Learning Czech in Udine












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            * Learning Czech in Udine
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            University of Udine (Italy) belongs to universities with a well-known study programme in C

            Students from this university visit Charles University frequently, mainly through the Eras
            the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Erasmus programme, we have approached one of t
            experience of learning Czech at their home university and at the Charles University.

            Martina Stach comes from a small mountain village belonging to the community of Belluno in
            the years 2000-2007 she studied Czech, Russian and German at the University of Udine. She 
            University in Prague for the Erasmus Program in academic year 2004/05, together with her s

            and friend Elena Ribis. 
            Martina, what leads an Italian girl to study Czech? Is it the fact that there are many Cze

            Italian coast and its skiing resorts - or did you have other reasons?
            Tourists and workers from the Czech Republic and the countries of Central and Eastern Euro
            to arrive in my region when I was about twenty. I have always been interested in languages

            culture since I was a child. Being in contact with people of same age as me who had differ
            due to the history of their countries, was for me very important. It helped me to understa
            European Union. I decided to study Slavic languages and German in the university to combin

            to have a better chance of finding a job in this field.
            You studied three foreign languages. Was Czech indeed the most complicated one as people u
            to be? How does the approach to teaching it differ in Udine compared to at Charles Univers

            After learning English and German at school, I first started to study Russian at the unive
            like climbing up a wall due to the different alphabet, conjugations and very different voc
            second step, I started learning Czech that sounds similar to Russian and for this reason i

            easier for me. The only problem was, and still remains, to not mix words and conjugations 
            languages.
            During my first semester of study at Charles University I did not feel very well: my Czech

            spoke not only Russian fluently, but also German. The grammar and the vocabulary was expla
            in the foreign language that we were supposed to learn; this is different, as in Italy onl
            the lessons are in the foreign language. The beginning was very discouraging for me - but 

            became better.
            Unlike many other Erasmus students, when you and your friend and colleague Elena Ribis dec
            Prague in a shared flat, you gave up the idea of living in the city centre where the major

            rented by foreigners, and moved to Lužiny (about 30 minutes by subway from your host facul
            of being able to live with Czech people. In retrospect, was this a good decision? Do you s
            touch with your flatmates? And your other Czech friends?

            Yes, it was definitely a good decision – I was determined to learn the most possible in th
            in Prague. My flatmates spoke only Czech, so I was forced to speak Czech with them and I c
            how to cook typical Czech food, etc.

            I’m still in contact with my best friends I know from Prague. I do not spend a lot of time
            skype or facebook, however, so I usually write emails or send postcards to them. But the v
            to organize a visit with them - in Prague!

            You finished your studies several years ago, and returned back to your home region where y
            now but also prepare various cultural events. What do you do exactly? Do you use Czech in 
            When I finished my university time in Udine in 2007 I returned to my home region where I  

            a job (in the company where I still work). I am in contact with our foreign customers for 
            marketing purposes. I accept orders, organise the shipment of goods, and distribute inform
            products. I also translated the website of the company to other languages. My knowledge of

            languages helped me greatly to get my job, because in my graduation year (2007) the period
            crisis started in Italy.
            My second biggest customer is a company from Brno – and this is one example of the possibi

            can get work with the languages I know. It is really satisfactory for me.
            As for the place I live: I wanted to return to my home region because I love the place whe
            and I wanted to spend my extra energy in organising activities there. So far I have prepar

            an exhibition of old rural eqquipment, sport and music events. Now I am trying to enter in
            field to develop the tourism, sport and cultural activities of my region.
            Thank you for the answers.