Czech language for admission. Learning a foreign language: how to learn Czech on your own at home

In the Czech Republic? Are you going to study or work? Or maybe you are simply attracted by the sound of Czech speech? In any case, you are faced with the question “How to learn Czech?”.
In order to understand the variety of language teaching options, you first need to have an idea of ​​what the Czech language is, what group of languages ​​it belongs to, and what related roots it has with the Russian language.

About the Czech language

Czech is spoken by about 12 million people. Czech– the official language of the Czech Republic. He belongs to the Western group Slavic languages, is a cognate of the Russian language. The Czech alphabet uses the Latin alphabet. Unlike Russian, in Czech there are long and short variants of vowel sounds (for example, drahá - “dear” and dráha - “road”), which perform a semantic distinguishing function.
It should be noted that the Czech language is quite soft in nature, has big amount soft hissing, it is even sometimes called “snake tongue”. Therefore, it is easy to recognize a Russian-speaking person, even if he speaks Czech, since the Russian language is characterized by greater hardness.
There is also one of the Czech languages complex sounds– the sound “ř”, which is not always easy for even the Czechs themselves. Often, to achieve correct pronunciation, Czechs resort to the help of a speech therapist. There is no similar sound in the Russian language, and our articulatory apparatus is not adapted to pronounce it, therefore, to obtain good result you need to train a lot. For simplicity and convenience, many teaching aids recommend pronouncing this sound as “rzh”. But the Czech language is much softer than Russian, this sound is pronounced very, very softly, the sounds “r” and “zh” merge into one. Moreover, this sound is original and practically does not occur in other common world languages. Czechs are proud of this sound. But if you pronounce it in the Russian manner, they will still understand you.
How easy is it to learn this language? The language is related to Russian, so you can find many similar words.
For example: people – lidé, seller – prodávající, teacher – učitel, and others.
Some of the Czech words and phrases may seem funny at first.
For example: čerstvé potraviny – fresh food, chytrý – smart, pozor – attention, and others.
You will find a lot of such words in the Czech language, which at first may make you giggle and smile, but with a more detailed immersion in the language, you will understand the processes occurring in it.
If your native language is Russian or another Slavic language, you have a linguistic education and already have experience in, then learning Czech will be much easier for you than for everyone else.
So, you have decided to start learning Czech.

Study using a phrasebook, tutorial, textbook

For a tourist trip to the Czech Republic, learning the language using a phrasebook is the best option. In the phrasebook you will find the basic necessary phrases, signs, making purchases in a store, calling an ambulance, paying in a restaurant, and also performing other necessary operations. You will learn basic phrases and necessary words. In the phrasebook, all words and phrases are divided into thematic groups, so it is quite convenient to learn phrases by comparing them with the situation.
But I draw the attention of the readers of MirSovetov, it was not for nothing that we said “learn phrases”, since using a phrasebook, you will not be able to understand the system of the language, the principles of word formation, the principles of constructing phrases.
A self-instruction manual in this regard is much more useful, since it not only gives ready-made phrases, but also helps to understand how they are formed. Undoubtedly, the self-instruction manual should be accompanied by a disk with phonetic exercises. Because, even knowing the spelling of words and grammar perfectly, being able to navigate the text, but pronouncing words phonetically incorrectly, you will experience difficulties in communication.
Of the recommended textbooks, Shirokova’s Soviet textbook for universities is still the best. Everything in it is worked out in such detail and consistently that you will immediately fall in love with the Czech language. Also very popular is the textbook for Russians “Chcete mluvit cesky”. Many classes for Russians in Czech universities are taught based on the materials in this textbook. The textbook does not have a clear system, but the material is given quite completely.
But at the first stage of learning a language, you need a specialist who would correct you and point out your mistakes so that you do not memorize them.

Audio aids, radio, television, cinema

In the modern age, all this has become accessible. To immerse yourself in the Czech language, you can tune in to the frequencies of the Czech radio and listen not only to Czech news and music, but also on the Internet pages of the Czech radio Rozglas you can also find audio books. Czech films can be downloaded in a VKontakte group specially created for this purpose, on torrent resources and in other places. From the films offered, you can also choose Czech films with Russian translation or Russian subtitles. Watching national films is very useful, because... Almost all Czech films have a unique, characteristic flavor only for them. Specific humor, Czech realities, peculiarities of mentality - you can experience all this when watching Czech films.

Internet, online courses

This is also a good option, since materials on the Czech language have now appeared. You can download not only textbooks, but also audio programs, and study using multimedia programs on the Internet. There are several copyright websites where materials are posted and seminars and language classes are held. The advantage of multimedia programs is that you can control yourself.

