Je to zajimavé vidět kolik lidé se zkusí učit česky. Určitě my všichni máme své důvody. Pocházíme z mnoho růžných národů. Protože jsem jeden z nich, myslím si, že by bylo zajimavé slyšet jak se to každý učí. Bez toho zdroj bych byl uplně ztracený. Kromě totohle se učím s párem knih, a cds, a pásk. Jsem si jist ale. že někteří z nás studujou ve škole nebo se učí pomoci poručniku. Jak se učí česky? Do toho jak mi, kteři se učí česky, jak se to učí? To all those who are learning the čech language. How are you learning it? By yourself, taking a course, tutor?
Ahoj, Just by myself! I bought two simple booklets with advices for trips and holydays and I bought myself a spoken course. In this course I can hear, read and speak for myself, checking and even can obtain points!!!! This course is from Euro Talking interactive and I like it! However, all the way up and down, Czech language remains difficult in writing and speaking. I also read all topics on this message board and I copy the most important issues. So, my tutors are on this side, spread all over the world, even in Czech Republic; that’s the way I like it! Rozumite?
Ahoj Scrimshaw, Je to první čas veřejné píšu v český a vím je to špatný a nesprávný! Zkusím učit se český od léto 2006. Učím se protože častěji cestují v ČR a věřím že jestliže člověk cestuje v cizí země, alespoň člověk musí zkusit mluvit jazyk. Ale nemám učitel nebo škole. Mám jen kameradsky v ČR a mi píšou emailový a sms. Vím že píšu (a také mluvím) jako děti na 3 let (snad 2 let!). Dosud nevím nic mluvnice, ale mám konversace přes sms, emailový a také mluvení. Obvykle, lidí mi rozumí, i když můj český je velmi špatný (jak mluvený, tak psaný)! Nejnepříjemnější je to rozumět mluvené slovo. Běžný konverzace je to těžký, ledaže já to nařídím, protože vím můj hranice s češky, a jsou velmi malá! Na celý slova v češky, vím jen trochu. Jestliže ovlivňují konverzace, umím zůstávat hranice a, případně, užívám slovník. Ale, rodily mluvící ví celý slova v český a jestliže mluví pravidelně, bude užívat slova který nevím! Proto, přejí mi mluví pomalu a mi dělá trpělivost! Moc chtěl bych učit se český se učitel ale právě teď, bohužel, není možné.
I do apologise, ArieA, please forgive me! Since the original question was in Czech, I thought I would try to reply in the same! The above is supposed to say (although it might not be very accurate!): This is the first time that I have written publicly in Czech and I know it is bad and incorrect. I have been trying to learn Czech since the Summer of 2006. I am learning because I am travelling to the CR more often and I believe that when someone travels to a foreign country, the least they can do is to try to speak the language. However, I don’t have a teacher or a school. I only have some Czech friends who write emails and sms to me. I know that I write and speak like a child of 3 years old (perhaps 2!). As yet I don’t know any grammar but I have conversations via sms, email and also speaking. In general, people can understand me, even though my Czech is bad (both spoken and written). The hardest thing is to understand the spoken word. Ordinary conversation is difficult, unless I can direct it, because my Czech has limits, and they are very small! Out of all the words in Czech, I know only a few. If I can guide a conversation, I can stay within those limits and, if necessary, I can use a dictionary. However, a native speaker knows ALL the Czech words and he speaks normally, he will use words that I don’t know! That is why I ask him to speak to me slowly and have a lot of patience! I would very much like to learn Czech with a teacher but at the moment it is, unfortunately, not possible.
Apologise accepted! However, I only answered your questions and I'm unable to check your Czech writings. But, all together, it must be possible to succeed, one way or another. I do have a Czech community member who speaks Dutch, so I'm lucky! I guess! I also look for words and try to combine these into sentences: that's the only way to try and hopefully someone will react on these efforts. Na shledanou, Arie.....
Good luck Arie. hey, McCracken, píšeš velmi dobře. A jen jsi se začil učit v letě tohole roku? To je úžasné. Hrdina. Musiš byt takové čaroděj. Jestli to umíš mluvit stejně jako to píšeš, jsem žarlivý. Studuji česky sám temeř tři let. Mám také dobrou kamarádku s kterým dopíšu. Bydlí v České republice, a opravuje vše mych chybů. Je dobrou kamaradku. To a přispěveky, co tady čtu, mi pomahájí moc. Tohle je legraci, protože vím, že naše české mlunice je děšný, a ustatni, která skutečně mluvi česky, se trochu směje našich pokusů, nemyslíš? Slepý, které vede slepý k skálám. A tutor or a course would be fantastic.
For now, I am using Colloquial Czech, the Lonely Planet Czech phrasebook (I really reccommend both of these they are very detailed!), and the (free version) Before You Know It program. Once I am further into my study (in about a year or so) I might buy the 'delux' version of the program and maybe the Pimsleur course to help with pronunciation since I won't be able to study Czech at university level until I finish my degree and go overseas for postgrad, as no universities in my country offer it they had one informal class at a community college type place near my suburb but they stopped running it! I often wish I lived in Europe!
