© 2000 by Susan C. Kresin. All rights reserved.
In the last ten years interest in Czech has risen dramatically, a situation that is reflected not only in larger enrollments, but also in a significant increase in the number and variety of teaching materials available to English-speaking learners. This review will cover the main introductory and intermediate/advanced materials published in the Czech Republic, Great Britain and North America. Complete bibliographical references are listed at the end of the article. [1]
For many years the dominant introductory textbook in the United States and Canada has been Michael Heim’s Contemporary Czech, which was (first) published in 1973. At this time, most learners of Czech were graduate students in Slavic departments, with a prior knowledge of Russian. Correspondingly, Contemporary Czech has concise grammar explanations that build on prior familiarity with the basic grammatical categories in Slavic languages, such as case and verbal aspect (though this is not a prerequisite). Review lessons then reinforce the most difficult points, such as word order, verbs of motion and reflexive pronouns. Some programs use this book in combination with Karen von Kunes’ manuscript Czech Step by Step, which provides additional explanations, readings and exercises. It is also effective for review at the intermediate level (see below).
More recent American and British textbooks have tended to have a more communicative basis, reflecting the changing needs of students of Czech. With the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, undergraduate enrollments in Czech have increased considerably. Most students have visited or plan to visit the Czech Republic, and therefore need a solid grounding in the basics of communicating in everyday situations. James Naughton’s Colloquial Czech, originally published in 1987, addresses this need by providing lively dialogues with a mixture of literary and some spoken Czech. Written in a “teach-yourself” format, the book includes brief grammar explanations, grammar drills and translations, and a key to all of the exercises. When used in a university program, it is most effective as a source of dialogues, grammar explanations and brief drills: the teacher must provide extensive supplements of other conversational activities and of cultural material. Similar in its basic format is David Short’s Teach Yourself Czech, published in 1993. In addition to dialogues, grammar notes, and exercises, this textbook also includes cultural notes and replicas of authentic Czech materials, such as photographs of famous sites in Prague, product labels from food and beer, transportation tickets and newspaper headings. In each chapter a section entitled A jestû nûco addresses in English some aspect of Czech life, including Czech food, money, heraldic symbols, the national anthem and so on. The exercises focus both narrowly on grammar and more broadly on developing communicative skills, such as responding in Czech to certain types of situations and asking questions. While the amount of material would not suffice without supplementation for a university course, the book as a whole is very well rounded and could provide a solid basis for an introductory language course.
Other recent publications include Cestina pro komunikaci by Míla Sasková-Pierceová (Saskova-Pierce) and Ivana Bozdûchová, and Cestina hrou by Susan Kresin, Ilona Koránová, Hope Subak-Kaspar and Filip Kaspar. Although the textbook of Cestina pro komunikaci is currently under development, a workbook, published in 1995, can easily be used independently of the textbook. The workbook is designed purely for conversational practice: it has topical vocabulary lists and interesting questions for discussion, as well as excellent listening comprehension exercises (with full texts printed at the end of the book). If used independently of the textbook, the workbook is most valuable at the advanced beginner or intermediate level, to ensure the students’ prior familiarity with both prerequisite grammar and basic vocabulary. Cestina hrou, with a second edition published in 2000, includes a textbook and a workbook. The textbook includes dialogues, cultural readings in Czech, detailed grammar explanations and a variety of exercises and role-play activities. Each chapter focuses on a single topic of grammar that is matched with a specific theme for vocabulary development and situational practice: aspect is introduced in the context of sports and free time, past passive participles in the context of Czech history, and so on. The workbook is closely linked to the textbook: the textbook could be used without the workbook, but not vice-versa.
Of the materials published in the Czech Republic, the most widely known older publications are A Practical Czech Course for English-Speaking Students (1962) by Milos Sova and Cestina pro cizince by Milan Sára, Jitka Sárová and Antonín Bytel (1969). Both were designed primarily for use within the Czech Republic, in part by students from the Third World who needed a year’s introduction to the language before enrolling in a Czech university or technical school. Although the dialogues and other texts are quite outdated, A Practical Czech Course has very thorough grammar explanations, as well as excellent sections on word formation. A section devoted to readings in Czech, and extensive glossaries (Czech-English and English-Czech) also add to the value of this textbook, which is still used in some in North American programs despite its being out of print. Supplementary materials developed by Charles E. Townsend provide additional practice in grammar and basic information about Czech culture (1987). Cestina pro cizince shows a stronger influence of the in-country purpose, with early introduction of colloquial language features and some specialized vocabulary and readings. The grammar explanations are quite strong, however, and exercises focus on both grammar and vocabulary development.
Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of Czech publications, created in part to meet the needs of a vast number of young Americans living and working in Prague. Introductory materials published in the Czech Republic include, among others, Czech for Foreigners: My Good Czech Companion by Olga Parolková and Jaroslava Nováková (1992), Cestina pro vás, by Milena Kelly (1993), Communicative Czech: Elementary Czech by Ivana Bednárová and Magdalena Pintarová (1995) and Chcete mluvit cesky? by Elga Cechová, Helena Trabelsiová and Harry Putz (1997). Most of these books appear to be intended for use as “teach-yourself” manuals or in language schools. New grammar and vocabulary are presented through dialogues that teach phrases used in real-life situations, and drawings or photographs and other tidbits from Czech realia enliven the presentation. Keys to the exercises enable self-taught students to monitor their progress themselves. Explanations of the new material are minimal, however, and actual practice with the language tends to be almost exclusively in the form of substitutional grammar exercises, with little chance for actual communication. For foreigners living in the Czech Republic, this practice would be provided by everyday encounters with Czechs; for students outside the country, however, extensive supplementary materials may be necessary. Communicative Czech is the exception in this regard: at the end of each chapter it includes valuable listening comprehension exercises, as well as some suggestions for role-play using the new vocabulary and grammar. The textbook Chcete mluvit cesky? also seeks to accomodate certain communicative needs by providing an appendix with expressions used in various communicative functions, such as greeting people, agreeing or disagreeing, thanking, apologizing, inviting, requesting and so on. All of the books include at least one tape; Cestina pro vás has eight, with recordings of all of the exercises, in addition to the dialogues. Teachers adopting Czech for Foreigners should note that a set of tests is available; currently this is the only textbook of Czech with supplementary materials to aid the teacher.
Over the years a wide variety of Czech language materials for foreign students have been published by instructors at Charles University; however, availability outside the country is quite limited. Alena Trnková’s Cvicení z ceské mluvnice is an excellent source of highly focused grammar exercises, particularly for advanced beginner and intermediate students. In addition to Communicative Czech, mentioned above, recent publications at Charles University include first-year materials by H. Confortiová and M. Krejcová entitled Mluvíme cesky (1996) and second-year materials by H. Confortiová and M. Turzíková entitled Cestina pro pokrocilé (1993); unfortunately, these titles were not available for review. Czech, A Multi-leveled Course for Advanced Learners, by Frantisek Cermák, Jan Holub, Jirí Hronek, Milan Sára and David Short, may be of particular interest to linguists: it is a two-volume structural introduction to Czech, written collaboratively by linguists of Charles University and the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies, University of London (1993). References to earlier publications can be found in an annotated bibliography of Czech language materials by Ludmila Nováková, Cestina jako cizí jazyk II: Vybûrová bibliografie prírucek cestiny jako cizího jazyka (1992).
At present the only video material designed specifically for introductory language instruction is Helena Confortiová’s Cestina pro vás (1994). This video shows scenes from the everyday life of a Czech family, including basic introductions, visits by friends and relatives, encounters with a nosy neighbor and so on. It presents the most essential vocabulary relating to everyday life, and introduces and drills basic grammatical forms, such as the nominative plural, the locative case and verbs of motion. The main characters include a high-school senior and a college student: this gives students of Czech a glimpse of the real life of their Czech counterparts.
