ELT PROFILE: CZECH REPUBLIC
Greetings
Jon,
To follow is an article I wrote for the TESL-L archives. YOu are welcome to
publish this on your WWW page; please do keep the attribute so teachers know
how to access information about language teaching in other countries.
Regards,
Rick Rosenberg
--------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 07:53:46 -0500
From: "L-Soft list server at The City University of NY (1.8b)"
To: Rick Rosenberg
Subject: File: "PROFILE CZECH"
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* ELT PROFILE: CZECH REPUBLIC *
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* ELT PROFILE: CZECH REPUBLIC *
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By Rick Rosenberg, USIS ESP Fellow, Prague
MAIN LANGUAGE(S)
The language used in official functions, at the universities, and in
the media, is Czech. To date, it has been possible to use Slovak
(which is readily understood by Czech speakers and visa-versa)
for official purposes as well.
GRADE STRUCTURE
Nursery or _pre-school education_ starts at 3. What is known as
_materska skola_ is from ages 3 to 5. Primary school is from ages
6-11. This is divided into 4 classes. Secondary school is from 11 to
14 years of age. Primary and secondary schools are known
collectively as basic school (a period of some 8-9 years). The
gymnazium (the Czech equivalent to what the American system
calls high school) can begin as early as the 5th grade. This is called
the _small gymnazium_. This is the exception, however, as most
students start gymazium after _zakladni skola_. Attendance in
the _zaklanni skola_ is compulsory. Any further study is not.
There are three basic types of secondary school: the standard
grammar schools or _gymnazia_ that prepare students for future
study; the vocational schools or _odborne skoly_; and the
apprentice schools, the _ucnovske skoly_. As of 1992, 52% of
students attended the secondary vocational schools; 18% attended
gymnasia, and 30% attended specialized secondary schools
(source: _The Educational System of the CSFR 1992_
Ministry of Education, Karmelitska 5, 110 00 Prague).
There are various types of vocational schools such as _stredni
prumyslova skola strojni a elektrotechnicka_ and _obchodni_
schools that focus on science or economics.
Major institutions of higher education in the Czech Republic are
divided as follows:
Faculties of Natural Sciences 7
Faculties of Philosophy 5
Faculties of Social Sciences 2
Faculties of Medicine 7
Faculties of Pharmacology 2
Faculties of Economics 16
Faculties of Engineering 27
Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry 7
Faculties of Veterinary Medicine 2
Faculties of Education 8
Faculties of Sports 2
Faculties of Performing Arts and Music 5
Faculties of Theology 5
Names of the Major institutions of higher education in CZ are:
Charles University in Prague
Masaryk University in Brno
Palacky University in Olomouc
Silezska University in Opava
Silezian University in Karvina (Business Administration)
Ostrava University in Opava
J.E. Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem
University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice
University of West Bohemia in Plzen
Higher School of Education in Hradec Kralove
University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno
University of Economics in Prague
Czech Technical University in Prague
Technical University in Brno
Technical University in Liberec
Technical University of Mining and Metallurgy in Ostrava
University of Chemical Technology in Praha
University of Chemical Technology in Pardubice
University of Agriculture in Praha
University of Agriculture in Brno
Academy of Performing Arts in Praha
Janacek Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Brno
Academy of Fine Arts in Praha
Academy of Applied Arts in Prague
Percent continuing to university level is @18%
The Ministry of Education in Prague sets forth a basic curriculum.
Language classes start in primary school for students of 10 to 11
years of age. Students start learning English as early as nine years
of age in special extended programs . The Ministry also puts out a
list of "approved" texts (that are paid for by the schools and checked
out to students; "un-approved" texts must be bought by the parents of
the students; currently on the list are the Czech written
_Anglitina_, and the locally printed _Project English,
Cambridge English Course, Headway, Compass_, among others).
SCHOOL CALENDAR
The primary & secondary schools start on September 1 (if not a
Friday) and lets off for Christmas by the 22nd or 23rd of
December, returning on the first Monday after the New Year.
There is a week off for spring--usually taken in the mountains
skiing--that is staggered so as not to overload the accommodations
available. The founding of Czechoslovakia has been a holiday for
three days at the end of October (though this may possibly
change--at least in Slovakia). Easter holiday runs from
Wednesday to Monday; May 1 is Labor Day; May 8 is Armistice
Day.
Universities usually are in session for the winter semester from
October to the end of December or mid-January. While there are
only two weeks for holiday, lectures can extend through to
January. Exams run from after Christmas through February (6-7
weeks). The summer semester (as spring semester is known here)
starts in February or March and runs to the end of May or mid-
June. Much of the variation is due to regional differences in
weather-- to save on heating bills, many faculties will adjust the
semester to the severity of the winter. Exams start on June 1 and
continue until the new term. Students who fail the exams may re-
apply to sit for new exams up to three times.
CERTIFICATION
Czech teachers are required to be certified to teach English
through the completion of a course at an accredited university
program. However, the demand throughout the country for
teachers of English (and German) led to an extension of three
years so that teachers would be able to work while studying to get
re qualified. This extension was again extended until 1995 as the
demand for Czech teachers of languages has far outpaced the
numbers of teachers graduating the new re qualification programs
and entering the profession. In this interim period, teachers at the
basic school qualify after a three year program; secondary
teachers must study two subjects and may teach up to 7 hours in
other subjects while enrolled in a re-qualification program for the
teaching of English (the standard program for secondary teachers
runs 5 years; a new "fast track" program trains
pre-service teachers for the primary school in three years).