Tutor, courses, university

When registering for courses, it is better if you have a native speaker teach the classes. You will be able to avoid fixing errors in speech that are typical for Russian speakers. Since the languages ​​are related, I always want to speak by analogy. But here readers of MirSovetov should be attentive and careful. In the Czech language there are many such controls in phrases and sentences, which in Russian are used with other prepositions or in a different order.
For example: go to university (Russian) - it to university (Czech), wait for someone - check for ... (Czech)
Therefore, classes with an experienced teacher who is a native speaker will be much more useful.

Language environment

If you go to study and think that in a language environment the language will learn on its own, then you are deeply mistaken. Without systematic, high-quality studies, the only thing that awaits you is that you will learn to perfectly understand others, but will develop linguistic muteness in yourself. Or will you talk to gross mistakes so that it will be very difficult for a foreigner to listen to you. And also remember that if you have chosen Prague for immersion in the language environment, then communication in Czech can be kept to a minimum.
When you come to Prague, you will be surprised how often you will hear Russian. There are indeed a lot of Russian speakers in Prague, so you will not have problems with communication, you can always find a Russian-speaking friend who will help you. Companies in Prague also often recruit multilingual employees. And you, in addition to practicing the language, will always be able to “chat” with someone in Russian. And the temptation is great, especially when you are a beginner and find it difficult to express yourself in an unfamiliar language. Therefore, I advise MirSovetov readers to learn Czech not in the capital. For this purpose, it is better to choose a smaller city. But do not forget that there are 4 dialects in the Czech Republic - therefore, if you find yourself in these places, the speech of the residents may contain elements characteristic of this particular area.
In the environment, you will learn to perceive someone else's speech well, distinguish what is said, and perhaps model it with your own voice, adapting it to the soft, hissing Czech speech.
It’s good if you studied this language at the language department of a university, perhaps even did an internship. In the Czech Republic, there are Czech courses at Charles University and at other universities in the republic, and you can also go to a Czech summer language school for several weeks.
Of course, under no circumstances should you travel with zero knowledge of the language. You must have an understanding of the language and know basic phrases. Since modern Czech youth are reluctant to learn Russian, and people of the older generation have already forgotten a lot, and do not always like to communicate in Russian.
Have fun learning!

Czech language is one of 24 official languages European Union. Distributed both in the Czech Republic itself and in the USA, Canada, Slovakia, Serbia, Austria, etc. The total number of native speakers of this language is 10.6 million people. Learning Czech is not difficult, since it is related to other Slavic languages. Closest to Slovak.

There are many reasons why people learn this language:

• tourism;
• education;
• Job;
• moving to this country;
• interest in culture and history.

It is worth noting that the Czech Republic provides an opportunity to get a well-paid job. Alternatively, you can study at the University of Karlovo, which was founded in 1348 and is one of the oldest universities in Central Europe.

Whatever the reason, you can be sure that knowing a foreign language opens up new boundaries for a person.

Photo of an evening Czech city.

What is important for a beginner to know?

One of distinctive features Czech is phonetics:

• The stress always falls on the first syllable;
• The alphabet uses superscript characters: apostrophe and acute. An apostrophe is placed above consonants to indicate a hard sound. Above vowels - to show the softness of the preceding consonant sound.

From a grammatical point of view, Czech is distinguished by the presence of archaic (old) forms. For example, unlike Russian, there is still a vocative case.

Pronunciation has specific features. The Czech language uses Latin letters, most of which are read as they are written.

However, some sounds require explanation. For example, h is pronounced like Ukrainian, and y is the middle sound between i and ы. It’s interesting that the Czechs themselves cannot pronounce our Russian ы.

It is difficult for both foreigners and Czechs to learn to write correctly - you can hear and understand the meaning of words incorrectly.

Czech is unusual and at the same time interesting language especially for Russian speakers. For example, the inscription in the store POZOR:SLEVA does not at all mean that there is something shameful on the left. It actually translates to "Attention: Discount". Or the word “čerstvý” (stale) does not mean, as in Russian, something spoiled (stale bread), but on the contrary, something new, fresh. Therefore, in order to correctly understand all the intricacies of this language, it is necessary to choose the right methodology and method of teaching.

Ways to learn Czech

Exist various ways for training. You can try to master the language yourself. To do this, it is important to purchase a tutorial that is suitable for you. Dictionaries and phrase books are also needed, it is advisable to find films and books in order to get used to speech that is foreign to you from the very beginning. On the other hand, you can find a tutor who will conduct classes with you once a week, and if desired, twice. It is worth noting that if you have a teacher, learning goes faster, as there is an incentive to learn in the form of homework and direct practice with a native speaker. In addition, do not forget that only an experienced teacher can deliver correct pronunciation. In this case The best way for training - these are courses.

