Beginning Intensive Czech Language

These courses provide students with basic skills needed to communicate on a daily basis. They include grammar, conversation, listening, and reading comprehension.
Contact hours: 45

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed for students who:
- have little or no previous knowledge of Czech language.
- are NOT interested in continuing their study of Czech (or other Slavic languages) into the future, and only wish to learn basic skills in communicating during their study program in Prague.
- desire a simplified introduction to the fundamentals of Czech grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.
- practice using language in everyday situations through role-playing, excursions, etc.

This language course provides the linguistic tools necessary both for students to make themselves understood as well as to enable them to gain a better understanding of the way of life in the Czech Republic. Successful communication is the main goal.

Throughout the course, lessons will be sequenced from presentation activities to guided practice activities to communicative activities. Because language practice should be meaningful, it will be communicative and based on situations with the emphasis on "real" language. Listening activities also be incorporated into the lessons to improve students' aural abilities. The material covered during the semester will be "spiraled" and reviewed so as to build upon and reinforce the students' knowledge base.
ÚJOP faculty designs the curriculum.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
This course is designed to:
- develop students' practical knowledge of Czech language.
- allow students to function in "everyday situations" (i.e. restaurants, shops, train stations, etc.) so as to allow greater integration with Czech culture and society.
- promote greater confidence in speaking Czech language.
- provide the most basic foundation necessary for gaining conversational ability, limiting the amount of formal grammar study to the minimum, and focusing instead on situations, pronunciation, and understanding basic phrases.

CONTENTS:
Weekly schedule: 2 week intensive Czech Language course

Week 1
Day 1 Monday Intensive Czech, Leave school for exploration of the local community*
Day 2 Tuesday Intensive Czech
Day 3 Wednesday Intensive Czech, Guided Tour of area around Prague Castle*
Day 4 Thursday Intensive Czech, Go to a restaurant with Czech teacher*
Day 5 Friday Intensive Czech, Go around town with a Czech teacher*
Day 6 Saturday Excursion to Kutna hora*

Week 2
Day 6 Monday - Intensive Czech
Day 7 Tuesday - Intensive Czech
Day 8 Wednesday Intensive Czech, Visit of the National Library
Day 9 Thursday Intensive Czech
Day 10 Friday Intensive Czech Scavenger Hunt and opera*

*Course content subject to change

COURSE EVALUATION:
Quizzes: 20%
Final test IC + final test: 40%
Homework: 20%
Active participation in class and activities: 20%

Students will have regular graded quizzes according the schedule and quizzes given by teacher during semester.

Homework (both oral and written exercises, dialogues, etc.) assigned for each class meeting.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance is mandatory.
Unexcused absences will be reflected in the final grade progressively.

CLASS PROTOCOL:
Students are required to be involved in class activities. It is expected that students arrive to class on time and that they return promptly to class after any given class break.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Dana Nývltová ? Petra Honzáková: Cestina, UK 2009
Czech-English, English- Czech Dictionary
Supplementary reading: handouts