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Everything you always wanted to know about teaching Czech as a foreign language (but didn't know where to ask)

Although she works as a financial manager in an international company, Libuše Adamczyková decided to get involved in teaching Ukrainian refugees to help them better integrate into Czech society. She contacted an organisation in Roztoky, where she lives, and then one day she found herself standing in front of 15 students in a classroom. That is how she started teaching Czech to foreigners. 

Libuše AdamczykováTeaching has become a new hobby for Libuše and she is happy to make time for it because it gives her a sense of purpose. As she admits, she can imagine that in her retirement she will sit in a café with foreigners and teach them Czech, because thanks to her new experience she has understood that not knowing the language is perceived as an obstacle to integration not only by the refugees, but also by her colleagues in the international company she works for. They also find that if they try to speak Czech, they get a better feeling and the people around them also react much more positively and appreciate their efforts.  

"Although it seemed difficult at first, I became more confident over time. Some of the grammatical concepts reminded me of my own experience of learning foreign languages, which helped me to convey them to my students more effectively. I also learned how to use the manual of the textbook to prepare my lessons, and I was actually surprised at the variety of interesting activities we can use in teaching," says Libuše.  

Libuše often studied together with her students, because even to her some things are completely new and complicated from the point of view of a foreigner. She is used to looking at them through the eyes of a native speaker, often automatically and intuitively. Now she is finding out that there are many rules in Czech and is learning how to explain and convey these rules to her students. Although she prepared for the classes, she was sometimes taken aback by the questions of inquisitive Ukrainians. "It wasn't so easy at the beginning, but I found out that less often means more. I am more confident in these situations now, and when students ask about something I am not prepared for, I tell them I will study it for the next time," she says, commenting on her progress.  

As she became more and more aware that she wanted, and most importantly needed, to learn more about teaching Czech as a foreign language, she finally decided to take a two-semester extension course organized by the Methodological and Professional Centre at ILPS CU, whose graduate (from the year 2012/2013) is also the coordinator of the volunteer courses in Roztoky. Apart from this positive reference, she was also attracted by the length and content of the course, where it is possible to gain a really comprehensive set of knowledge, attend classes, meet colleagues of different specializations and experience and, of course, also receive a Charles University certificate at the end. 

The course made her realise, among other things, how wrong she had been about teachers' preparation for lessons: "It seems simple, but preparation and practical implementation require a certain complexity in lesson planning and, above all, a focus on activities at the beginning of the lesson," she emphasised. " It is not about ticking off topics, but about motivating students to take part in the lesson so that they don't get overloaded but still learn. I am happy when the students and I work together to create a pleasant and inspiring environment." 

A slide from Libuše's final presentation shows what surprised her during her teaching practice and in the course.