Intermediate and advanced materials are more sparse, though the situation has improved considerably in the last few years. In addition to H. Confortiová and M. Turzíková’s Cestina pro pokrocilé, mentioned above, recent publications in the Czech Republic include Communicative Czech: Intermediate Czech by Ivana Bednárová and Magdalena Pintarová (1995), Chcete jestû lépe mluvit cesky? Czech for Advanced Students by Elga Cechová, Helena Trabelsiová and Harry Putz (1997), and Cestina pro strednû a více pokrocilé by Jana Bischofová, Jirí Hasil, Milan Hrdlicka and Jitka Kramárová (1997). The first two are continuations of introductory textbooks (see above). Communicative Czech could easily be used after any introductory course: it assumes a basic knowledge of Czech grammar and elementary vocabulary, but reviews difficult grammar, including comparison of adjectives and adverbs, the conditional mood, oblique cases in the plural and the passive voice. Exercises both drill the reviewed material and provide ample opportunity for natural communication. Some chapters include listening comprehension activities. On the whole, the dialogues and readings are relevant and interesting: topics include personal biography, free time, travel, famous sites in Prague, Czech history and geography. Most of the texts are recorded on cassette. While this textbook would probably not suffice for an entire year’s course without extensive supplementary materials, it is a solid foundation for an intermediate course.
Chcete jestû lépe mluvit cesky? addresses the needs of high-intermediate or advanced students. It assumes a mastery of basic Czech grammar and focuses instead on vocabulary development and fine points of the lexicon and grammar. The vocabulary lists are particularly noteworthy. For example, the list in Chapter 1 addresses the topic of travel and includes not only general words relating to travel but also words of specific interest in the Czech context, with vocabulary relating to castles and other historical sites, common Czech trees and flowers, and traffic signs. In Chapter 9 eight pages of vocabulary are devoted to the topic umûní, with individual sections on literature, theater, visual art, music and film. Each chapter also includes a “word family,” a list of fifteen or more words with a common root. Readings in each chapter closely relate to the new vocabulary; many are excerpts from the Czech press. Although the format of the book is somewhat difficult to follow and exercises are sometimes sparse, Chcete jestû lépe mluvit cesky? is an excellent resource for advanced students.
Cestina pro strednû a více pokrocilé is particularly noteworthy for its interesting range of topics: individual chapters address not only traditional topics like family, free time and education, but also economics and politics, the language of newspapers, ecology and fashion. Extensive readings are taken from literature and a variety of newspapers. The grammar explanations are brief but adequate, particularly if supplemented by oral explanations in class. Exercises include not only grammar and vocabulary drills, but also suggestions for oral reports or discussions and for written reports. This book could be used effectively not only for standard intermediate level courses, but also for conversation classes in Czech: the basic topics could be addressed at a variety of levels, depending on the abilities of the individual students.
As noted above, Michael Heim’s Contemporary Czech can also be used effectively as an intermediate textbook, especially if supplemented with readings and additional vocabulary. The concise format makes it quite useful as a reference book, and the fourteen review lessons hone in on the points of Czech grammar that commonly pose the most difficulties for students. In some programs it is used in conjugation with Readings in Czech, by Michael Heim, Zlata Meyerstein and Dean Worth (1985). This reader includes a wide variety of genres, including excerpts from works by Karel Capek, Jaroslav Hasek, Milan Kundera, Jaroslav Seifert and other literary figures, as well as readings on Czech history, politics, film and linguistics. The Czech-English glossary operates somewhat independently of the readings: it contains the 2500 words used most frequently in the Czech language overall, and can be used not only in conjunction with the readings, but also a guide for more general study. Within the readings all lower frequency words are glossed, so that students need not make extra efforts to understand words that are presumably of lower functional value in their overall study of Czech.
Also intended for use with Contemporary Czech as a second-year textbook, Karen von Kunes’ manuscript Check Your Czech is a compilation of additional grammar, readings and exercises. Her manuscript Contemporary Czech Practice: Selected Readings includes works by Karel Capek, Milan Kundera, Václav Havel, Ivan Klíma and others, with vocabulary, reading questions and exercises.
Other sources of Czech literature for language students include William Harkins’ Anthology of Czech Literature (1953) and Alfred French’s Anthology of Czech Poetry (1973). The former includes classics of Czech poetry and prose from the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. Biographical notes in English introduce each writer, and at the end of the book explanatory notes elucidate both difficult linguistic structures and the cultural context. Since the level of the language is fairly difficult and the texts tend to be quite long, this book may be preferable for high-intermediate or advanced students who have already been exposed to Czech literature through the readers mentioned above. Anthology of Czech Poetry has parallel Czech-English texts; it includes texts from the beginning of Czech literary history to the beginning of the twentieth century, with explanatory notes in English on each writer or period.