Hi Scrimshaw, I'm reverting to English for this one as I am short of time today and there are still many things that I find difficult to express in Czech. I will also apologise in advance for going on a bit just in case lengthy posts are not allowed (haven't read the rules - sorry!). You are very kind about my written Czech - I am definitely no wizard but I recently picked up Josef Fronek's excellent CZ/ENG; ENG/CZ dictionary and also 401 Czech Verbs. Before this summer I had previously made a couple of trips to the Czech Republic mainly as a result of my kids playing ice hockey. Initially I only had the trusty Lonely Planet phrasebook to help me (and I agree with Miffy, it was a great introduction)! Having made some good friends over there through hockey, I decided this summer that I would make a serious attempt to learn the language. I enoyed languages when I was a kid and learned French at school. I also studied Latin (which is helping with some of the Czech language structure). I have reasonable Spanish and I can make myself understood (and understand) in German (both of these I have picked up informally). However, I have not tried to learn a new language for 20 years or so and I have quickly discovered that Czech is a whole different ballgame, to use a phrase from your side of the Atlantic! My main aim is to be able to have a reasonable conversation with someone. We have a lot of people who visit England and who only speak very very basic English. But I can still understand them and I can speak English in such a way that they can understand me. I think that the initial hurdle to overcome when speaking any language that is not naturally your own is not to worry at all what you might sound like or what mistakes you might be making. I have always found that I think far too much when I speak French (because I was taught formally) but my Spanish trips off the tongue without a second thought because I don't really know what is absolutely correct or not and therefore I don't worry! Therefore, my initial methodology for learning Czech, in order to be able to talk to someone, is this. I have learned the basics of tense construction - past, present and future. I am trying to learn lots of vocabulary (which is really just a memory test). For now I am not concentrating on the grammatical niceties, which I admit is a stumbling block when trying to understand what is being said to me. However, on this basis I am sure that I will be able to get people to understand me - on a recent trip I managed a long lunch date with a Czech friend who speaks absolutely no English. We got on fine. However, I have found that, in general, the Czechs have not yet adapted to understanding non-native Czech speakers who are trying to speak their language - which is not surprising. As an English speaker I am used to the whole world wanting to try out their English on me but I suspect that the number of people trying to learn Czech is relatively small by comparison. Most Czechs I know have expressed surprise that I would even try. The most difficult part for me (as with all languages) is trying to understand what is spoken back to me. At the moment all words blend into each other and I have great difficulty separating them out. Naturally, I ask people to speak slowly but slowly is always a relative term! I have also asked people to speak slowly and enunciate their words as if I was a lip-reader. This works quite well but it is very tedious for the speaker! What I need is to find someway of getting regular exposure to spoken Czech so that I can get my ears attuned to the correct sounds. I have a CD that came with David Short's Teach Yourself Czech but some of the actors sound as if they are talking through handkerchiefs - it would be hard to understand them even if they were speaking English! Native Czech speakers might well have the odd wry smile at our attempts to read, write and speak their language but I don't think so. I have so far found the Czech people to be very friendly and helpful. My dreadful attempts at trying to speak Czech in the summer at least had the excellent result of some of the Czech people I know trying out English, about which they had previously admitted to knowing absolutely nothing. One of my friends' brother had sat for a week speaking nothing but Czech and suddenly started speaking faltering but very understandable English. After that the slivovice started flowing and my memory starts to get a little hazy! When all is said and done, we are trying and I think that most people appreciate someone who is trying to learn their language.
What about Czech TVs on internet? http://www.ct24.cz/vysilani/ http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/vysilani/ http://www.nova.cz/tvarchiv/
Ahoj mr. McCracken, Just back from another trip to Spain, Salou, I agree with your basic notations. I always seek contacts when I'm abroad and this time I met Irish, but mainly, Scottish people. I had some conversations with one Scot in particular. Mr. Lind said something to me when I was searching for deckchairs at the pool. So I noticed he was British, but Scot in particular. During these various conversations I noticed that he was trying to speak slowly and I, because I don't speak English every day, searching for words and using hiss’s....! That, mr. McCracken, you as a Scot too, is the finest thing in conversations between different languages; trying to understand each other and feeling the interests FOR each other...! Of course, mr. Lind said that he noticed that most Dutch people (and other nations of course) often speak English and that English people often take this for granted....! So, he was willing to omit that he also should learn the language he was visiting at....! I never was in Czech Republic, but my main thought is to meet this fine people. My interest was born by my "Search for a Blue Lady", which, of course, I’ll never find! Nevertheless, I have already "find" some helpful people so this will help me in my purpose to learn their language! Arie...
Eso, thank you - I will try to access those TV stations. Arie, although my name has its origins in Scotland I am actually English but no offence taken (and none intended for any Scots out there!!). I know what you mean about English speakers being reluctant to learn another language. I enjoy other langauges and I think that Czech will be a great challenge. I suppose it will all depend on my long term dedication! To my mind, vocabulary is the key and that is what works for me. It is hard to communicate with good grammatical knowledge but no words. What is the point of knowing the 56th declension of the 3rd past participle if you don't know the words for "how" or "where" for example? If you know the words you can start to communicate - grammar will follow.
To je dobrá rada McCracken. Není to ale nejsnádnějši věc pamatovat na velký seznam slov. Dříme, dříme, dříme ale jako dobré vojáky, které jsme. Určitě je to ale pravda, že s lepším seznam slov, člověk se může lip vyjádřit. Mám se každý den alespon pár novech slov naučit. Arie==Hledáš modrou ženu? To je zabava. A říkáš, že to se nikdy nestanu.
listening to czech tv is crazy hard to understand from the perspective of a guy who knows very little czech. thanks for the great links
