2009/02/09
2009/02/02
What is wrong with language courses?
I will tell you one thing – most (if not all) language courses suck big time.
Why it is so difficult to teach the language – actually it is one thing that everybody, who has kids should know!
IMO the biggest problem is that every language course is designed to teach you language, but not how to communicate and how to use it in different situations. I am not talking about those “my dog has shate on the mat” classical examples in text books. How often you need to tell somebody that you see an apple?
Imagine that you move to some country (CZ is good example) and sign up for some course. What you get?
1. Pretty sophisticated grammar rules that you cannot learn in five years even if you are native czech speaker.
2. Learn how to recite ancient history that you do not need nor do you care.
3. Some words to describe that you had vacation in Slovakia by car, even if this doesn’t really describe your vacation.
and other useless stuff for expressing your thoughts, but very useful phrases, sentences that help to explain some grammar points better.
After six months of studying czech two hours per week I am not able to use it in simple situations, such as:
1. Could you pass me the salt please?
2. I have cold and high temperature.
3. I would like to get that red book.
4. I don’t like sugar.
5. Three packages of green Durex.
6. I want fresh meat.
7. Fuck off.
But I am pretty good in explaining position of “jsem” and related words in the sentences I do not understand.
Probably the problem is that these courses are designed to start from easy to difficult, not to start from useful things and go to useless things.
A tip: it would be a wise idea to learn how to count in czech language, so you can order beers.
What is wrong with language courses?
I will tell you one thing – most (if not all) language courses suck big time.
Why it is so difficult to teach the language – actually it is one thing that everybody, who has kids should know!
IMO the biggest problem is that every language course is designed to teach you language, but not how to communicate and how to use it in different situations. I am not talking about those “my dog has shate on the mat” classical examples in text books. How often you need to tell somebody that you see an apple?
Imagine that you move to some country (CZ is good example) and sign up for some course. What you get?
1. Pretty sophisticated grammar rules that you cannot learn in five years even if you are native czech speaker.
2. Learn how to recite ancient history that you do not need nor do you care.
3. Some words to describe that you had vacation in Slovakia by car, even if this doesn’t really describe your vacation.
and other useless stuff for expressing your thoughts, but very useful phrases, sentences that help to explain some grammar points better.
After six months of studying czech two hours per week I am not able to use it in simple situations, such as:
1. Could you pass me the salt please?
2. I have cold and high temperature.
3. I would like to get that red book.
4. I don’t like sugar.
5. Three packages of green Durex.
6. I want fresh meat.
7. Fuck off.
But I am pretty good in explaining position of “jsem” and related words in the sentences I do not understand.
Probably the problem is that these courses are designed to start from easy to difficult, not to start from useful things and go to useless things.
A tip: it would be a wise idea to learn how to count in czech language, so you can order beers.
2009/01/29
Useful phrases in Czech language
Thanks, Aurel! It’s about the time to learn some real stuff (we already know how to order pivo (dvakrat)).
Useful phrases in Czech language
Thanks, Aurel! It’s about the time to learn some real stuff (we already know how to order pivo (dvakrat)).
2009/01/14
CZ art hoax
http://us.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/14/eu.czech.art.row/index.html#cnnSTCText
Cerny, and his main collaborators Kristof Kintera and Tomas Pospiszyl apologized to Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and other government ministers Tuesday, according to a statement on the artist's Web site, for " not having informed them about what is true and for having misled them.The statement adds that Cerny and his colleagues initially wanted to use 27 European artists for "Entropa", but fell short due to lack of time and money. Instead, they say, they decided to create fictional artists, some of whom have even been given their own Web sites.advertisementCerny says he knew the truth would eventually come out but adds: "We believe that the environment of Brussels is capable of ironic self-reflection, we believe in the sense of humor of European nations and their representatives.
CZ art hoax
http://us.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/14/eu.czech.art.row/index.html#cnnSTCText
Cerny, and his main collaborators Kristof Kintera and Tomas Pospiszyl apologized to Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and other government ministers Tuesday, according to a statement on the artist's Web site, for " not having informed them about what is true and for having misled them.The statement adds that Cerny and his colleagues initially wanted to use 27 European artists for "Entropa", but fell short due to lack of time and money. Instead, they say, they decided to create fictional artists, some of whom have even been given their own Web sites.advertisementCerny says he knew the truth would eventually come out but adds: "We believe that the environment of Brussels is capable of ironic self-reflection, we believe in the sense of humor of European nations and their representatives.
2009/01/13
Europe needs the 'shocking' Czechs :: Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Europe needs the 'shocking' Czechs :: Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Conservative Roman Catholic Poland is depicted by a sculpture of priests raising the rainbow flag of the gay movement, subverting the iconic image of the American soldiers planting the Stars and Stripes on Iwi Jima. "A surreal vision of the interconnection of that which can not be interconnected," claims the artist Leszek Hirszenberg.
This is probably what I like most about czech people - open hatred of stupid people.
entropa
Conservative Roman Catholic Poland is depicted by a sculpture of priests raising the rainbow flag of the gay movement, subverting the iconic image of the American soldiers planting the Stars and Stripes on Iwi Jima. "A surreal vision of the interconnection of that which can not be interconnected," claims the artist Leszek Hirszenberg.
This is probably what I like most about czech people - open hatred of stupid people.
entropa
Europe needs the 'shocking' Czechs :: Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Europe needs the 'shocking' Czechs :: Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Conservative Roman Catholic Poland is depicted by a sculpture of priests raising the rainbow flag of the gay movement, subverting the iconic image of the American soldiers planting the Stars and Stripes on Iwi Jima. "A surreal vision of the interconnection of that which can not be interconnected," claims the artist Leszek Hirszenberg.
This is probably what I like most about czech people - open hatred of stupid people.
entropa
Conservative Roman Catholic Poland is depicted by a sculpture of priests raising the rainbow flag of the gay movement, subverting the iconic image of the American soldiers planting the Stars and Stripes on Iwi Jima. "A surreal vision of the interconnection of that which can not be interconnected," claims the artist Leszek Hirszenberg.
This is probably what I like most about czech people - open hatred of stupid people.
entropa
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