Czech for Foreigners

For a long time, our department has focused on providing lectures on the Czech language for foreigners. We offer several courses with variable degrees of knowledge of the Czech language; they are intended for foreign students of all Ostrava University’s faculties. Besides this, we also provide a Bachelor’s and Master’s program “Czech for Foreigners”. Furthermore, we organize the Summer School of the Czech Language, and we are the only Moravian-Silesian language and culture examination center for gaining the state citizenship of the Czech Republic. Our lecturers have rich experience in teaching Czech for foreigners both in our country and at foreign universities. We also use our own textbook, Czech in Ostrava: how not to get lost in Czech and in Ostrava. We cooperate with the Czech School without Borders in London.

We offer:

DAVID, Jaroslav. Czech in Ostrava: how not to get lost in Czech and in Ostrava. Ostrava: OU, 2014.

The Czech for Foreigners coursebook was written as a summary of many years’ experience of teaching foreign students arriving predominantly within the Erasmus exchange programme. In twelve lessons, they are presented with basic Czech grammar, lexis, and conversational topics (level A1–A2). The introduction – including the presentation of the Czech language and its specificities – is followed by units presenting particular grammar topics, practically and communicatively oriented exercises, homework tasks, and basic issues of everyday communication – e.g., study, university, dormitory, e-mail writing, a project presentation, travelling, shopping, etc. Students are supposed to learn, understand, and be able to react in usual communicative situations. The attention is also paid to language etiquette, e.g., T–V distinction; addressing people is also focused on. The units 1–5 are mediated through the English language. The text is accompanied by a quantity of original illustrations.