At present, video and computer materials are quite limited. Spoken Czech: Situational Dialogues for Intermediate Level Students, by Thomas Dickins, is the only videocourse for the intermediate level. It shows thirteen scenes from common real-life situations, such as shopping, eating out and asking for directions. The dialogues, written and recorded by native speakers, are a combination of literary Czech and more colloquial styles, and thus provide a natural context for introducing students at the intermediate level to the complexities of Czech stylistics. Transcripts and a variety of exercises are published in an accompanying manual, along with an essay on Czech stylistics, vocabulary lists and keys to the exercises. For additional video materials teachers may wish to select excerpts from Scola television broadcasts or from films such as Closely Watched Trains, Loves of a Blonde, The Fireman’s Ball, Larks on a String and Kolja that are available on videotape: unfortunately at present no videocourse incorporates materials from Czech cinema or television.
At this point, the use of Czech language computer materials requires a fair amount of creativity and adaptation. Only one set of published materials is designed specifically for the language learner: Czech History and Language Software 98. This CD-ROM provides an overview of Czech declension and conjugation within the context of Czech history. Each of the eighteen lessons presents one historical period and one point of grammar. For example, Lesson 6 covers the Hussite period and the declension type predseda, and Lesson 14 covers World War II and the first of five conjugation types. Highlighting words within the text produces a translation above the text, and an English translation of each text is also available. Other features include a map of Bohemia for each period, grammatical charts and some rudimentary exercises (filling in noun or verb endings, according to the focus of the lesson). A general overview of Czech grammar is also provided, but its value is diminished by numerous misinterpretations and inaccuracies. These materials could be used most effectively at the intermediate level, perhaps for individualized review of basic grammar or as the basis of reports on Czech history and culture. Other possible resources include materials produced either for tourists or for native speakers of Czech, such as CD-ROMs of Prague, the Czech Republic, Czech history and other aspects of Czech realia. For example, the CD-ROM Pripravujeme se k maturitû z ceského jazyka is designed to help Czech high school students prepare for the Czech literature section of their graduation exams. Individual sections could be adapted for intermediate or advanced language classes, particularly in classes with graduate students focusing on Czech literature.
In sum, although the Czech resources available to English-speaking learners have more than doubled in recent years, a number of gaps remain. Most striking is the lack of multi-media materials, a resource that is both appealing to students and an excellent means for teaching culture. For example, given a typical student’s high level of interest in Prague, a introductory videocourse based on a walk around Prague would be an engaging and effective way to teach basic structures and vocabulary in context. The rich tradition of Czech cinematography could be applied to language study through a selection of clips designed to supplement a first-year or second-year program. At intermediate and advanced levels, whole movies could be adapted for language and cultural study. For example, a CD-ROM version of a historically grounded movie like Jan Svûrák’s Kolja could serve as a vivid illustration of recent Czech history, especially if supplemented by historical and lexical notes and exercises similar to those developed by Slava Paperno for the Russian movie Dvenadcat¢ stul¢jev. Computer materials at all levels would be both a novelty and an invaluable resource that would allow for individualized instruction in mixed groups. Perhaps computer materials could also be developed to accommodate the dearth of listening comprehension materials.
A second need is for intermediate and advanced materials. At present the only textbooks are published in the Czech Republic; they are designed specifically for in-country students. Students lacking this level of immersion clearly have a different set of needs, which have yet to be fully met. There is still a need for a basic textbook, stressing vocabulary development and a gradual review and fine-tuning of grammar, with extensive readings and listening comprehension exercises. Given the interests of most contemporary students, materials should be based at least in part on contemporary life in the Czech Republic, but should not assume any experience there.
