School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Slavonic Studies

Czech Level 3
(Course Code 111D, 60 credits)
(September 2007 to June 2008)
(normally four hours per week at times to be arranged)

Czech Language Level 3
(Course Code 2HEW, 30 credits )
(September 2007 to June 2008)
(normally three hours per week at times to be arranged)

ENROLMENT MEETING: Thursday 20 September 2007 at 2.00 pm, in Room 133, Level 1, Hetherington Building, Bute Gardens.

Aims
This course is intended to provide students with:

1. a thorough and accurate knowledge of the Czech language;
2. advanced translation skills;
3. writing skills in Czech;
4. oral communication in Czech;
5. a sound knowledge of several short works of Czech literature across the three genres (poetry, short fiction and drama).

Learning Objectives
By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. translate relatively complex texts from Czech with or without the help of reference books;
2. write essays in Czech on a variety of selected themes;
3. conduct fluent conversations in Czech on a wide range of topics;
4. demonstrate a sound knowledge of selected literary texts in the Czech original
5. write analytical essays in English on the prescribed texts with reference to critical works in both English and Czech.

1. Translation from Czech into English: one hour per week. Passages will be chosen for translation from a variety of sources such as modern literature, magazines and newspapers, technical texts, legal and political material and children's books; materials from Czech radio and television may also be used. Every week students are required to hand in a translation for marking and it will subsequently be returned and discussed in class.

2. Grammar class: one hour per week. This class will continue from Level 2 grammar and will deal with advanced points of grammar and usage. The class will contain an element of translation into Czech.

3. Writing Project in Czech: students are required to submit a writing project (c. 2,500-3,000 words) by a set date on a subject of their choice. Detailed student guidelines relating to the writing and assessment of this project will be distributed in class. Students will be required to submit several drafts of the writing projects prior to submitting the final version. The drafts will be assessed for formative purposes and returned to the student. The Writing Project must be submitted to the Slavonic Studies Office by mid-May 2008.

4. Conversation class: one hour per week. This is a conversation class with the Czech Lektor, in part free conversation and in part based no a discussion of selected excerpts from literary texts, the Czech Press and professional magazines on various subjects. Some time will be devoted to listening exercises and work with audio and video materials as well as with off-air recordings. Students are expected to write two language essays per session. Students will be required to write short prose on a bi-weekly basis. These will be returned and discussed in class. This course will also incorporate practice in essay writing.

Prescribed texts for language

• Filipová, Kamila et al., České texty k jazykovému rozboru s cvičeními pro zahraniční studenty. Karolinum: Prague, 1997.

• Bischofová, Jana et al., Čeština pro středně a více pokročilé. Karolinum: Prague, 1999.
• Bischofová, Jana et al., Pracovní sešit k učebnici Čeština pro středně a více pokročilé. Karolinum: Prague, 1999.
• Trnková, Alena, Cvičení z české mluvnice pro cizince. ISVN: Prague, 1998.
• Pravidla českého pravopisu. Academia: Prague, 1998.
• Fronek, Josef, Anglicko-český, česko-anglický slovník. Leda: Prague, 1998.

Literature element of the module
Normally each fortnight there will be a one-hour lecture and one individual consultation session with a member of staff. Students will be required to submit three Literature Projects in the course of the session. The first of these will be due at the beginning of the last week of Semester 1, the second at the beginning of Week 8 of Semester 2 and the third at the beginning of the last week of Semester 2. Detailed student guidelines relating to the writing and assessment of these literature projects will be distributed in class. Students will receive guidance for these Projects in the individual consultation sessions and will be encouraged to submit their work in progress at regular intervals to the tutor.

Texts may vary slightly, according to availability and consultation with the students involved, but are likely to be:

Vítězslav Nezval, Básnické dílo; František Halas, Staré ženy, Dokořán; Karel Čapek, Hordubal, Povětroň, Obyčejný život, Arnošt Lustig, Noc a naděje; Miroslav Holub, Denní služba; Josef Škvorecký, Hořkej svět, Prima sezóna, Bohumil Hrabal, Taneční hodiny pro starší a pokročilé; Václav Havel, Žebrácká opera, Audience, Vernisáž; Ludvík Vaculík, Český snář; Ivan Klíma, Má veselá jitra, Milan Kundera, Nesmrtelnost.

All prescribed books and materials can be obtained from the University Library or from the Slavonic Studies Office.

ASSESSMENT

Formative Assessment
Students will be set written work in the form of language exercises on a regular basis. Some of these exercises may take place in class time and take the form of class tests.

End-of-Course Examination
A mixed-mode scheme of assessment is operated for this course.

Language:
Writing Project in Czech (22.2% of marks)
A Two-hour End-of-Course Examination: Translation into English (22.2% of marks)
An Oral Examination (22.2% of marks)

If the language component is taken on its own (30 credits) each of the assessment elements shall be weighted at 33.3% of the overall mark.

Literature:
Students will be required to submit three Literature Projects during the course of the session. The first two Projects should be around 2,000 words and each will be worth 10% of the marks. The third Project should be comparative and must include at least two authors not chosen for the earlier Projects. This final Project must also show clear evidence of a close study in Czech of the works being analysed. It should be around 3,000 words and will be worth 13.33% of the marks. Topics for these Projects will be agreed with the tutor concerned. Non-submission of course work and non-attendance may result in credit refusal.

Taught by Dr Jan Čulík, Mrs Ilona Klemm, Mr Josef Svéda