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Current AffairsInternational meeting of experts on Czech language and literature kicks off in Prague
An international meeting of Czech language and literature experts, among
them teachers and translators, kicked off at Prager Literaturhaus, a Czech
institute that promotes Prague’s German literary heritage. For the next
four days, lovers of the Czech language will be discussing their field of
expertise and exchanging their findings in a number of seminars, panel
discussions and lectures. On the first day of the international
get-together, we speak with Kristin Kilsti, a Norwegian literary translator
who works from Czech into her native tongue. More
Current AffairsLearning Czech at UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley is one of 11 American universities
where students can study Czech language, literature and culture. Small but
dedicated groups of students grapple with the challenges of Czech grammar
and pronunciation in up to three classes per week. Despite budget cuts
throughout all departments of public universities in California, Czech, a
niche central European language, still has its place at the Department of
Slavic Languages and maintains enthusiasm amongst those eager to learn it.
More
PanoramaCzech expats from around the world come to Dobruška to connect with their heritage
Every summer the north-east Bohemian town of Dobruška turns truly
cosmopolitan, opening its doors to Czech language students from around the
world. The Czech language summer school organized by Charles University
lasts for a month and is specially tailored for Czech expats and people who
have developed an interest in the Czech language and culture.
More
Letter from PragueThe delicacies of you and You
English speaking foreigners to the Czech Republic who are interested in the
language are often befuddled or even annoyed by the feature of formal and
informal speech in Czech grammar, called vykání and tykání - that is,
the formal, plural “you” and the informal, singular “you”. Nowhere
is that characteristic more frowned upon than in multinational companies,
where new employees, called “formal you” at the job interview, are
renamed “demotic you” on their first day of work, and told to address
everyone else accordingly. More
SpotlightSummer Czech language courses in Dobruška
For many Czechs, the eastern Bohemian town of Dobruška evokes the Czech
National Revival, a time when the Czech language was on the verge of
extinction. A local merchant, immortalized in the novel F.L.Vek by the
Czech writer Alois Jirásek, worked tirelessly in and around Dobruška to
promote the Czech language and literature. Today, a different kind of Czech
revival is taking place in the town. For the last 20 years, Prague’s
Charles University has been organizing summer language courses for expats
at this particular venue.
More
One on OneProfessor Lubomír Doležel – now retired doyen of Czech Studies in Toronto
Professor Lubomír Doležel, who was born in the Moravian village of
Lesnice in 1922, is an internationally respected academic best known for
his pioneering work in literary theory and linguistics. After three years
at the University of Michigan in the second half of the 1960s, he was
invited to the University of Toronto, where he established the study of
Czech language and literature. On Friday Professor Doležel received the
Czech Foreign Ministry’s Gratias Agit prize for promoting the good name
of his native country.
More
PanoramaFocus on both language and culture at weekly Czech school in Queens
Every Friday evening during the school year, children from all over New
York (and sometimes even further afield) gather for Czech lessons at the
Bohemian Hall in Queens. As well as improving their Czech, the school’s
pupils learn about various aspects of Czech culture, while their parents
get to catch up on what’s happening in the community.
More
MailboxMailbox
Today in Mailbox: Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic or Czechia – what’s in
a name?; response to a recent Letter from Prague; the proposed US radar
base in the Czech Republic; how to access the Archive of Czech Security
Forces. Listeners quoted: Stefan Lager, Aloisie Krasny, Táňa Ferus,
Ragnar, Lynda-Marie Hauptman.
More
Current AffairsAuthorities launch website to help residency applicants with Czech language exams
Beginning in January 2009, foreigners from outside the EU who seek
permanent residency in the Czech Republic will have to pass a Czech
language exam to qualify for the permit. The authorities have now launched
a website with information on the language test, a list of language centres
where they can take the exam, as well as places where they can receive a
voucher that will entitle them to one exam free-of-charge. And the website
also features a sample exam in which seekers of permanent residency can
test their Czech language skills.
More
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