Czech contents available for everyone

Updates, Tips and Known Issues
1

Hi, I just put the hunderth podcast in my website. I hope that it will help everyone who is interested in learning Czech. I think that 100 podcasts is pretty good for learning.

You can learn Czech in Lingq even though Czech is not lingq.

TEXT, PODCASTS, CONTENTS:
You can use another language which you dont study. For example, you can pick “Korean” and you can work there with Czech. You will have your own indicator with known words, your own targets. You can import as many Czech lessons from my website as you want (if you are a paying member of lingq, sure). If you are not a paying member, you cant import lessons :frowning: - maybe only 5 lessons…but you can learn it normaly without any indicators or lingqing words…but I think that it is pity, because I have found that having own indicator in a language which I am learning, it’s pretty.
You can download the podcasts from: http://czech.johnyho.net/?kat=319&page=323

After you import your Czech lessons, you can “lingq” each word like in learning another languages.

DICTIONARIES:
English-Czech, Czech-English, German-Czech, Czech-German, French-Czech, Czech-French, Italian-Czech, Czech-Italian, Spanish-Czech, Czech-Spanish, Russian-Czech, Czech-Russian - dictionaries including phrases with the searching word.

http://slovniky.centrum.cz/

Esperanto-Czech, Czech-Esperanto, Latin-Czech, Czech-Latin, Polish-Czech, Czech-Polish + all the previous (English-Czech, etc.):

English, German, French, Spanish, Russian - dictionaries including showing synonyms, antonyms.
http://slovniky.lingea.cz/

Sure, GOOGLE dictionary and google translator is good too, I use them often.
I have already tried the Babylon dictionary which I downloaded in my computer. It is not too bad, but it is offline dictionary.

http://www.lexilogos.com/english/czech_dictionary. htm#

CONVERSATION:
If you want to have a conversation in Czech, let me know on my wall and we can arrange.

WRITINGS:
If you want to correct your text, let me know on my wall and we can arrange.

If you have a question about something, just let me know.

2

Congratulations on your century! I see I shall have to dig out my Czech books again. You are very generous to prepare all this material for us. Could you also add a few more hours to the day?

3

You can use the GOOGLE translator too - http://translate.google.com/?hl=cs&tab=wT# .
But it depends on a language…because sometimes it does not translated correctly and meaning is bad.

I have already tried:

  1. Russian - it works quite
  2. English - sometimes it works ok, sometimes it does not make sense at all
  3. German - not too bad since there are cases, genders and other things like in Czech… (ich mache, du machst, er macht)
  4. Spanish - it is okay, I can understand it
  5. Japanesse - not too bad, it does make sense, but I havent tried a lot of sentences
4

Thank you! This is truly a wealth of material. How good of you to make this all available. :slight_smile:

5

Jarda, I can only say wow!!. A treasure trove. I would love to see this up on LingQ. I am in favour of more language slots at LingQ, sooner rather than later, and am not in favour of some scrambled “empty slot”.

This effort on your part can only speed up the process. Thank you very much!!

Everything we do does take some time, and there are a lot of things on our todo list, and that of programmers. But I think you have moved Czech closer to a slot at LingQ.

6

I honestly think this would be a very good example to follow for partisans of other languages. If you want to see your language on here, then why not start collecting a library of materials now? Maybe that would be a good way to gauge actual interest in the language, Steve. If the language’s partisans are willing to put in the time to collect lessons, then you can be assured of its popularity - or at least that you’ll have good content to begin with.

7

Hi, Jarda - Here is another website that I use sometimes to learn the pronunciation of Czech words.

http://www.acapela.tv/polyglot.html

I would like your opinion as far as how accurate you think the sounds are. Thanks again for all your great content.

8

Jarda - Another quick question.
I am having difficulty learning to pronounce the sound in the Czech word for three, i.e. tři. The sound associated with the middle letter, ř, is not found in English. Can you describe how a native Czech might pronounce it? Perhaps it would help to know how your tongue moves or maybe a combination of other sounds. I tend to say it like the English word tree with a rolled r. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

9

This is the most common difficulty with Czech but I dont think written suggestions will help much. I have visited Czech Republic 4 times in the past… which means I have heard the expression Příští zastávka [name of station] few hundreds of times and still had no luck to imitate the ř letter. My “personal tutor” tried to help and after a lot of practice I can roughly say it, well, the feedback is that " I say it ok but sounds like a small kid that doesn’t know how to speak properly yet" and lots of smiles :). So I would suggest not to put too much energy on that, it will come with time.
I have similar problems with some Russian letters. I m sure tutors are giggling behind the line when they hear my ыs ш/щ ч/ц :smiley: I dont care since I can’t see them :smiley:
For me the ř is the most difficult letter, even more than the Russian ones.

