
|
IJ - I just wanted some advice on learning Czech not to be undermined. What exactly are you trying to prove? |
todd
-
[profile]
|
Mon Jan 8th 10:49 2007 / #62 |
OK if you don't mind I will try to get this back on track, or at least in line with the original question.
Firstly, if you are a true beginner then I would recommend taking a class. Personally, I think it helps to be in a class enviroment as you have the element of competition which helps to force you to excel as well as do your homework. Many schools offer evening classes usually 1 1/2 hours two or three times a week and this is the best way to get your basic Czech learned. Elementary grammar and conversation are essential for learning and as you have these classes you can then focus on reading in your spare time. I recommend pohadky, or fairtales as a great way to learn how to really read czech. I also say you should read outloud so that you get used to you speaking czech. It's difficult to begin with but as you practice more you will find it easier and easier. Write down any words you don't know and then learn those words, 5 words a day is pretty easy to manage.
Next step is watch Czech TV, it sucks by the way :), but watch or better yet, listen to it. Immerse yourself in Czech. Listen to it, read it and most importantly speak Czech with Czechs. The hardest problem with newly relocated foreigners is that it is so easy to just go and hange out with a bunch of fellow foreigners. That will not help you learn Czech. Of course there is the reality that most Czechs speak english, but there are enough sadistic ones out there who will let you stumble through their language :)
The key is really patience and dedication. Of course if you don't plan on staying here you might think why bother, however, if you plan on staying then learning Czech is rewarding and fun, especially when you learn some of the bizarred phrases: case in point the movie title my dva a køen which in czech basically means you and me and the tag along, køen normally means horseradish so when I saw this written I was like what the fuck they translated the english title from you me and dupree to us two and horseradish, I then found out that in this case horseradish refers to someone that tags along with a couple. Funny huh. |
|
IJ
-
[profile]
|
Mon Jan 8th 11:28 2007 / #63 |
Aimee, I'm not trying to prove anything, but merely replying to your question about arrogance.
There must be 50 snippits of advice on learning czech already on this page, if you care to read the whole thread. Furthermore, a 'google' will reveal whole articles on the subject,
Personally, I don't believe that you can easily develop basic language skills through a book. Factors such as existing skills in other similar or related languages, and the level of natural ability to learn new languages, are the key factors.
The ;-) was a wink, by the way. |
|
Aimee
-
[profile]
|
Tue Jan 9th 00:22 2007 / #64 |
|
thanks todd and IJ its good to get different opinions. Thats all i was after. Cheers |
|
rakosnicek
-
[profile]
|
Wed Jan 10th 17:26 2007 / #65 |
I'm looking for one or more tutors to help me learn the Czech language.
I want to spend 10+ hours a week (1 to 2 hours, weekdays and 2 or more hours on the each day of the weekend.)
If this is too much for one, I'm happy to pickup multiple tutors. |
|
Czech translation
-
[profile]
|
Thu Mar 13th 02:38 2008 / #66 |
|
The more completely you are immersed in a Czech language only environment, the faster you learn.
Lenka
Czech Translation |
KeiraZ
-
[profile]
|
Sat Jan 16th 22:14 / #67 |
|
"how do you learn czech?" - to communicate a lot with people in czech republic, to watch movie and personally me helped very well school Czech for foreigners |
|
Nahore nebo nahoru
|
Mon Jan 18th 19:18 / #68 |
Don't even worry about speaking Czech. It's a total waste of time. No matter how much you study, or how much you practice, Czechs will never accept you. You have to remember, you are a foreigner to them, nothing else (if you are Slovak, you have a better chance).
Remember:
1. Czechs have allergic reactions to foreign accents on Czech. Whereas many normal societies like a different accent every now and then because it's pretty or exotic, Czechs would rather hear the "hezky" Czech accent that they hear EVERY...single...day. Funny, because Czech is not actually a beautiful language, and they know it.
2. 95% of Czechs will not even appreciate you making the effort. Most will think you sound like a retard and would like to run away, and the other ones would like to listen to you for the laughs.
3. Any educated Czechs would prefer to stop your non-native Czech and practice English with you, or perhaps your French, Italian, Spanish...etc. They won't admit they actually like these other languages more than their own. They think these other languages are cooler (because Friends rocks!!), and they are more beautiful (Czechs love to sing an English song, they just have no idea what it means), but they won't admit that and they'll act like they are doing you a favor.
4. 90% of Czechs can't understand bad Czech. This I can't explain other than, "Stick to the Czech script!!!!", if you know what I mean.
Good luck Kamosi! It will be a thrilling experience nonetheless. |
Tiffin University...
Meridian Internat...
Duhovka Preschool
Feedback Form