If you decide to attend language courses, it is important to find out about the details: what exactly they are ready to offer, what program the training is based on. Is there an original method, how many times a week are classes, the amount of homework and workload in class? Plus, it is important to find out whether you can study individually, at home or via Skype, in the evening or during the day.

Czech language courses in Moscow

Foreign language courses "Master Class" offer several training programs. The duration of each level of training is 48 academic hours (3 months). Upon completion of the program, a certificate is issued indicating the course and number of hours.

The training is intended both for beginners from scratch and for those who have already studied the Czech language. They will help you update your old knowledge or gain new knowledge, correct your pronunciation and teach you how to speak and write correctly. During individual training, the methodology is built taking into account your wishes. The courses are taught by experienced certified teachers, both Russian-speaking and those for whom Czech is native.

You can choose any of the branches for learning the Czech language in Moscow, which are located next to the metro stations: Belorusskaya, Oktyabrskoye Pole and Kashirskaya.

Price for individual and group Czech language training

The price is per group.

Corporate training price

The price is per group.

Basic Czech language course

Based on rich experience in this field and the best training materials, we have created effective programs, which will allow you to develop a strong grammatical base and communication experience. You can learn Czech language basic course which includes training both in small groups and individually. Czech language courses in basic level are aimed at students mastering the necessary aspects of grammar, phonetics, and vocabulary.

The basic Czech language course lasts 4 months. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to communicate in Czech household topics, read adapted texts, conduct simple correspondence.

The full course lasts for a year. Training is based on an individual program, based on the student’s goals (Czech for doing business, studying in higher education educational institution, communication with native speakers, learning the vocabulary of a particular professional field, etc.).

Educational process in the classroom

Native Czech-speaking teacher Teresa

LESSON 1 – LEKCE 1

We start the first lesson with the Czech alphabet and phonetics. Unlike the Russian language, the Czech language uses the Latin alphabet. Many letters have the same pronunciation as the Russian language, for example:

• a = a
• b = b
• c = c
• č = h
• d = d
• e = e
• ě = e
• f = f
• g = g
• ch = x
• i, y = and
• j = th
• k = k
• m = m
• n = n
• o = o
• p = p
• r = r
• s = s
• š = w
• t = t
• u = y
• v = in
• z = z
• ž = w

Some letters are either pronounced slightly differently or do not exist in Russian at all, for example:

• l = l – pronounced like the Central European “l” - neither hard nor soft;
• h = pronounced like the Ukrainian “g”;
• ř = pronounced as ringing sound“rzh”, or like a dull sound “rsh”;
• w = in;
• x = x;
• q = que;

Having studied the alphabet and phonetics, and explained the rules of stress and vowel reduction, we begin to practice reading and learning new words, for example:

Čeština, kavárna, daň, trojúhelník, skříň, praxe, šlehačka, štěstí, žádný, řeka, moucha...

At the end of the first lesson, we will get acquainted with the basic phrases and slowly begin to form simple dialogues.

• Good day.
• Good day. Jak se máte?
• Děkuji, dobře. A vy?
• Take it easy, děkuji.
• Jak se jmenujete?
• Jmenuji se Jana Nováková. A vy?
• Já se jmenuji Karel Slaný.
• Těší mě.
• Take it easy.
• Na shledanou.
• Na shledanou.

Other Czech lessons

At the beginning of each subsequent lesson we repeat the grammar and lexicon. Then we try to speak more and use phrases that we have already learned and acquire new ones (colloquial and literary).

We are considering a new grammar that concerns verbs (present, future, past tenses), nouns, adjectives, their endings in different cases, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions...

To remember the new grammar better, we put it into practice.

Despite the fact that I am a native speaker, sometimes I need to listen to another Czech voice, because of this we first listen to simple texts, then to Czech radio. You can’t learn all the words from a textbook, so we read different articles from newspapers and magazines on any topic so that everyone can find it interesting.

.

Related to Slavic group The Czech language has many similarities with Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian, so it is much easier for residents of the CIS to learn it than, for example, for a German or Englishman. This language is not without grace and melody, and the streets of Prague captivate with mysterious legends, which will certainly become clearer as you learn the language.

Czech lessons with Advent EuroConsult

The channel's materials will help you learn the Czech language at an elementary level, starting with the very basics - the alphabet, pronouns and conjugations. The video explains grammar, rules for writing sentences, and much more in a concise and understandable manner. 10 lessons are allocated to conquer the entry level. Knowledge of a foreign language is not required - training is in Russian.