A traditional textbook may not be the most effective resource for all classes, however, given the wide variety across first- and second-year programs and even within a single class. For some groups greater flexibility may be necessary, particularly in the order of presentation. A combination of reader and conversation manual could be a viable alternative, perhaps with thematically arranged readings and related topics for conversation. Ideally, the material would be presented in chapters that could be chosen at random, according to the interests of the specific group of students. While flexible, a textbook of this type would present certain difficulties: the teacher would constantly have to select and perhaps modify the exercises in order to ensure a natural development of communicative skills, from basic dialogue about everyday topics to narration, description and abstract reasoning. Perhaps a teachers’ manual with suggested additional exercises for various levels would help in this regard.
Also high on the list of desiderata is a broadly based cultural reference work. David Short’s The Simple Guide to Customs and Etiquette in the Czech Republic (1996) provides a concise introduction to many aspects of Czech behavior and everyday life; more extensive information could perhaps be presented in a reference work similar to Genevra Gerhart’s The Russian’s World. A manual of this type, presenting basic cultural information shared by all Czechs, could be used not only for language classes, but also for literature and culture courses. For language study it could be used to supplement readings, (providing basic background information), as a source of contextually based vocabulary, and as a starting point for individualized projects. If current patterns of Czech language study continue into the twenty-first century, resources of this type may prove especially valuable, since they enable the teacher to accommodate individual students’ needs and interests, while reinforcing the cultural basis of language study.
When available, distributors are listed for materials that are not readily available in the United States. For a periodically updated version of this list, please see the website of the North American Association of Teachers of Czech: <www.unc.edu/campus/sigs/naatc>.
Bednárová, Ivana and Magdalena Pintarová. Communicative Czech: Elementary Czech. Prague: Univerzita Karlova, 1995. 262 pages, one cassette, Czech-English glossary, key to exercises. Distributors: I. Bednárová, Albertov 7/3a, 120 00 Praha 2, Ceská republika; M. Pintarová, Wolkerova 4, 586 01 Jihlava, Ceská republika.
Billington, Elisabeth. Czech in Three Months. Woodbridge, UK: Hugo’s Language Books, 1995. Not available for review. 224 pages, four cassettes, key to exercises.
Cechová, Elga, Helena Trabelsiová and Harry Putz. 1997. Chcete mluvit cesky? (Do You Want to Speak Czech?). Liberec: 1997. Independent publication; 396 pages, one cassette, Czech-English glossary, key to exercises. Distributor: Harry Putz, Box 89, 460 31 Liberec, Ceská republika; harrputz@mbox.vol.cz.
Cermák, Frantisek, Jan Holub, Jirí Hronek, Milan Sára and David Short. Czech, A Multi-leveled Course for Advanced Learners. Brno/Prague/ London: Masaryk University/Charles University/School of Slavic and East European Studies, University of London, 1993. 624-page volume covering grammar, incl. exercises + 343-page volume with readings, Czech-English dictionary, appendices. Designed for students with experience in linguistics or some prior knowledge of Czech.
Confortiová, Helena. Cestina pro vás: Videokurs. Prague: Karlova Univerzita, 1994. Videotape and manual with script, exercises and key. 55 pages.
Confortiová, Helena and M. Krejcová. Mluvíme cesky. Prague: Karlova Univerzita, 1996. Not available for review.
Harkins, William. A Modern Czech Grammar. New York: King’s Crown Press (Columbia Slavic Series), 1960. 338 pages, Czech-English and English-Czech glossaries.
Heim, Michael Henry. Contemporary Czech. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica, 1973/1982. 271 pages, Czech-English and English-Czech glossaries.
Kelly, Milena. Czech for You. Prague: RETAK, 1993. 172 pages, eight cassettes (including dialogues and all drills). Distributor: Anglictina Expres, Vodickova 39, 110 00 Praha, Ceská republika.
Kresin, Susan, Ilona Koránová, Hope Subak-Kaspar, and Filip Kaspar. Cestina hrou. (Czech for Fun.) New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. 499 pages textbook + 205 pages workbook, two cassettes, Czech-English and English-Czech glossaries.
Naughton, James. Colloquial Czech. London: Routledge, 1987. 303 pages, one cassette, Czech-English and English-Czech glossary, key to exercises.