MATERIALS, METHODS, LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT
Language is generally taught at the primary and secondary level
in split classes. This translates to an average of some 15-20
students per section taught. University classes can be large,
however, depending on the faculty and the focus of instruction.
Some ESP classes, for instance, routinely have over 30 students
enrolled in each section.
Contact hours for primary and secondary school teachers is
usually 22 with a variation of 21 to 24 common. University
instructors carry varied loads depending on the faculty and their
responsibilities in the department.
ACCESSIBILITY OF MATERIALS
In addition to the texts cited above for the primary and secondary
schools, teachers have access to British Council ELT Resource
Centers and donated materials as well as to the United States
Information Service library and materials donated through the
USIS Fellows program, the Fulbright lecturers, Peace Corps
volunteers, and other sources. Teachers often develop their own
materials to supplement available texts. University teachers, for
example, have a tradition of developing many of the texts
they use for their classes. These texts, known here as _skripta_,
are subsidized by the particular university and are made
available for students at affordable rates.. Photocopying, for many
teachers, is often difficult to access, is too expensive, or
unavailable for multiple copying. Many major publishers are
present in the Czech Republic and offer their
texts at prices that the market will bear.
REPRESENTATION OF NON-LOCAL INSTRUCTORS
There is no nationality restriction for teachers of language in the
Czech Republic, so it is common to find a wide variety of native
speakers of English. Indeed, the first years after the revolution
were marked by large numbers of untrained and inexperienced
native English speakers teaching at all levels throughout the
country. It was not long, though, until the novelty of having a live
native speaker wore thin; schools now commonly require
experience and qualifications for their foreign instructors
(this is particularly so at the university level in the larger cities).
This last year, for example, has seen the Prazky Urad Prace
(Prague office for employment) require an officially notarized
copy and translation of the applicantUs diplomas in addition to the
many letters and documents that are part of the long process of
registering to work.
PREVALENT METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
Teachers who have taken part in teacher-training in the last three
years commonly use a communicative approach. Many teachers,
without exposure to more recent methodologies, employ
traditional approaches. Teachers without training often report
difficulty in using the new communicative-oriented textbooks.
TEACHERS' LINGUISTIC CONFIDENCE
The level of teachers' confidence in English varies greatly.
University teachers are, understandably, the most at ease in
English and regularly present in conferences, publish, and
participate and initiate various projects. Teachers at the secondary
and primary level for the most part have had less opportunity to
study English and often express the desire to have more contact
with native speakers and more time to work on their
language skills.
PROBLEMS OF CONCERN TO TEACHERS
Not surprisingly, the main concern of teachers is related to
compensation: their salary. The pay for a primary or secondary
school teacher is somewhere between 5,500 and 7, 000 crowns (@
200 USD) per month before taxes. This pay represents less than
half of what a proficient English speaker teacher could earn in the
private sector and is less than private language schools offer. A
challenge for administrators is how to keep skilled English
teachers in the profession and to attract current graduates into
teaching (when they might earn significantly more in a
private sector that greatly values their language skills).
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The largest professional organization for teachers is the ATE CR,
the Association of Teachers of English of the Czech Republic. ATE
CR, an affiliate of both TESOL and IATEFL, organizes local, national,
and international conferences, produces a newsletter, and
provides support for a variety of professional activities for
teachers and teacher-trainers throughout the country. For further
information about ATE CR and their well-known newsletter on
ELT, contact PhDr. Jana Dvorakova at the address below.
OPPORTUNITIES TO USE ENGLISH IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Teachers in the larger cities can tap into the large numbers of Rex-
pats,S Americans and others who have chosen to live a portion of
their lives in the country during an exciting historical period (post
Velvet Revolution). There are many programs on television for
those with cable and two local English language newspapers.
Teachers in the smaller cities and towns, however, can have little
or no contact with English outside of the classroom. These teachers
commonly show the most enthusiasm for the opportunity for
language work and social contact with English speakers.
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION FOR JOB SEEKERS FROM ABROAD
To inquire about employment, use the AIA address. To get
information about the ATE CR and/or their newsletter, write to Dr.
Dvorakova. For general information concerning primary education,
contact Mr. Tlusty. PhDr. Ivana Pekarova can provide some
perspective on the rich land of language teaching outside of
Prague.
I would like to thank Dr. Dvorakova for her patient perusal of this
profile and all of the contacts belowQas well as the many teachers
I have worked withQfor their assistance over the last years in
helping me better understand the needs of (and demands on)
teachers of English in the Czech Republic. Any omissions or errata
in this overview, however, are entirely my responsibility.
ADDRESSES OF CONTACT PERSONS
Akademicka Informacni Agentura (AIA)
Dum zahranicnich styku MSMT
Sendova namesti 26
111 21 Praha 1
Norbert Tlusty
Vice-principal
ZS Mladi 135
Praha 5 Stodulky 15000
PhDr. Jana Dvorakova
President, ATE CR
CVUT, FSI
Katedra jazyku
Horska 3
120 00 Praha 2
DVORAKJ@fsih.cvut.cz
PhDr. Ivana Pekarova
English Department Head
Pedagogicka Fakulta VSST
Sokolska 8
461 17 Liberec 1
Czech Republic
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Rick P. Rosenberg, USIS EFL Fellow Program Liaison, Ukraine
America House, vul. Melnykova 63, Kyiv 254650, Ukraine
Tel.:+380-44 213 25 32; Fax: +380-44 213 33 86
E-mail: rickpaul@ah.kiev.ua ; rickpaul@roller.ukma.kiev.ua
URL: http://www.ah.kiev.ua/efl/felpage.html
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