Czech language with Czrepetitor

During lessons, vocabulary and grammar are explained through presentations - taught First level. At the same time, explanatory comments are in Czech, but the presentations are so simple and understandable that you can safely start the lessons without those who know the language. Course participants will be able to expand their vocabulary and learn to form simple sentences, and will also provide the correct pronunciation. The channel was created for those who study closely and are simply interested in Czech.

Czech with Elena Shipilova

The listener will find more than 30 video lessons on the channel that will help immerse themselves in the world of the Czech language. Grammar, vocabulary and much more. Charming Elena will tell you about the nuances and subtleties of using this or that word in a sentence.
It’s interesting that the channel’s teacher, in addition to Czech, teaches other languages. By delving into the channel's archive, you can learn how to learn languages ​​correctly, overcome problems in learning a language, be able to get the correct pronunciation and much more. The lessons are well suited for those who are learning the language from scratch and are conducted in Russian.

Simple Czech

Listening to foreign speech is known to be one of the main problems of a Russian-speaking user. The lessons posted on the channel are designed to correct this misunderstanding - a pleasant audio reading of Czech is so well, simply and clearly organized that you want to start learning Czech without any particular goal. First, the student listens to the Russian version of a fragment of the book, then listens to its translation into Czech.

Czech with Go Study group s.r.o.

Here they will teach you how to introduce yourself, introduce you to the Czech alphabet, teach you how to answer the question “what time is it” and ask “how much does it cost”, introduce you to public transport and help you solve other everyday issues that require you to explain yourself in Czech.

Czech with Kurz Češtiny

The channel contains many lessons for learning Czech. Educational information is provided primarily through high-quality presentations.
The lessons are taught by a native Czech speaker, but explanations are given in Russian with a pleasant Czech accent. Kurtz will talk about the features of learning Czech, introduce you to grammar, warn about the main mistakes that people make when learning this particular language, and introduce you not only to the language, but also to Prague. On the channel you can find frivolous ones, but interesting videos like “What you shouldn’t shout in Russian in the Czech Republic.”

Czech with LINGVOPORTAL

Study the Czech language using a textbook with detailed explanations in Czech. The speaker's voice is pleasant, the pace of teaching is calm. The textbook comprehensively covers the material: grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, history of the language and much more are studied. In addition, the authors of the channel offer to complete a full training course posted on the official website. The material is qualitatively commented by the reader.

Czech language with Gennadij Jakimov

The author of the channel, being a professional linguist and translator, will tell you how easy it is to start speaking Czech and introduce you to the country itself and its customs and cultural values. Here you can expand your vocabulary and speed up the process of learning the language, and get the correct pronunciation. The lessons are designed for beginners and advanced users of the language, training is conducted in Russian. All educational information provided primarily in clear and simple presentations.

How to learn Czech quickly at home?

Is it easy to learn Czech?

There is an opinion that it is much more difficult for Russian people to remember Czech words than for other peoples. A person who speaks this language faces specific difficulties in the learning process.

1. Words that create confusion in the head. For example, pozor (pronounced “shame”) among the Czechs is a kind of call for attentiveness.

2. Difference in pronunciation. For Czechs, the emphasis is on the first syllable; the length of vowels is important for them; there is a difficult-to-pronounce letter ř.

3. Simultaneous similarities and differences in grammar. Some words that are similar to Russian are declined or conjugated differently in Czech.

4. Dialects. There are many of them in the Czech language. Thus, the spelling and pronunciation of words varies in different territories of the state. Ignorance of the country's history. You can learn the Czech language on your own if you simultaneously get acquainted with the realities of their past.

Considering all of the above, a Russian person is capable of mastering the Czech language. However, for this he needs to make some efforts.

How long does it take to learn Czech from scratch on your own?

When learning a language, there will be a positive effect if a person lives in the Czech Republic, communicating with the residents of the republic. Some people receive such knowledge in a special local school. There are other ways to learn a language.

1. Hire a tutor. This step will require financial costs, but it will be cheaper than living in the Czech Republic. Experienced teacher using individual approach, will teach the intricacies of spoken language.

2. Sign up for courses. This method is popular among those who want to learn Czech. However, it is already suitable for those who have understood grammar and know how to construct simple sentences.

3. Online training. It does not require financial investment and occurs via the Internet. There is free courses, programs. Download the textbooks and study on your own.

So how long does it take to learn Czech from scratch? There is no answer to this question, since people have different abilities. You just need to practice regularly and hone your writing and speaking skills.

