The Czech Language Program

· The Czech Language Program
· About the Czech Republic
· Why Study Czech?
· Common Words and Phrases
· Famous Czechs
· Additional Resources

The Czech Language Program

Course offerings:

• Czech 101.01 - Elementary Czech I
• Czech 102.01 - Elementary Czech II
• Czech 103.51 - Intermediate Czech I
• Czech 104.51 - Intermediate Czech II
• Czech 405.51 - Conversation and Composition I
• Czech 407.51 - Conversation and Composition II

Context of the sequence of Czech 101.01, 102.01, 103.51, 104.51, 405.51, 407.51

• Students register for 1 to 5 credit hours during the quarter.
• Students who complete 5 credit hours before the end of the quarter may proceed to the next level. Progress is sequential from one credit hour to the next, with 80% proficiency required for advancement.
• The courses are repeatable to a maximum of 5 credit hours.
• Courses are not open to native speakers of Czech.
• The Czech language fulfills the foreign language requirement in the General Education Curriculum.
• Every course is taught in one section only by one instructor; no team teaching is available. Likewise, there is no individualized instruction Czech.
• There is a great variety of students who choose to take Czech. Students usually range from novices with no linguistic background to heritage speakers or speakers of other Slavic languages, from freshmen to PhD students, and from very young students to adults and retirees.

Study abroad

• Intensive Czech Language Program in Olomouc
• Study abroad AIFS Program at Charles University, Prague
• Czech Culture Program
• East Central Europe in Transition, Prague
• Prague Theatre Program

Extracurricular activity:

• "The Czech Circle" is a weekly activity which is designed for all Czech students and/or those interested in Czech society, culture, geography, history, etc. and/or the West Slavic world. The Czech Circle offers an opportunity to speak Czech with native speakers who attend the meetings on regular basis. The "Czech Circle" has informal meetings on Thursdays from 6:30-8:00 pm at Potbelly's restaurant in the Gateway Center.

For more information please contact michalek.8@osu.edu or michalkova.1@osu.edu.

Czech Language Instructors: Dr. Charles E. Gribble, Marcela Michalkova, Martin Michalek, Mark Nuckols

Other Czech Courses

• Slavic 862 - History of the West Slavic Languages
• Slavic 821 - Structure of Selected Slavic Languages - Czech
• Slavic 245 - Modern Czech Literature and Film in Their Cultural Context

Czech Language, Literature and Culture Instructors: Dr. Daniel E. Collins, Dr. Charles E. Gribble, Dr. Yana Hashamova, Elizabeth Worral

The Czech Republic

Official name of the country: Česká republika (Czech Republic). In recent years an unofficial name "Czechia" has become popular among natives of the country.
Founded: January 1, 1993
Area: 78,864 sq km (30,450 sq miles)
Bordering countries: Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Austria
Capital: Praha (Prague) - 1.2 million
Population: 10,256,760 (2002 est.)
Official language: Czech
National anthem: "Kde domov můj?" "Where is my home?"
Type of government: Parliamentary democracy
President: Václav Klaus (since 2003)
Currency: koruna (meaning "crown") - 100 hellers
Imports: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, raw materials, Bohemian crystal and glass, beer

National Anthem of the Czech Republic (audio file)

Czech lyrics
Kde domov můj,
kde domov můj?
Voda hučí po lučinách,
bory šumí po skalinách,
v sadě skví se jara květ,
zemský ráj to na pohled!
A to je ta krásná země,
země česká, domov můj,
země česká, domov můj!

English translation
Where is my home?
Where is my home?
Water bubbles across the meadows,
Pine rests rustle over the cliffs,
In the garden spring's blossom shines,
an Erthly paradise at sight!
And this is that beautiful country,
Czech country, my home,
Czech country, my home!

(From Wikipedia, free encyclopedia)

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About the Czech Republic

(Marcela Michálková & Martin Michálek)

I. Recent History

In late 1989 the Czechoslovak Communist government resigned and non-Communists took control of the country. A new movement called "Civic Forum" (OF) was formed to represent democratic forces in the Czech lands, and a similar movement called "Public against Violence" (VPN) developed in Slovakia. In December 1989 the parliament elected Václav Havel, a dissident and non-Communist, to be the country's new president. A market economy was introduced in Czechoslovakia. In the early 1990s a mass privatization program went into effect with the goal of shifting large numbers of state-owned companies into private hands. A new government established good relations with the United States and Western Europe and indicated their interest in joining international organizations such as the European Community (now the European Union or EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In January 1993 the Czechoslovak federation was replaced by two new independent states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the same year, Havel was elected president of the new Czech Republic. Václav Klaus, who had become the Czech prime minister in June 1992, continued to head the government. Following its creation in 1993, the Czech Republic experienced remarkable political stability. In 1996 the Czech Republic held its first parliamentary elections since the country split from Slovakia in 1993. The center-left Czech "Social Democratic Party" (SDS), the political opponent of Klaus's "Civic Democratic Party" (ODS), greatly increased its representation. In1997 Klaus and his cabinet were forced to resign amid campaign finance scandals. President Havel was reelected in January 1998 to a second five-year term. The Social Democrats won the most votes in parliamentary elections in June 1998. In March 2003 Václav Klaus was elected president of the Czech Republic. His current prime minister is Stanislav Gross. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in May 2004.