Parolková, Olga and Jaroslava Nováková. Czech for Foreigners. My Good Czech Companion. Prague: independent publication, 1992. 150 pages, one cassette, Czech-English glossary, some supplementary readings; key to exercises (18 pages) and set of tests available. Distributor: O. Parolková, Tolstého 19, 101 00 Praha 10, Ceská republika.
Short, David. Czech. A Complete Course for Beginners. NTC Publishing Group (“Teach Yourself” series), 1993. 346 pages, one cassette, Czech-English glossary, key to exercises.
Sova, Milos. 1962. A Practical Czech Course for English-Speaking Students. Prague: SPN, 1962. 522 pages + 106 pages Czech-English and English-Czech glossary and key. Supplementary workbooks and tapes: see Manuals for Individualized Studies by Charles E. Townsend.
Stromsíková, Vûra. Modern Czech. Omaha, Nebraska: Blair House, 1984. Not available for review.
Sára, Milan, Jitka Sárová, and Antonín Bytel. Cestina pro cizince. Prague: SPN, 1970. 563 pages, Czech-English glossary, partial key.
Sasková-Pierce, Miluse, and Ivana Bozdechová. Cestina pro komunikaci. Textbook in preparation. Workbook: Prague: Karolinum, 1995. 122 pages, one cassette.
Townsend, Charles, E. Manuals for Individualized Studies. Supplementary materials to accompany A Practical Czech Course for English-Speaking Students by Milos Sova. Columbus: Ohio State University Slavic Papers, 1987.
von Kunes, Karen. Ms. Czech Step by Step. Available from Yale University Bookstore.
Bednárová, Ivana, and Magdalena Pintarová. Communicative Czech: Intermediate Czech. Prague: Univerzita Karlova, 1996. 196 pages, one cassette, Czech-English glossary, key to exercises. Distributors: I. Bednárová, Albertov 7/3a, 120 00 Praha 2, Ceská republika; M. Pintarová, Wolkerova 4, 586 01 Jihlava, Ceská republika.
Bischofová, Jana, Jirí Hasil, Milan Hrdlicka, and Jitka Kramárová. Cestina pro strednû a více pokrocilé. Prague: Univerzita Karlova, 1997. 244 pages, Czech-English glossary, glossaries of names and of cultural material, key to exercises.
Cechová, Elga, Helena Trabelsiová, and Harry Putz. Chcete jestû lépe mluvit cesky? Liberec: independent publication, 1997. 510 pages, one cassette, key to exercises. Distributor: Harry Putz, Box 89, 460 31 Liberec, Ceská republika; harrputz@mbox.vol.cz.
Confortiová, Helena, and M. Turzíková. Cestina pro pokrocilé. Prague: Univerzita Karlova, 1993. Not available for review.
Dickins, Thomas. Spoken Czech: Situational Dialogues for Intermediate Level Students. Wolverhampton: Univ. of Wolverhampton, 1993. 45 minute videotape and 239 pp. accompanying book (essay on Czech stylistics, exercises with keys, vocabulary lists). Distributed by Audio-Forum, Microworld House, 2–6 Foscote Mews, London W9 2HH.
Poldauf, Ivan, and Karel Sprunk. Cestina jazyk cizí. Mluvnice cestiny pro cizince. Prague: SPN, 1968. 418 pages, concise and thorough reference grammar, in Czech only, no exercises, extensive index.
French, Alfred. Anthology of Czech Poetry. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan, 1973. 371 pages. Earliest texts to beginning of 20th century; commentary, parallel Czech-English texts but no glosses.
Harkins, William. Anthology of Czech Literature. New York: King’s Crown Press (Columbia Slavic Series), 1953. 226 pages, commentary. Classics of 19th and early 20th century Czech literature.
Heim, Michael, Zlata Meyerstein and Dean Worth. Readings in Czech. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica, 1985. 147 pp. glossary 118–47. Excerpts from literature, history, politics, linguistics, film, etc.
von Kunes, Karen. Contemporary Czech Practice: Selected Readings. Manuscript available from Yale University Bookstore. Works by various 20th century writers, with vocabulary, reading questions and exercises.
Many of these dictionaries have been published in various editions. When possible, the latest edition is cited.
