Syllabus for CZECH 104: Intermediate Czech
Welcome to Intermediate Czech! The purpose of this course is to make you
a self-sufficient learner of Czech,
so that you can continue to use and learn it on your own.
By the end of this course, you should be able to: watch a tv mini-series in Czech
(and enjoy it!), write summaries of newspaper articles with relative ease, and feel
comfortable with all the intricacies of case usage in Czech.
Logistics
Time
& Place: MWF 9-9:50 in Dey 402
Instructor: Laura A. Janda (janda@unc.edu;
962-7549; Slavic Dept CB # 3165; office in 312A Dey Hall; mailbox in 425 Dey Hall)
Office Hours: M 10-11 & W 2-3 & by appt.
Materials
- All the materials for this course will be available from this website and links such as:
- The Case Book for Czech, by Laura A. Janda and Steven J. Clancy (CBC in Assignment Schedule)
- Annotated
excerpts of Konec velkých prázdnin
What we will accomplish
this semester
This is your course. Please take control of as much of it as you can, and use this
opportunity to make our classwork support your research and personal interests. You can
exercise your free will particularly in the following activities: newspaper presentations
(you choose what you want to prepare),
class projects, and grammar topics. Please feel free to make suggesetions about
grammar points of topics ofr extra reading that you are particularly interested in.
The following activities will be
graded: newspaper presentations, vocabulary dictations, class project
presentations, a midterm and a fnal, and class participation.
How
to succeed in this course
Here are your keys to success in this course:
- Do a small amount of work every day -- don't try to cram several days'
worth of assignments into one evening
- Keep up with the readings and other
assignments, and print out all the material assigned from the website
- Come to class every day
- When you come to class, be sure to bring at least one piece of paper that
you have prepared for the class -- a newspaper article you have read, a movie script we are working on,
questions you have about an assignment, etc.
- Work on your Final Project early and often -- you should know
your topic and format early in the course and work on it consistently; there will be a
preliminary presentation the week after the midterm and a fuller presentation at the end of the course.
How grades will be assigned
We will have three main tasks in this course:
- Detailed analysis of the use of case in Czech
(Mondays)
- Reading of newspaper articles, which will provide us with new vocabulary words to learn, as well
as topics for the composition of short essays and conversation (Wednesdays)
- Readings to go with the tv mini-series Konec velkých prázdnin
(The End of the Big Holiday), which
will provide us with topics for conversation (Fridays)
The Czech case system. We will read through The Case Book for Czech, and
use the system to analyse uses we find inour readings. Please feel free to suggest additional
grammar topics!
Newspaper Articles. Each week you will select a newspaper article of your choice. Your article
can be from Lidové noviny or from another on-line newspaper. Please
do the following: select your article, copy the text into a Word document, and add to your document a
glossary of the five most important vocabulary words (in Czech with English glosses) that you found in your
article. Send this document to me by email by 9am on Tuesday, and I will merge the documents and post all
the articles and vocabulary to our website. Before class on Wednesday, please prepare in electronic format
a brief essay (a single paragraph of 5 sentences is sufficient) summarizing your article and have it
available for the class (by emailing it to me). You will present your essays and we will discuss both their
content and form. On Friday we will have a short (3-sentence) dictation to test the vocabulary.
Film & readings. During the course of the semester we will watch the tv mini-series
Konec velkých prázdnin, and work our way through the
annotated excerpts of the novel on which it was based. We will discuss the readings and
film in class.
Topical Readings. If you have any special interests and would like to share some
reading materials with the class, please feel free to do so. This can include items that you
are reading for your research on an Honors Thesis or MA Thesis or the like as well.
Final Project. On the inspiration of a Newspaper Article, the film, a
Topical Reading or other
relevant source, you will prepare a Final Project. The Final Project will be presented
in class twice during the course of the semester,
as a preliminary draft in the week after the midterm.
You may use any medium you wish for your Final Project:
Poster, PowerPoint, Website, Digital Video, etc. If you choose a video or other
multimedia format, you may use the
Beasley Multimedia Resource Lab or
the Media Resources Center at House Library . You are welcome to work in groups on your
Final Projects if you wish to. Of course the Final Project should be prepared and delivered in Czech. There will
be opportunities to discuss and try out parts of your Final Projects during the semester.