10

SanneT: I see, so you know some Czech. You have already learnt some Czech. Are you able to read Czech books and understand czech movies or series, right? :slight_smile: I see…you mean, if I could prepare a lesson about “what time is it?” It is 5 p.m…Yeah, it is a good idea…Thank you, I will do it. If you get some ideat what to put on, you can tell me, thank you.

galiana: I hope that it will help and that you will decide to live in the Czech Republic :smiley: I will do my best to help you with Czech :slight_smile:

Steve: Yeah, I know that it takes some time than a language is added in LingQ. I am sure, that programmers have a lot of work to do. However, nice to hear that Czech is closer that it was before :slight_smile: You dont have to thank me :slight_smile: I like helping and supporting people. On the Interenet, there not so many Czech podcasts, but it is just being changed…because of me :slight_smile:

AlekxZar: Yeah, I have heard that Ř sound is difficult for foreigners. Have a look at the video in youtube: Pronunciation 001 - The Czech Letter Ř - YouTube

I also recorded a couple of exercise for pronunciation of Ř sound. http://czech.johnyho.net/?kat=467&page=472

As for the website http://www.acapela.tv/polyglot.html , the Czech pronuncition is OK. You can use it, I recomend it to you, it is a good resource for pronunciation of each word or even sentences.

konstantina: I would like to hear your Ř sound :slight_smile: Nice to hear that you have already been to the Czech Republic. I hope that you enjoyed being there.

11

Jarda: I was joking: Although I am not really tempted by any other languages at the moment, all this wonderful material makes me want to study each one immediately. Unfortunately, the day only has 24 hours and learning takes a lot of time, so it would be good to have a 36 hour day! Numbers are always very difficult in any language (at least for me) and so an interesting little lesson might be appropriate.

My Czech is extreeeemely limited, I did some evening class lessons a long time ago. One of these days, though …

12

Actually there are 2 ř sounds, the voiced one as in “řepa” and the voiceless one as in “tři, příští”. If you can pronounce the rolled r with the tip of your tongue, try moving the tip of the tongue slightly backwards along the hard palate; immediately the sound will turn into something resembling ž/zh or š/sh with the trill continuing. Continue practicing with different words and compare with listening material. Even if Czech people may not be satisfied, you will be a lot nearer the real thing. By the way, you may just sound like a Moravian or Slovak speaker if you pronounce a trilled “r” instead of “ř”, so you will be understood, I guess.

13

SanneT: I see :slight_smile: yeah, I wish each day had 36 hours :slight_smile: Yeah, numbers are difficult :slight_smile: I have already made a podcast about numbers :slight_smile:
alleray: thats true :slight_smile: you know a lot about learning Czech…since you have already learnt Czech…I could not explain it as well as you :slight_smile: I am looking forward to our first czech conversation, reinhard :slight_smile:

14

I started writing Czech articles in my blog which I created one week ago. I try to write an article every day and then record it and upload it in my website that I have already mentioned :slight_smile: The articles are about learning languages, my experiences with learning languages, my adventures and my advice to Czech learners, because they have the same problems with learning languages that I used to have.

Czech learners, please, follow my blog:
http://lingqthedoctor.blogspot.com/

Czech podcasts:
http://czech.johnyho.net/?kat=319&page=323

I have already translated several chapters from the book about THE LINGQUIST into Czech:

  • all chapters from “How to Learn a Language” (9)
  • Introduction (4)
  • A Language Adventure (1)

I havent recorded them, because I want someone to check my translation.

So, who is really interested in Czech, you have all advantages you can get :slight_smile: - many podcasts, czech blog, me :slight_smile: (for speaking or writings) …so come’n , students :slight_smile:

15

i, today I downloaded software for recording things on my screen and I tried to record my first videos.
I recorded two vidoes for Czech learners - about introduction of Lingq , about functions here, and so on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pDmfvJxJuI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKMxQVxNRw

I hope that these videos will help Czech learners how to work with LingQ. I will record other videos - for example, about conversations, writings, etc.

Then I recorded two videos for Czech learners, you can have a look at them. You can tell me if I should improve something…sound? quality? or is that ok? what about content there? do you think that these videos are useful for learners or I made something useless :slight_smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyvfFpeAkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_aAsxNi6HM

Thank you for your opionins.

16

For Learners of Czech:

You can follow a channel of Englisman at youtube who mastered Czech. He explains things in English in a way he learnt. It can be useful for you. People like introduction to a foreign language in their native language or in a language they are familiar with.

Jarda

17

Hi, Jarda -
I just checked out your youtube videos and I think they are useful. Picture and sound are good and I like having the different genders on the same page so that I can compare and contrast them.
I really appreciate all the work you have put in with the recordings. I use them a lot and I have downloaded some from your website to put on my iPod.
Keep up the good work!
I am also clearing my schedule starting the first of the year 2011 to really focus on learning Czech. I want to be able to communicate well by June 1. So if you don’t hear from me before then, don’t lose heart. I will be in contact more (and on Lingq more) starting in January.
Thanks again for all your work.
Alekx

18

MathZar: thank you for following my website. I have found a couple of bilingual books (English-Czech) and also books written by famous Czech writers (but there are not bilingual). But it is for someone who is kind of advanced in Czech. Anyway I will put them on my website. I can record some of them but I dont know if It is allowed to record a book and shere it with someone.

19

I don’t know if you know famous Czech writers, such as Karel Čapek, Božena Němcová, Karel Hynek Mácha. I asked if I could share them at LingQ. I have been told that their life’s works are in the public domain.

There will certainly be much more literature which is in the public domain.

20

Czech is on our list, Jarda, as soon as we have time to get around to it. One concern I have is that we will only be able to hear your voice. This is great, but is there some way to find recordings by other Czech speakers?