Davies, Helen and Hana Bezdûková. Obrázkovy anglicko-cesky slovník. Plzen: Jirí Fraus, 1993. 112 pages. Picture dictionary, with a British (rather than Czech) basis.
Filipec, Josef et al. Slovník spisovné cestiny pro skolu a verejnost. Prague: Academia, 1994. 647 pages. The standard, regularly updated dictionary for Czechs; includes the latest spelling rules.
Fronek, Josef. Cesko-anglicky slovník. Prague: SPN, 1993. 708 pages.
Hais, Karel and Bretislav Hodek. Velky anglicko-cesky slovník. Prague: Academia, 1991–93. 4 vols.
Havránek, Bohuslav et al. Slovník jazyka ceského, I-VIII. Prague: Academia, 1989.
Holub, Josef and Stanislav Lyer. Strucny etymologicky slovník jazyka ceského. Prague: SPN, 1992. 483 pages.
Krivánek, Vladimír and Helena Kupcová. Maly slovník literarních pojmÛ a autorÛ. Prague: Scientia, n.d. 88 pages. Dictionary of literary concepts and authors.
Martincová, Olga and others. Nová slova v cestinû. Prague: Academia, 1998. 280 pages. Dictionary of neologisms in Czech from the late 1980s and 1990s.
Ouredník, Patrik. Smírbuch jazyka ceského. Prague: Ivo Îelezny, 1992. 453 pages. Dictionary of Czech slang.
Pala, Karel and Jan Vsiansky. Slovník ceskych synonym. Prague: Lidové noviny, 1994. 435 pages.
Poldauf, Ivan, with Robert Pynsent. Czech-English Dictionary. Prague: SPN, 1990. 1133 pages.
Poldauf, Ivan et al. Anglicko-cesky a cesko-anglicky slovník. Prague: SPN, 1994.
Scarry, Richard. Richard Scarry’s European Word Book. English-French-German-Czech. Prague: Aventinum, 1991. 93 pages. Picture dictionary, with a British (rather than Czech) basis.
Slovník ceské frazeologie a idiomatiky. Prague: Academia, 1983–1994. Cermák, Frantisek, Jirí Hronek, et al. Prirovnání (Comparison). 1983. 496 pages. Cervená, Vlasta et al. Vyrazy neslovesné (Non-verbal Expressions). 1988. 512 pages. Cermák, Frantisek, Jirí Hronek et al. Vyrazy slovesné (Verbal Expressions). 1994. 757+634 pages.
Svozilová, Hana Prouzová, and Anna Jirsová. Slovesa pro praxi. Valencní slovník nejcastûjsích ceskych sloves. Prague: Academia, 1997. 359 pages. Dictionary of verb valencies; extensive examples.
Tûsitelová, Marie, Jan Petr and Jan Králík. Retrogradní slovník soucasné cestiny. Prague: Academia, 1986. 528 pages. Reverse dictionary.
Vodicka, Lukás. Anglicko-cesky slovník frázovych sloves. Prague: Fragment/Práh, 1992. 287 pages. Dictionary of phrasal verbs.
There are many additional resources for the Czech language. The following is a list of the reference materials that appear to be the most widely known or commonly used in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.
Arutjunov, A.R., O. Parolková and V.S. Lizunov. Cesko-ruské ekvivalenty podle témat a situací. Moscow: Russkij jazyk, 1988. 336 pages. Parallel dialogues in Czech and Russian, arranged by topic.
Auty, Robert. “Czech.” The Slavic Literary Languages. Formation and Development. Ed. Alexander M. Schenker and Edward Stankiewicz. New Haven: Yale Concilium on International and Area Studies, 1980. 164–82. Historical development of Czech.
Brown, Jeffrey, and Christophe Toussaint. Czech History and Language Software 98. Available from J. Brown, Pedagogical Faculty, English Dept., Porící 9, 503 00 Brno. CD-ROM; overview of Czech history, with exercises on declension and conjugation.
Cechová, M., et al. Cestina—rec a jazyk. Prague: ISV, 1996. 380 pages. Description and analysis of Czech, in Czech.
Eisner, Pavel. Chrám i tvrz: Kniha o cestinû. Prague: Lidové noviny, 1992. 666 pages. Collection of essays about Czech.