Midterm.There will be a midterm that will summarize what we have covered in terms of grammar,
vocabulary and content.
Final Exam and Project write-ups.You will take a brief final exam and
write up summaries (in Czech!) of your classmates' final projects at the Final
Exam.
Grades. Here is how grades will be assigned:
| Item |
Number of Items |
Points per Item |
Total Points |
| Newspaper submissions & vocabulary lists |
10 |
1 |
10 |
| Newspaper summaries |
10 |
3 |
30 |
| Vocabulary dictations |
10 |
3 |
30 |
| Final Project |
1 |
10 |
10 |
| Midterm |
1 |
10 |
10 |
| Final Exam (includes summaries of all final projects) |
1 |
10 |
10 |
| |
|
Total: |
100 |
Important note: It is your responsibility to know
about the Honor System at UNC. Go
to this page and be sure you know how to avoid plagiarism and other forms of academic
cheating.
Useful References
Don't forget to have fun! Czech conversation and film opportunities!
Please join us Tuesdays at 7:00. Click here to get the schedule!
Assignment Schedule
Jan 12 (W0):
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 1: Zájezd, Dora a Milan na hranicích
Jan 14 (F0): KVP Kapitola 1: Zájezd, Dora a Milan na hranicích
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Nominative Case, first half
Jan 19 (W1): CBC Nominative Case, first half
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 1: Dora a Milan u výslechu, Kapitola 2: Zájezd - Štvanice
Jan 21 (F1): KVP Kapitola 1: Dora a Milan u výslechu, Kapitola 2: Zájezd - Štvanice
Answer to Wednesday's question: Zdravé tělo znamená delší život i lepší paměť. -- yes, you do get nominative here.
- What to prepare for next time: CBC Nominative Case, second half
-
-
Jan 24 (M2): CBC Nominative Case, second half
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N1)
- What to prepare for next time:
- Study for Dictation (D1)
- KVP Kapitola 2: Stekání utečenců na faře, Kapitola 3: Milan v nemocnici
Jan 28 (F2; Laura doing external review at ASU): Dictation (D1),
KVP Kapitola 2: Stekání utečenců na faře, Kapitola 3: Milan v nemocnici
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Genitive Case, first third
Jan 31 (M3): CBC Genitive Case, first third
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N2)
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 3 Kouzelník u výslechu, Kapitola 4 Zpráva o Petříkovi
- Study for Dictation (D2)
Feb 4 (F3): Dictation (D2), KVP Kapitola 3 Kouzelník u výslechu, Kapitola 4 Zpráva o Petříkovi
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Genitive Case, second third
Feb 7 (M4): CBC Genitive Case, second third
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N3)
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 4 Rozhovor na střeše, V lékařském pokoji
- Study for Dictation (D3)
Special Announcement:
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures is pleased to announce a
lecture by Prof. John Hope, one of our three finalists for the position of
assistant professor of 19th-century Russian Literature. Prof. Hope (Ph.D.,
Michigan), who currently teaches at Williams College, will give a talk titled
“Fearsome under sultry skies? The East of Alexander Griboedov,” at 4:00 this
Friday, February 11, in 303 Dey Hall. Please mark your calendar and plan to
attend!
That’s 4:00, THIS Friday, February 11, 303 Dey Hall.
Feb 11 (F4): Dictation (D3), KVP Kapitola 4 Rozhovor na střeše, V lékařském pokoji
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Genitive Case, last third
Feb 14 (M5): CBC Genitive Case, last third
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N4)
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 5 Nesobecká lež, Lýdie a Václav u výslechu
- Study for Dictation (D4)
Special Announcement:
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures is pleased to
announce a lecture by Prof. Yuri Leving, the third of our three
finalists for the position of assistant professor of 19th-century
Russian Literature. Prof. Leving (Ph.D., The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem), who currently teaches at George Washington University, will
give a talk titled "'Neither Fiery Serpent nor Steaming Steed'": The
Mythology of Locomotion in Nineteenth-Century Russian Poetry," at 5:00
on Thursday, February 17, in Toy Lounge (Dey Hall, fourth floor).
