Czech it UP. This is the name of the UP project under the imprimatur of Palacký University which has just published the first volume of a new series of textbooks for teaching Czech to foreigners. Its publication is testimony to the expanded and intensified activities and ambitions in teaching Czech as a foreign language in recent years.
Deeping internationalisation, a significant increase in the number of foreign students and attendees of summer schools in Olomouc, the ever-expanding roster of collaborations with foreign universities. These are among the impulses why UP decided to launch the Czech it UP project. “The prestige of our university and Olomouc itself is on the rise, foreign students enjoy coming here to learn Czech, and there is also interest in our lecturers and doctoral students going abroad to teach Czech. Thus, we decided upon a new series of textbooks, arising from the fertile testing ground of Palacký University, one which will also help promote the UP brand name,” said Martin Kudláček, UP Vice-Rector of International Relations. Last year, 4,497 foreign students from 108 countries attended UP, and 110 students from 30 countries attended its Summer School of Slavonic Studies (SSSS).
The Czech it UP series is not intended solely for students connected with UP. Its overall purpose has a universal nature and it is not fixed to the Olomouc environment. “We would be pleased if the Czech it UP textbooks find a home with teachers of Czech abroad and in Czech communities in the USA, South America, and elsewhere,” added Kudláček.
Oxford style
The project Czech it UP was inspired by the modern style of Oxford UP’s textbooks, bringing a “magazine” format in which every language theme is explored on two facing pages. “This format makes it easier for lessons at school and at home. The textbooks’ themes reflect contemporary issues and make a great soundboard for intercultural discussions which can enliven teaching and motivate students to the relatively difficult task of learning Czech,” stated Darina Hradilová from the Department of Czech Studies at UP’s Faculty of Arts, the guarantor of the project Czech it UP.
There will be five textbooks in the series, following the European framework of language instruction for levels A1–C1. The first book in the series to be published is intended for the most advanced students of Czech. “We are introducing the series Czech it UP intentionally starting with the C1 level volume, because there is nothing like it on the market, and it fills a big gap for teachers and students alike,” explained Aleš Prstek, Palacký University Press Director.
“Several teachers tested the working version of the C1 textbook at the last Summer School of Slavonic Studies. We got very positive feedback from students. We expect that the textbook’s concept will address a wide spectrum of foreign students,” said Pavla Poláchová, Director of the SSSS.
Palacký University Press will introduce more volumes in the series during 2020, starting with those aimed at the B2 and A1 levels. The remaining books in the series (A2 and B1) are planned for 2020.
Interactive audio-visual content
An integral part of the textbooks and working with them are situational instructional video and audio recordings, which are available on the interactive webpages of the project (czechitup.eu). “The era of textbooks with accompanying CD-ROMs is over; today’s students prefer a transparent, intuitive webpage as a more effective medium to better one’s skills and proceed to the next level,” said Prstek.
All the videos and the lion’s share of the audio files were created by the authors and directors of the Czech it UP team. These, hand-in-hand with the dynamic graphics by Vojtěch Duda and the creative photography of Jakub Čermák, give the Czech it UP textbooks their distinctive look and feel.
The UP International Relations Office, the Department of Czech Studies at the UP Faculty of Arts, Palacký University Press, UP Audio-Visual Productions and the UP Communications Office all contributed to the Czech it UP project. For more detailed information, click here.