Over the 2 years of living in the Czech Republic, I have accumulated enormous experience in learning the Czech language using various educational materials. Some textbooks were really useful and helped to speak the language, while others turned out to be completely useless, and studying them did not bring any benefit. In this article, I compiled a review of the Czech language textbooks that I had the opportunity to study with, and gave them my subjective assessment.

When describing textbooks, I use the levels of knowledge of a foreign language (A1, A2, B1, B2), which I talked about.

Tutorial New Czech Step by Step

This is the first Czech language textbook that I used during my courses in Albertov. The textbook comes with a workbook and a CD with dialogues. The textbook contains 20 lessons, and the Czech text in it is duplicated in English, which is difficult for students who do not speak English language. Each lesson introduces new vocabulary, but it is absolutely not reinforced in exercises or dialogues. There are few listening tasks, although at the first stage of language learning it is very important to begin to perceive foreign speech by ear. Grammar is explained in fits and starts and reinforced with 1-2 exercises, and then new topic. I didn’t learn the language from this textbook at all, but was looking for additional educational materials in the Internet.

The workbook for the textbook makes a more pleasant impression: it contains exercises that help reinforce grammar that is poorly explained in the textbook. Czech language teachers do not recommend the textbook New Czech Step by Step for Russian-speaking students, because it is ineffective.

Cost of the textbook workbook and disk – 899 CZK.

Textbook Česky krok za krokem 2

The textbook Česky krok za krokem 2 is a continuation of New Czech Step by Step, but what’s nice is that it is more convenient to use and useful. The textbook kit includes a short Czech-English-German-Russian dictionary, a Czech Grammar application, and two disks. The textbook contains 20 lessons. This textbook pays much more attention to listening and developing new vocabulary. Numerous reinforcement exercises and game situations will help you remember new words. The grammar is systematized in tables. Special attention is paid to the spoken Czech language (hovorová čeština) as opposed to the literary language (spisovná češtiná), because students need the language not only for studying at a university, but also for everyday communication, in which literary language sometimes it sounds strange.

The workbook for the first 10 lessons of the textbook (author of the workbook: Zdena Malá, year of publication: 2012) contains exercises that help reinforce new topics from the textbook. This textbook and workbook are the most best benefits, which I used to learn Czech. I highly recommend them to all students who have reached level B1.

Cost of the textbook short dictionary and 2 discs – 849 CZK.

The workbook costs 249 CZK.

Textbook Česky, prosím I

The textbook comes with a workbook and a CD with dialogues. There are 10 lessons in the textbook. In each lesson, the student can equally work on his writing, speaking, listening, and reading skills. The main goal The purpose of the textbook is to provide student orientation in basic communicative situations, therefore the Czech grammar discussed in it is quite simple. I really like the textbook for its liveliness: the short dialogues discussed in it are taken from life and can actually be used in Everyday life. All new words are collected in the given texts. The grammar is explained in the form of tablets followed by reinforcement exercises.

The workbook contains exercises for training phonetics, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and listening. I highly recommend this textbook and workbook for anyone starting to learn Czech: they will help you speak the language.

The cost of a textbook, workbook and CD starts from 519 CZK.

Textbook Česky, prosím II

The textbook comes with a workbook and a CD with dialogues. There are 10 lessons in the textbook. This textbook covers more complex Czech grammar and new lexical topics compared to the textbook Česky, prosím I. The textbook is created for more advanced students, so the texts are longer and listening is more difficult. Just as easy to use as its predecessor.

The cost of a textbook, workbook and disk starts from 585 CZK.

Textbook Čeština pro středně a více pokročilé

A CD is included with the textbook. The textbook contains 15 lessons dedicated to different topics. This textbook is intended for those students who speak Czech at an advanced level - B1 and above. Its goal is to develop understanding of complex technical texts in Czech. It is assumed that you already have a sufficient amount of grammar, so practically no attention is paid to it. In fact, the textbook is a collection of long and not always interesting texts, stuffed with new words, the need for knowledge of which I personally doubt. After the texts, exercises are given to consolidate new words. I didn't like this textbook because... if you study only from it and without involving additional teaching aids, then it is quite boring and unproductive - there are no materials for consolidation, no grammar, listening consists of reproducing the text, which is already fully given in the textbook. I find this tutorial to be ineffective and cannot recommend it.

Textbook cost: from 340 CZK.

Where can I download Czech language textbooks?

Where to buy Czech language textbooks?

You can buy Czech language textbooks at major cities Czech Republic(for example, in the Neoluxor chain of stores), as well as in Russia in Moscow in the stores of MDK Arbat, Sokol, Biblio-Globus, Molodaya Gvardiya.

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