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend!
That's 5:00, next Thursday, February 17, Toy Lounge.
Feb 18 (F5): Dictation (D4), KVP Kapitola 5 Nesobecká lež, Lýdie a Václav u výslechu
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Dative Case, first half
Feb 21 (M6): CBC Dative Case, first half
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N5)
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 5 Všecko s klidem, Večeře s doktorem
- Study for Dictation (D5)
Feb 25 (F6): Dictation (D5), KVP Kapitola 5 Všecko s klidem, Večeře s doktorem
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Dative Case, second half
-
Feb 28 (M7): CBC Dative Case, second half
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N6)
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 6 Dořin sen o klubíčku, Realita
- Study for Dictation (D6)
Mar 4 (F7): Dictation (D6), KVP Kapitola 6 Dořin sen o klubíčku, Realita
- What to prepare for next time:
- Review
- See the Sample pages from the actual midterm!
Mar 7 (M8): Review Nominative, Genitive, and Dative
- What to prepare for next time:
- Review KVP readings and N1-N6
-
Mar 9 (W8): Review KVP readings and N1-N6
- What to prepare for next time:
- Study for midterm
-
Mar 11 (F8): Midterm
- What to prepare for next time:
- Final Project Midterm Presentations
- CBC Accusative Case, first half
Mar 21 (M9): Final Project Midterm Presentations, CBC Accusative Case, first half
Mar 23 (W9): Final Project Midterm Presentations
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Accusative Case, second half and all of Vocative Case
Mar 28 (M10): CBC Accusative Case, second half and all of Vocative Case, talk about Spektakl'
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N7)
-
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 7 Kouzelník a pasák, Tchyně dorazila
- Study for Dictation (D7)
- Chords for Mravenci v kredenci
- Lyrics for Mravenci v kredenci
- Script
- Images
Apr 1 (F10): Dictation (D7), KVP Kapitola 7 Kouzelník a pasák, Tchyně dorazila
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Locative Case, first half
Apr 4 (M11): CBC Locative Case, first half
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N8)
-
Actually, the newspaper presentations and dictation will be cancelled this week so that
we can enjoy a visit from two Czech PhD students, Lenka Camrova and Dana Viktorova and learn
about their research on environmental policy in CR
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 7 Lydie u Margritky, Kapitola 8 Milane, chovejte se jako muž
- Study for Dictation (D8)
Apr 8 (F11): Dictation (D8), KVP Kapitola 7 Lydie u Margritky, Kapitola 8 Milane,
chovejte se jako muž
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Locative Case, second half
Apr 11 (M12): CBC Locative Case, second half
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N9)
-
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 8 Lýdie, Václav a Margritka na večeři, Margritka se chytla do pasti
- Study for Dictation (D9)
Apr 15 (F12): Dictation (D9),
KVP Kapitola 8 Lýdie, Václav a Margritka na večeři, Margritka se chytla do pasti
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Instrumental Case, first half
Apr 18 (M13): CBC Instrumental Case, first half
- What to prepare for next time:
- Select a newspaper article from Lidové noviny and
submit it and your vocabulary list by 9am Tuesday; prepare summary by Wednesday (N10)
- What to prepare for next time:
- KVP Kapitola 8 Čtyři věty
- Study for Dictation (D10)
Apr 22 (F13): Dictation (D10), KVP Kapitola 8 Čtyři věty
- What to prepare for next time:
- CBC Instrumental Case, second half
- Final Presentations
Apr 25 (M14): Final Presentations
- Presenters:
- Nicholas LeBlanc
- Polina Kozak
Apr 27 (W14): Final Presentations
- Presenters:
- Alexander Morgan
- Laura Kehrer
Apr 29 (F14): Final Presentations
- Presenters:
- Eileen Eigood
- Sarah Grossblatt
Click here to view an outline of the final exam
The FINAL EXAM is on Friday, May 6 at 8:00 am in Dey 402
- Be there or be SQUARE!
-
This website was last updated on: April 11, 2005