Čeština expres START – Holá Lída (2022)

The publication Czech Express START represents a preparatory course for studying Czech as a foreign/second language, which can precede working with textbooks at the A1 level and beyond. The content of all seven chapters is focused on the sphere of everyday practical life. Students become acquainted with the objects that surround them (describing a classroom and a room or everyday items) and learn to navigate the environment they encounter daily (shopping, orientation). There is also space dedicated to handling crisis situations (calling a doctor, police, or firefighters) and basic understanding in dealings with authorities, including filling out forms. Unlike conventional textbooks, the publication employs elements of the direct method, without explicit formulation of grammatical rules. The publication includes additional freely available materials: a Teacher's Manual with online activities, audio recordings in MP3 format, and a Workbook for practicing the Latin alphabet. The preparatory course can become a useful tool in the initial stage of teaching, especially for non-Slavic students, for students without a mediating language, for students with minimal knowledge of grammatical terminology, and with insufficient or no knowledge of the Latin alphabet. The publication is released with the support of the Association of Teachers of Czech as a Foreign Language.