II. Post-World War II History

From 1945 until 1948, Czechoslovakia enjoyed a form of limited political pluralism. During this period, the government nationalized a number of major industries. In February 1948 the Communists provoked a crisis that led to the formation of a new Communist-dominated government that attempted to copy the Soviet model of political organization and economic development. The secret police became more powerful. Economic decision-making was centralized, and almost all economic assets became state property. The early 1950s was a period of harsh repression. During the 1960s the country experienced a decline in economic performance. In 1968 a Slovak named Alexander Dubcek became the head of the Communist Party. He introduced a program of liberal reforms known as the "Prague Spring" or "socialism with a human face". However, the USSR feared that the reforms would weaken Communist control of Czechoslovakia, and on August 20 of that year, the Soviet Army, assisted by troops from other Warsaw Pact nations, invaded Czechoslovakia. During the 1970s the Communist leadership of Czechoslovakia used force and coercion against people who opposed the regime. In these conditions, most people withdrew from public life. However, a small but important group of dissidents (political protesters) openly opposed the regime.

III. Pre-World War History

The region that became the Czech Republic was inhabited by Celtic and Germanic tribes, followed by Slavic tribes. In the 10th century Bohemia became a largely independent kingdom came under the protection of the German-based Holy Roman Empire. Bohemia achieved great political and cultural prominence under King Charles IV, who reigned from 1347 to 1378. Prague grew into a major European center of learning and culture. In the late 14th and early 15th centuries an important church-reform movement took place in the Czech lands. In 1526, Ferdinand I, a member of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, became king of Hungary and Bohemia and German culture and language were dominant in the Czech lands for the next 150 years. In the late 1700s, industries began to develop. In 1867 the Habsburg domains in central Europe were reconstituted as the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. In 1918 World War I ended, the empire of Austria-Hungary collapsed, and the independent state of Czechoslovakia was created, bringing Czechs and Slovaks together in a common state. During the 1920s and early 1930s, Czechoslovakia was remarkably stable and economically prosperous. The new state, a democratic republic known as Czechoslovakia, was broken up during World War II, but was reestablished at the end of the war in 1945.

IV. People, Culture and Geography

PEOPLE

The Czechs, descended from Slavic tribes, are the country's dominant ethnic group, representing about 94 % of the population; Slovaks account for about 3 %; and Poles, Germans, Roma (Gypsies), and Hungarians comprise most of the remainder. Prior to World War II (1939-1945), the country had a large Jewish population.

CULTURE

Prague was a major European cultural center prior to the Communist era.

. Literature

The foundations of Czech literature date back as far as the 9th century, but really gained strength during the awakening of national identity that occurred in the 19th century. Well-known Czech authors of the 20th century include Franz Kafka, Jaroslav Hasek, and Karel Capek. More contemporary writers include the novelist and critic Milan Kundera, and the playwright Václav Havel (Havel became Czechoslovakia's president in 1989). Czech poet Jaroslav Seifert won the Nobel Prize for poetry in 1984.

. Art and Architecture

The Czech-French painter and poster designer Alphonse Mucha, who worked during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was one of the leading artists of the art nouveau period. Frantisek Kupka, a contemporary of Mucha's, was an early abstract painter. There are many fine examples of architecture in the Czech Republic. Structures dating from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, baroque, art nouveau, and socialist realist periods are found throughout Prague and many other cities and towns. The Czech countryside is dotted with approximately 2,500 castles of various styles. Popular folk arts include puppet theater, making of a blue-and-white painted fabric known as "modrotisk", hand-painted eggs and glass paintings.

. Music

Bedrich Smetana, Antonín Dvorák, and Leos Janácek are the three best-known Czech composers. Smetana, who wrote his major works in the late 19th century, based much of his music on Czech folk songs and dances. Dvorák was a master of the symphony. Janácek, whose career reached its height in the early 20th century, used the styles of Moravian folk music in the composition of his operas.

. Motion Pictures

Despite the limitations and ideological controls imposed on Czech cinema by the Nazi and Communist governments, Czech films and film directors have gained international recognition throughout the 20th century. The "New Wave" of Czech cinema began in the 1960s, when Milos Forman, Jirí Menzel, and other directors made a number of important films that looked critically at social and political conditions in the country. The Czech film industry also has a strong tradition in animated and puppet films; among the most popular produced by Jirí Trnka.

