'Zmrzlina' and seven grammar cases: Inside Prague's summer school of Czech
More than a hundred students from around the world have gathered in Prague this summer with one goal: to study Czech. They're taking part in the annual Summer School of Slavonic Studies, a programme Charles University has been running already for 69 years. Ruth Fraňková went to talk to some of them and find out what brought them here.
Inside the historic Faculty of Arts building in Celetná Street, in the heart of Prague's Old Town, a Czech language class is in full swing. Students are getting ready to play Černé historky, the Czech version of the game Black Stories. But before they can solve the mysteries, their teacher first has to teach them all the necessary words like robbery, burglary or murder.
It is one of several Czech language classes taking place as part of the four-week Summer School of Slavonic Studies.This year's edition has brought together 104 participants from 30 countries. But as one of the Summer School's organisers, Hana Hejlová explains, learning Czech is only one part of the experience.
"During the Summer School, students don't only learn the language. In the lessons they also learn about Czech culture, Czech history and even Czech politics. Then, in the afternoons, they can go on trips, visit galleries or take part in workshops. Because we also have elementary and pre-intermediate students, some activities are partly in English.
In the evenings they can watch Czech films, go to the theatre, even perform theatre themselves, and we also have an international evening. So it's the whole Summer School, the whole experience, that's important. It's not only about the language, but much more than that."
Many roads to Czech
The students themselves arrive in Prague for all sorts of reasons. For Tam Nguyen Thang, who is originally from Vietnam, but lives in the United States, it was an interest in Central and Eastern Europe that first sparked her curiosity about Czech.
I study the history of Central and Eastern Europe, and some of my family members lived in the Eastern Bloc, so I thought I'd learn Czech for fun."
Having already studied Russian, Tam says Czech grammar, particularly its system of cases and grammatical gender, felt somewhat familiar. The pronunciation, however, has proved much more challenging. That has not discouraged her, though. She's already certain she'll be back next year.
"I really enjoy the friendships we've made at the summer school. It's great that we have so much time dedicated just to learning the language. During the school year there are always so many other things to do, but here you can focus on studying and meeting new people. I've also enjoyed visiting places around Prague. I love Prague, and I'm definitely coming back."
While Tam's interest in Czech grew out of her academic studies, Mark Bloomfield's story is rather different. The Briton has lived in the Czech Republic for more than 20 years and is married to a Czech woman. However, it took him years before he decided to seriously learn the language.
"I'm dyslexic, so learning languages takes me a long time. I also work for an international company and travel a lot, so English is usually the working language. For me, this is about building my Czech bit by bit."
This is already Mark's third Summer School. He says what keeps drawing him back is the supportive atmosphere, where everyone is learning together and nobody is afraid of making mistakes.
"The more you build on it, the more confidence you get to try. One of the advantages here is that you're speaking with people at the same level, so nobody laughs at your mistakes. At home I sometimes say the wrong word and it changes the meaning completely, which can be funny. Here everybody's learning together, and that really helps."
Bringing students from around the world to Prague every summer wouldn't be possible without considerable support. Many participants attend thanks to scholarships provided by the Czech Ministry of Education. Hana Hejlová explains how the programme works.
"We have 79 students this year who received the scholarship. The application process starts in the spring. Students apply through the website, and the Ministry cooperates with Czech embassies, which nominate the scholarship recipients."
The reasons for learning Czech can be surprisingly varied. For Samarth Choudhary from New Delhi, it all began with the music of Czech composer Antonín Dvořák.
"I started learning Czech because I became interested in the culture. I play the violin, and after hearing Dvořák's From the New World I really liked the way he used the string instruments. That got me interested in the language. I first studied Russian for three years and then started learning Czech. I'm actually a finance major, technically a market analyst, so learning languages is a hobby for me."
As his interest in Czech culture grew, so did his fascination with the country's history.
"I found Czech history, especially the Velvet Revolution, very interesting. I actually see a lot of similarities between what India experienced and what the Czech Republic experienced. Václav Havel's phrase, 'Pravda a láska musí zvítězit nad lží a nenávistí' (Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred), reminds me of something Mahatma Gandhi said. I really relate to the culture."
Samarth says history is not the only thing he has taken away from his time in Prague. But also the frienshisp:
"Every time the students go out for drinks or food, it feels like the beginning of a classic joke: 'A Polish guy, a Vietnamese, a British guy and an Indian walk into a bar.' I really enjoyed it here."
Friendships without borders
For many participants, it's those friendships and shared experiences that become just as important as the language itself. According to Hana Hejlová, that's also what keeps students coming back year after year.
"I would say it's the spell of the Summer School. Once you try it, you want to come back a second, third or even fifth time. As I said, it's not only about the language. It's also the culture, the magic of Prague and the people.
"Students from 30 countries create a wonderful international community, and we also have very welcoming, experienced teachers. Many of our teachers come back every year, so students meet them again and again, and they want to spend time with them and with us."
For Miles Hall from California, the Summer School of Slavonic Studies offered something more than a chance to improve his Czech. It was an opportunity to reconnect with his family roots. His mother was born in Prague and emigrated to the United States in 1968, but Czech was never spoken at home.
"My mother was born here in Prague. She's half Czech, half Slovak. She left Czechoslovakia in 1968 and emigrated to the U.S. There's a lot of heritage and culture, so I'm trying to connect back with my family. My grandmother died when I was young, so I never really got to speak Czech. This is my opportunity to learn the language and experience being in Prague for a month."
Like many of his classmates, Miles says Czech grammar has proved to be the biggest challenge.
"In English there's usually one word, but in Czech there are six or seven different forms. The memorisation is challenging, but if you write everything down and practise, it's not too hard."
He has, however, already found a favourite Czech word.
"Zmrzlina. It's hard not to like ice cream. It's a fun word, and it's also challenging to say. Every time I see an ice cream shop, I think, 'Zmrzlina'."
What started for Miles as a chance to reconnect with his Czech roots has ended with a life-changing decision.
"Since my mother was born here, I have Czech citizenship, so I bought a one-way ticket and decided to move to Prague… I only bought a one-way ticket from Oakland to Prague, so I'll have to figure it out and learn the language as I go."
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