Dana Vítůvová: 'When learning Czech, it is important to overcome yourself'.
The realisation that speaking Czech without an accent is essential sometimes comes too late. To be fully integrated into Czech society, it is not enough to speak the language at C1 level or to have a large and varied vocabulary. In the Czech Republic, I think it is very important to have a correct pronunciation, without an accent, so that a local does not recognise you as a foreigner. At the very least, your slight accent should not irritate their ears and interfere with their understanding of what you are saying. This is directly related not only to your personal development, but also to your full integration into Czech society.
At first sight, no one pays attention to the accent, but the problem of the accent for a foreigner is much deeper than you can imagine. A foreigner who speaks Czech without an accent will feel more comfortable both at university and when applying for a job. And the sooner a foreigner realises this, the better for him or her.
That is why VĚDA language school has organised a special phonetic course called "Czech without an accent".
Today we are going to talk to a professional Czech teacher from this school, Dana Vítůvová (pictured above).
- There are many language schools and language courses in the Czech Republic. As a language schoolteacher, can you highlight the advantages of teaching students (both adults and children) at VĚDA Language School?
- It is important to note that we have a maximum of 12 students in a group Czech language course. Therefore, we can pay attention to each one of them. An individual and, above all, a human approach is very important in teaching. Of course, student motivation is also important.
- What motivates foreigners to enrol in a Czech language course?
- Knowledge of any language is an indicator of a person's personal development. The language school offers a preparatory Czech language course for students who want to study at Czech universities.
We also advise students on which university in the Czech Republic is best for them. In addition to the desire to study at a Czech university, the motivation may also be to get a new job or to communicate in Czech.
- Are there different Czech language courses at the language school?
- Yes, there are year-round Czech language courses for children and adults. The intensity of the annual course is five to six hours a day and we are fully immersed in the language learning process.
There are preparatory courses for university entrance and an express course for the Czech national exam at level B2. As a Czech teacher in a language school, it is very important to me that children and adults who speak a foreign language get used to the Czech environment. A Czech person always recognises the Czech language and is always happy to help a foreigner.
That is why in our courses we emphasise communication so that the foreigner can speak. Of course, we also study the grammar and style of the language, which is an integral part of language learning, so that the foreigner can eventually integrate into the Czech environment.
- What level can a foreigner reach during a one-year Czech language course?
- Using last year's course as an example, I can say that the participants in the year-long course included people who spoke no Czech at all and people who spoke Czech at the B1 level.
It was interesting to see how they developed in the group. Those who spoke at an advanced level helped the beginners to learn the language and then they all started to work together in the group.
As a result, at the end of the year-long course, all the students were ready to take the B2 state exam. Those who knew the language at the B1 level closed any gaps in their knowledge and raised their knowledge to the B2 level, while those who had no knowledge of Czech at all received additional individual training and were also prepared for the B2 level at the end of the year.
- Do you deal with Czech reality in your courses?
We use examples from Czech films and literature in our classes. Czech reality is an integral part of teaching the Czech language. It is important for a foreigner to know life in the Czech Republic in all its aspects: geography, culture, history, literature, etc.
During the lessons we also go on short trips with the group. For example, we went to Karlštejn, studied the history of Karlštejn and Karlovy Vary. In this way we expanded our vocabulary. The students were given the task of communicating with the locals.
- The school now offers evening Czech language courses for adults...
- In the Czech language classes for adults, for example, I try to explain linguistic phenomena in detail, as well as the rules of behaviour of Czechs, so that foreigners can integrate as well as possible into the life of the country.
For example, the other day I was walking down the street with my group and at a pedestrian crossing they immediately started to cross the street without analysing the situation on the road. I explained to the group that at an unregulated traffic light crossing we should stop, look around, see if a car has stopped, wave to the driver and then start crossing the road.
My students in the language group said they didn't know that. This rule has been shaped by the whole history of the development of traffic rules in the Czech Republic.
When teaching Czech, of course we follow the ministry's programme, but what I particularly like about this language school is that I can bring a human and individual approach to teaching, help foreigners develop and adapt to Czech society, and at the same time, very importantly, pay special attention to the phonetics of the language.
- This is my next question. Now VĚDA is one of the first language schools in the Czech Republic to offer a phonetic course in Czech - the course "Czech without an accent". Tell us more about this course, how necessary is it?