GEOGRAPHY

The total area of the Czech Republic is 78,864 sq km (30,450 sq mi). The maximum distance from east to west is about 490 km (about 305 mi), and the maximum distance from north to south is about 280 km (about 175 mi). Mountain ranges bound much of the country. The Czech Republic contains two main regions-Bohemia, located in the west, and Moravia, located in the east. Part of the region of Silesia occupies the north-central section of the country.

V. Current Statistics

Government: government type - parliamentary democracy. Chief of state: President Václav KLAUS (since 2003), head of government: Prime Minister Stanislav Gross (since 2004). President elected by Parliament for a five-year term.
Population: 10,287,482 (March 2002 est.), majority ethnic group: Czech 81.2%; minority ethnics groups: Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%. Religions: atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%. Languages: Czech (official), German, Slovak.
Geography: area: 78,866 sq km (slightly smaller than South Carolina), lowest point: Hrensko (Elbe River) 115 m; highest point: Snežka 1,602 m. Climate temperate. Average temperature: 0.4 C - 10.1 C. Average rainfall: 679 mm per year.
Economy: GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2000 est.). Exports: $28.3 billion (2000), exports partners: Germany 43%, Slovakia 8.4%, Austria 6.6%, Poland 5.6%. Imports: $31.4 billion (2000), imports partners: Germany 37.5%, Slovakia 6.7%, Austria 6.2%, Italy 5.9%.

VI. Bibliography

Encyclopedia Britannica ©1994-1999 Microsoft Corporation.
Goldman, Minton F.1994. Global Studies: Russia, the Eurasian Republics, and Central/ Eastern Europe. The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Sluice Dock,Guilford, Connecticut.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation.
On the Loose in Eastern Europe 1993. The Berkley guides, The Budget Traveler's Handbook, 1992. Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.Eds. K. Clark & comp.
World Factbook - www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook

What the Origin of the Word "Cech" (Czech) is:

The legend goes that three brothers, Cech, Lech and Rus were seeing a new place for their tribes to settle. Rus and his tribe, the Russians, found a place near the Dnieper River. Lech liked the region that is present-day Poland. Cech, reaching the top of a hill, surveyed the beauty of the land of Bohemia and declared it a new home for his tribe.

(According to the book "Czech Republic" by JoAnn Milivojevic, 2004, Children's Press.)

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Why Study Czech?

• You might carry Czech genes just like some famous Americans with Czech ancestry: Madeleine Albright, John Kerry or even George Bush! Learn to speak the language of your ancestors!


• Like Polish and Slovak, Czech is a western Slavic language. By learning it you will be able to communicate with other West Slavs.
• If you are interested in the political sciences, then the language of the Czech Republic, a new democracy, a member of NATO, the WTO and European Union might be key to your research.


• The dramatic political, economic and social changes of the last decade and a half have opened the door to free enterprise, free market, price liberalization, private ownership, and foreign investment. There are many marketing and business opportunities in the Czech Republic.


• Do you like teaching? A number of Americans take advantage of teaching Czechs English and learning their language in return.


• Prague, the Czech Republic's capital, is a magnet for artists. Have you ever considered living there?


• Are you interested in the masterpieces of world literature? Some of Franz Kafka's works were written in Czech. Czech is also the language of Milan Kundera, Bohumil Hrabal, Jaroslav Hasek, Karel Capek, Jaroslav Seifert, Václav Havel and many other famous writers.


• Have you ever wanted to understand the language of Milos Forman's early movies which he directed before he immigrated to the USA? His later, American, movies include "Hair", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", and "Amadeus".


• Czechia's tourist industry is blooming. The native language might become a useful tool for you when spending your vacation there.

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Glossary (common words and phrases)

Ano.	Yes
Ne.	No.
Dobrý vecer!	Good evening! (formal greeting)
Na shledanou!	Good-bye! (formal greeting)
Ahoj!/ Nazdar!	both Hi! and Good-bye! (informal greetings)
Já jsem John.	I am John.
Tesí me!	Nice to meet you.
Prominte.	Excuse me.
Prosím.	Please.
Dekuji.	Thank you.
Není zac.	You are welcome.
Co je to?	What is it?
Kdo je to?	Who is it?
doprava	to the right
doleva	to the left
Prominte, nemluvím cesky.	I am sorry, I don't speak Czech.
Mluvíte anglicky?	Do you speak English?
hospoda	pub
pivo	beer
knedlo-vepro-zelo	roast pork served with dumplings and sauerkraut
Kolik to stojí?	How much does it cost?
jeden	1
dva	2
tri	3
ctyri	4
pet	5
sest	6
sedm	7
osm	8
devet	9
deset	10

