Thinking about learning Czech?

Question

I'm thinking about learning the language, as i am Czechoslovakian... Is it very hard to learn? And is it a fun language to speak? Thanks!

Answer 1

You might want to make the distinction between if you are Czech or Slovakian, as to decide if you want to learn Czech or Slovak (also called Slovakian). Haha. The people also get kind of weird if you call yourself that since the two are split now. Anyways, I know Czech quite a bit and it is a pretty hard language to learn. It takes some getting used to, but it is a sweet language. It looks really cool and sounds pretty nice too. There aren't very many sources on learning it, however. Your best bet on getting books would be to go to university library, if you live by one or attend one, and they tend to have great books for learning Czech, well mine did. haha. Also, the book "Colloquial Czech" is a pretty good book. There are numerous online sites, such as http://www.locallingo.com/ and the Slavic Language section of the site wordreference.com then click on Czech learning resources and they have good ones. Plus, it's all free! anyways, it's probably like a 7 or 8 in hardness to learn (10 being the hardest). If you need help, you could email me through my profile if you want. Hodně štěsti! (Good luck!)

Answer 2

Oooo, my mother would kill you for saying Czechoslovakian (she's Czech and only Czech, not Moravian, Silesian, or Slovak).  I grew up speaking it, but didn't learn the written language until middle school.  It's definitely far different from English in that there are hardly any cognates with English, the grammar is complex (cases upon cases...get ready to decline everything), word order is subtle, and there are many colloquialisms, often varying between villages.  Pronunciation isn't too, hard, and most words are phonetically spelled (in Czech, of course).  I find it entertaining to speak.  I get a kick shopping with my mom and speaking a foreign language that hardly anyone in America has any knowledge of whatsoever!  When I started to learn Ukrainian, I used the "Colloquial" series, which provided a meaty introduction to the subject, complete with listening excercises (writing, speaking, and listening are integral to learning a new language), and I'm sure there will be a "Colloquial Czech" volume.  Just remember to keep at it!  Everyday!!!  Especially in a drastically different language than English!  If you can, book an exchange/immersion course in the Czech Republic (not Slovakia!  They speak Slovak!), preferably not in Prague, which is infested with eager Czechs trying to practice their English on you!