french lessons...

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous (Czech-Related)' started by mamas_girl88, Oct 5, 2008.

  1. mamas_girl88

    mamas_girl88 Member

    Hello everyone. I am curious about something: is it common in the czech republic for people to take language classes in french? how popular is french there? i am only wondering because i have considered possibly teaching/tutoring in Prague when i am finished my degree.
     
  2. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    As far as I remember from when I was applying to work there the Caledonian school teaches French.. a lot of language schools in Prauge have classes in many different languages and I'm sure if they don't have French they'd want it, unless of course they specialize in one language.


    http://www.caledonianschool.com/

    With anything like this it will help if you are a native speaker of French, and whether it is required or not I really recommend you take a course in teaching a language, e.g. a TEFL course or the French equivalent, because it really does benefit you and of course your students! They can be quite expensive but are very much worth it.
     
  3. Polednikova

    Polednikova Well-Known Member

    I've only met one older Czech who speaks any French but it's more popular in schools now although not as popular as German or Spanish, I don't think. But you couldn't teach it in schools without fluent Czech so you'd have to do the French equivalent of a TEFL course and teach, certainly to beginners, in English.
     
  4. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    I disagree, I believe it is possible to teach all levels without any common language.. but it certainly is easier if you have one!

    This only applies to language schools of course, the students really need to be motivated to make the extra effort for complete language immersion to pay off; you don't get that with teenagers!

    I don't think enough people here speak English for a French through English class to have enough students.. but then where I live only about 1 in 20 people have any English at all.. it's different in Prague.
     
  5. Polednikova

    Polednikova Well-Known Member

    Unless you are young or naturally talented at languages, I really don't think 'total immersion' works until you've got a good grounding in the language. This is especially true in Czech where the grammar is very complicated and I certainly needed to understand it in English before I had any hope of understanding it.

    And I think you'd be surprised, CK, by how few people in Prague speak English. In restaurants and tourist shops in the centre, they might know just enough to do their job but other than that, only those with a pretty good education seem to know any English.
     
  6. mamas_girl88

    mamas_girl88 Member

    hello. thank you both for your help :D
    right now i am at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. I am majoring in French, and i have been in a French Immersion school since kindergarden, so I would consider myself pretty much fluent. A few years ago I came across a TEFL course in Prague, and it wasn't until this past summer that I have seriously considered it. My grandpa and my mom are czech, and i have been to Prague 3 times so far. I really like it there and have many friends and family there. I was curious about the French thing because I have been studying it for so long that i would hate to give it up when i have come so far. I really think i would like to try teahing/tutoring it , as well as english.
    I understand/speak czech fairly well (but most definately need lots of improvement hahaha) and my reading and writing aren't the best, but i know if i work hard i can improve.
    Any other thoughts or advice?
    it would be awesome if you guys did :D
    it would be greatly appreciated.
    thanks for everything :)
     
  7. Jana

    Jana Well-Known Member

  8. mamas_girl88

    mamas_girl88 Member

    thank you so much :D
     
  9. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    You missed a chance. The state administrative has serious lack of French speaking officials because of the oncomming Czech EU presidentship. The government paid well for the French tutors. Maybe there could be still some opportunities for translators.
     

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