- My thirty-year experience of teaching Czech shows that foreigners, both children and adults, want to speak just like the locals, without an accent.
There is an opinion that it is impossible to get rid of an accent as an adult, but I disagree. All you need is training and practice. When I was in Volgograd, they put headphones on us and made us repeat phrases endlessly until the accent disappeared. I remember that there are seven intonation constructions in Russian, whereas there aren't that many in Czech.
The motivation for speaking without an accent is usually that the foreigner wants to be fully integrated into Czech society, so that he or she is not "pointed at" or recognised as a foreigner.
Every teacher has his or her own method of getting rid of an accent. Some of them are the following I repeat the same word 'endlessly' with the student until he pronounces it without an accent, and so we work on each word. And eventually the student will remember the correct pronunciation of the words.
- Let me ask you some practical questions as a professional teacher. What is the most difficult thing about learning Czech?
- Starting to learn is the most difficult part. Also the variety of meanings of words in Russian and Czech, i.e. the meaning of a similar word in Russian and Czech can be radically different. The correct pronunciation of some letters, for example ř. But the most difficult thing is to start speaking, especially if it is an adult.
- What's the biggest obstacle to learning a language?
- It is the fear of speaking. You have to start speaking, even if you make mistakes, even if you have an accent, but day after day you have to not be afraid to speak the language. A foreigner has to overcome, break down and start speaking.
Here at the school we work on the students not being afraid to speak, we create a special atmosphere for this. No one makes fun of anyone here, there is an atmosphere of wanting to learn Czech.
- Often adults choose a non-native speaker so that the teacher can explain some nuances in their own language. I know that you not only speak Russian, but also use it in courses when teaching Czech to foreigners?
- First of all, I am also a teacher of Russian history. I studied Russian for 12 years, first at school, then at college and university. Later I retrained as a teacher of Czech for foreigners.
This is what individual work is all about and another advantage of our language school: the lessons are given by teachers who have a professional command of both Russian and Czech. In the Czech language courses, I teach Russian-speaking foreigners words in Russian and translate them immediately into Czech. But the most important thing is that I am a native Czech speaker!
- When we talk about phonetics, we should also talk about the fact that there is literary Czech and there is what you might call street, colloquial Czech, which you sometimes hear on television.
- Let me give you my point of view. We study literary Czech, but I explain to the students that on the street they can hear this or that phrase or word in a 'street' formulation. I always teach my students to speak literary Czech, which shows their level in society.
Speaking in Czech sounds melodious, the Czech language is beautiful and diverse. Students applying for university want to increase their importance, so they should be able to express their thoughts beautifully, especially literarily.
- A conversation with a Czech TV presenter and a conversation with a bank employee are very different in terms of vocabulary. You pay attention to this in your Czech language courses, don't you?
- Every language has a vocabulary scale, from A0 or A1 to C2. We start with basic words, of course, and then gradually increase the students' vocabulary when an action can be described by a number of synonyms.
For example, we take the phrase 'today I went to the theatre', then we replace the word 'was' with synonyms: 'today I visited the theatre' or 'today I spent the evening at the theatre' and so on.
We bring the vocabulary of the Czech language to the B2 or C1 level. The average Czech speaks at the B2 level, the C1 level is already a mastery of terminology.
- You have been teaching Czech to foreigners for many years and are a professional teacher. Can you tell me if there is anything about the Czech language that you are still learning?
- I am attracted by the colourfulness and diversity of the Czech language. I am always looking for a new set of synonyms for each word, and I really like the colourfulness of the language.
It should be noted that the accredited VĚDA language school with the right to hold state examinations in the Czech language conducts the state examination at level B2, which is necessary to obtain a residence permit and Czech citizenship, to enter universities or to apply for a job.
This level is higher than that required to apply for permanent residence or citizenship. But if there is a shortage of places on the target exam, it is a perfect solution to the problem.
It is also a good reason to improve your language skills in the country where you want to live, work and study.
You can test your knowledge of the Czech language and take a practice test (zkouška na nečisto) immediately before the course or exam.
There are also courses that last several months and an express course to prepare you for the exam. The school's preparation courses are taught by native Czech speakers with knowledge of Russian and Ukrainian. The opportunity to take the state exam at level B2 is usually offered twice a year, in spring and autumn, on dates set by the state. The certificate of passing the state exam is permanent.
For more information, please contact us on 776 811 671 or 602 970 893.
Tomáš Malinský spoke to us,
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