If we want to start learning Czech, we have to treat it as learning other foreign languages. That is, learn vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and syntax. There is no shortcut here, although it is sometimes tempting to talk to our southern neighbors in Polish because we share the same language group. However, this does not mean that Czechs will understand us, when often the same words in Czech have different meanings than in Polish.
1. Appropriate motivation
Motivation is a key element in learning a foreign language. When we start learning without motivation or with the wrong motivation, we often stop at the first difficulties. Learning then becomes a burden that we try to escape from, not the pleasure it should be. However, if we have the right motivation, something important that will affect our life in the future, for example a job, a move, a girlfriend/boyfriend or a business, then we will probably succeed in learning the language.
2. Verified sources
The textbooks we learn from are important in learning a foreign language. However, they are not the only source for learning a language. There is no ideal textbook, because each author emphasizes a different area. For this reason, I don’t think textbooks are intended to encourage us to learn, but rather to explain grammar in a clear way. Also, for example, audiobooks or books are intended to expand our vocabulary and phrases, not to demotivate us more from learning. So we will not reach for books in the Moravian dialect, if we want to learn general Czech.
3. Good ways of learning for you
Often, learning foreign languages is associated with textbooks and the obligation to study regularly, just like when we went to school. Again, this kind of thinking is more of a hindrance to starting learning than to achieving a specific goal. I encourage you to try different ways of learning a language. For example, watching series, movies with Czech dubbing and subtitles via streaming, reading books, fairy tales at the level you are, listening to music and translating into your native language, the Tandem application, which is intended to chat with people from all over the world who teach different foreign languages and regular contact – telephone calls and chats with people who speak this language.
4. Cyclic exercises
Learning a language is like sports, the more we practice, the better we become. If we learn a new word, it is worth finding its translation and creating a few sentences so that we remember the meaning of the word and the situations in which we use it. In addition, we can repeat it regularly and implement it while speaking. Another favorite method for regular practice is the Duolingo app, which has different types of exercises.
5. Surround yourself with language
If we want to learn a foreign language effectively, we will have to implement it into our daily lives, i.e. change our current habits, plan day by day, hour by hour, to use our time effectively. For example, we can change the settings of our devices to the language we are learning, find friends in the Czech Republic or travel there regularly.
6. Accept our own mistakes
We all want to speak perfectly, preferably like Native speakers. However, until that point, we will have to make mistakes. Without making mistakes, we cannot receive feedback from someone that we made a mistake, as a result we will not know about this mistake, i.e. we will assume that our version is correct. The first thing we have to do is stop being ashamed of our mistakes. When we break this block, we can feel free, which allows us to communicate easily. In the second step, we have to learn to accept advice from colleagues who are at a higher level in Czech. Although this alone is not enough. We will also have to implement corrections to our words or learn to use a given phrase in a completely different context.
7. Small steps lead to success
At the beginning, in addition to our main motivation, we should also set realistic goals that we want to achieve. I advise against setting too big goals, it is better to have small goals that we achieve step by step. Thanks to this, we will make a lot of progress in a short time and we will not burn out.
8. Finding a tutor
It is also good to have a tutor who can solve our doubts and explain to us what we do not understand. In this area I recommend Olga, who took over my Czech language tutoring for those interested. Our offer is described in detail here.
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