Location of the Czech Republic (dark green)
– in Europe (green & dark grey)
Map of Czech Republic from Wikipedia.
Problems
1 Do you need to learn Czech?
2 When would it be useful?
3 How can I learn Czech easily and quickly, before going there or when on holiday in Prague?
Answers
Story
1a Tourist Trip
The first time I went to the Czech Republic it was as a tourist, to add a new place to my list, for status, general knowledge, curiosity and novelty. Prague was within driving distance of the UK, could be combined with a trip through Germany, and had three major attractions, the cobbled old city hillside city and hilltop castle, the Kafka Museum, the Jewish quarter with synagogues, Jewish museums, kosher restaurants. For light relief, opera.
On that occasion, lack of Czech language was a serious problem. We had trouble buying opera tickets and museum tickets. Parking signs, opening hours, everything was a challenge. Attempts to converse in English, German and Russian were not greeted with enthusiasm and we were holding up the queue (Americans say line-up).
My spouse's wallet was stolen from his jacket on the back of a chair in a crowded public restaurant.
Our car was smashed into whilst we were lunching with a freelance guide who approached to help when we were outside one of the Jewish museums. We always suspected she had phoned an accomplice to say we were away from the car and busy when we took her to the lunch place she recommended. I must admit I was not keen to go back.
We had to make a police report and the police spoke no English. We spent ages over Xmas and New Year hanging around the garage trying to get the window repaired.
1b Business Trip
My second trip to the Czech Republic was as trailing spouse on a business trip. Our business contact had chosen a hotel for us where the staff spoke good English and reception would book everything from car to the airport, map of directions to Midnight mass with free concert at a nearby cathedral.
We did a lot of walking and whilst being taken to lunch, or in a taxi with our Czech business contact he did all the talking to local people and translating.
Whilst I was left alone during the day midweek I walked around the castle. The stall holders varied. Some spoke English. Some had none. I managed to ask a guide with a group for directions. I asked him first where I could book a tour with him or his company, then if I could leave the castle going downhill and where the back exit would take me.
My husband and I stayed on at the weekend and went to major attractions such as the Kafka museum which had moved into larger premises and had multi-language leaflets. I must admit I was still confused about the combined tickets for Kafka museum and Mucha Museum, and where you had to go to buy the ticket for Kafka museum (in one building) in order to gain entry to a second building.
Knowing some German (earlier in the year aided by learning German on Duolingo.com) helped when leaflets had ambiguous translations into English, or only the German and Czech versions were handy because the English leaflet had run out in the nearby rack (although we later found more leaflets in another building).
I found many shops had signs in the window which I wanted to translate. Google helped. Sometimes I asked passers-by. It would have been very useful to have known and learned the Czech language in advance. If I'd had even four hours devoted to learning or revising the language int he previous week or month or on the plane journey it would have helped.
Since that second trip, I no longer regard Czech as a language nobody needs because it is only used in one country and time would be better spent on German or Russian. Every language has links with others and learning it gives insights and reminders about how non-English languages are pronounced, written, and the sentence construction. Knowing or recognizing just one word, such as open or closed, Sunday or Monday, is really handy when you are looking at the door of a bank, museum or restaurant.
DUOLINGO CZECH
3 Duolingo. The first page of any course gives you a quick account of the letters in their alphabet and grammar.
WIKI LANGUAGES
Combine this with a glance at Wikipedia's guide to the Czech language.
GOOGLE TRANSLATEoogle Translate
You can also use Google Translate to help you through the Duolingo multiple choice questions. Also, use it for words on street signs and windows. Sometimes I click on Find Language.
Further reading
See my other posts on the Czech language. I sign up for some languages on the Beta ( an experimental form of an internet system, before it is finalised.)
Duolingo's version for a laptop is ready. The simplified version to fit the smaller screen of your mobile phone will be ready soon, they promise.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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