Fryscák, Milan. Say It in Czech. New York: Dover, 1973. 277 pages. Phrasebook for travelers.
Havránek, Bohuslav and Alois Jedlicka. Strucná mluvnice ceská. Prague: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1996. 248 pages. Czech grammar oriented to Czechs; periodically updated.
Hlavsa, Zdenûk et al. Pravidla ceského pravopisu. Prague: Academia, 1998. 389 pages. Guide to the official spelling of Czech (updated periodically).
Hronek, Jirí. Obecná cestina. Prague: Charles University, 1972. 160 pages. Description of Spoken Czech.
Martincová, Olga et al. Jazykové sloupky. Prague: Academia, 1991. 256 pages. Popular manual of common difficulties in Czech, written for Czechs.
Martinková, V. et al. Pripravujeme se k maturitû z ceského jazyka. Prague: SPIS, 1998. CD-ROM and accompanying textbook, designed to aid Czechs in preparation for high school exams in Czech literature.
Nováková, Ludmila. Cestina jako cizí jazyk II: Vybûrová bibliografie prírucek cestiny jako cizího jazyka. Prague: Univerzita Karlova, 1992. 159 pages. Annotated bibliography of Czech language teaching materials.
Mluvnice cestiny. Prague: Academia, 1986–87. Volume 1: Dokulil, Milos, Karel Horálek, Jirina HÛrková, and Miloslava Knappová. Fonetika, fonologie, morfonologie a morfemika. 568 pages. Volume 2: Komárek, Miroslav, Jan Korensky, Jan Petr, and Jarmila Veselková Tvarosloví. 536 pages. Volume 3: Danes, Frantisek, Miroslav Grepl, and Zdenûk Hlavsa. Skladba. 748 pages. The official grammar of Czech; linguistic presentation.
Porák, Jaroslav. Cesskij jazyk. Prague: Artia, 1981. 215 pages. Textbook of Czech for speakers of Russian.
Sgall, Petr and Jirí Hronek. Cestina bez príkras. Prague: H&H, 1992. 181 pages. Monograph on Czech stylistics.
Short, David. “Czech.” The Slavonic Languages. Ed. Bernard Comrie. The Slavonic Languages. London: Routledge, 1993. 455–532. Linguistic survey of modern Czech.
–––. The Simple Guide to Customs and Etiquette in the Czech Republic. Folkestone (UK): Global Books, 1996. 64 pages.
Sirokova, Aleksandra G. Cesskij jazyk. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo literatury na innostrannyx jazykax, 1961. 351 pages. Linguistic overview of Czech; includes texts from throughout Czech literary history.
Townsend, Charles. E. Czech through Russian. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica, 1981. Systematic study of the differences between Czech and Russian; includes exercises with keys.
–––. A Description of Spoken Prague Czech. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica, 1990. 151 pages. A discussion of the phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon that typifies the spoken language of the Prague area.
Trnková, Alena. Cvicení z ceské mluvnice. Rpt. Prague: Univerzita Karlova, 1986. 135 pages. Highly focused exercises on Czech morphology and syntax.
von Kunes, Karen. Everything You Wanted To Know about Czech and Were Afraid to Ask. Prague: Práh, 1995. 80 pages. Expanded edition to be published by Práh in April 1998 under the title Beyond the Imaginable: 201 Ways Looking at Czech. Notes on the Czech language and Czech culture as reflected in the language.
–––. Living Czech: 601 Idioms. A Proficiency Course in Idiomatic and Spoken Literary Czech. Forthcoming. Yale University Press, 2000.
ZrÛstová, Zuzana. Czech Phrase Book. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publ. Group, 1996. 192 pages. Phrasebook for travelers.
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
University of California, Los Angeles
Kinsey 115
Box 951502
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1502
[!] For maximum compatibility this page has been prepared without special Czech diacritic marks (webmaster).
[*] The author is grateful to Jeffrey D. Holdeman, Karen von Kunes, Hana Pichova, Charles E. Townsend and Masako Fidler for comments and suggestions.
[1] Due to a lapse in publication, some recently published materials may not be included in this survey.