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Famous Czechs

Agnes of of the Premysl dynasty - patron saint
Charles IV - Roman emperor and Czech king
"Good King Wenceslas" - Wenceslas of the Premysl dynasty, Duke of Bohemia
Jan Hus - religious reformer
Tomás Garrigue Masaryk - first Czechoslovak president
Václav Havel - former president, dramatist
Bedrich Smetana - opera composer
Antonín Dvorák - classical music composer
Alfons Mucha - artist/painter
Franz Kafka - writer
Milan Kundera - writer
Jaroslav Hasek - writer
Milos Forman - film director
Ivan Lendl - tennis player
Martina Navrátilová - tennis player
Dominik Hasek - ice hockey player
Jaromír Jágr - ice hockey player
Ivana Trump - Donald Trump's ex-wife
Eva Herzig - model
Daniel Swarowski - founder of the most famous European producer of crystal

Famous Americans with Czech ancestry:

George W. Bush - American President
John Kerry - presidential candidate
Madeleine Albright - former secretary of state
Frederick George Novy - pioneering the study of bacteriology in the USA
Eugene Cernan - commander of Apollo 17

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Some Useful Websites:

General
· http://www.bohemica.com
· http://www.czech.cz
· http://www.kdojekdo.cz
· http:/www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook

Dictionaries
· http://slovnik.zcu.cz/online
· http://www.czechprimer.org
· http://www.ectaco.com/online/diction.php3?lang=4
· http://www.fdicts.com/czech
· http://www.leda.cz

Literature
· http://ceslit.org
· http://users.ox.ac.uk/~tayl0010
· http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Slavonic/ss1Amaterial2002.htm
· http://www.bohemistika.cz
· http://www.ceskaliteratura.cz
· http://www.cuni.cz/cte
· http://www.language.brown.edu/CZH
· http://www.noveknihy.cz

History
· http://mujweb.cz/www/historycz
· http://mujweb.cz/www/mapy
· http://www.cesky-svet.cz
· http://www.libri.cz/capka

Politics
· http://www.ce-review.org/thematicarchives/czech/ta_czechmain.html
· http://www.vlada.cz/1250/eng/aktuality.htm
· http://www.psp.cz/cgi-bin/eng
· http://www.hrad.cz
· http://www.senat.cz/index-eng.php

Culture
· http://pes.internet.cz/hudba/ukazky.htm
· http://www.ce-review.org/thematicarchives/czech/ta_czechculture.html
· http://www.cesky-svet.cz
· http://www.cfn.cz
· http://www.czech-tradition.cz
· http://www.divadlo.cz
· http://www.dokina.cz
· http://www.folklor.cz
· http://www.gallery.cz
· http://www.klic.cz/remesla
· http://www.locallingo.com
· http://www.recepty.cz

Media
· http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news
· http://radio.cz/en
· http://www.praguepost.com

Tourism
· http://www.czechtourism.com/index.php?lang=3
· http://wikitravel.org/en/Czech_Republic

Czech-American Organizations
· http://www.mzv.cz/washington/general/cul_cam3.htm

To find out more about the Czech Republic:

Textbooks

A Thousand Years of Czech Culture. Riches from the National Museum in Prague. 1996. Old Salem, Inc. Winston-Salem, North Carolina, The National Museum, Prague, the Czech Republic.

Milivojevic, JoAnn. 2004. Enchantment of the World Second Series. Czech Republic. Children's Press.

Nollen, Tim. 1997. Culture Shock. Czech Republic. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company. Portland, Oregon.

Nollen, Tim. 1999. Festivals of the World. Czech Republic. Gareth Stevens Publishing. Milwaukee.

Otfinoski, Steven. 2004. Nations in Transition. The Czech Republic. Facts On File, Inc., New York.

Press, Petra.2002. Modern Nations of the World. Czech Republic. Lucent Books, San Diego, CA.

Roux, Lindy. 2004. Countries of the World: Czech Republic. Gareth Stevens Publishing. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sioras, Efstathia. 1999. Cultures of the Worlds. Czech Republic. Marshall Cavendish. New York. London. Sydney.

Taus-Bolstad, Stacy. 2003. Visual Geography Series. Czech Republic in Pictures. Lerner Publications Company.

Travel Guides

Bedford, Neal; Rawson, Jane and Warren, Matt.2004. Lonely Planet Czech and Slovak Republics. Lonely Planet Publications.

Gorys, Erhard. 1990. Pallas. Czech and Slovak Republics. Pallas Guides.

Holtslag, Astrid. 1994. The Thorntonox Budget Guide. The Czech Republic.

Hippocrene Books. New York

Humphreys, Rob. 2000. The Rough Guide to The Czech & Slovak Republics. Rough Guides.

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