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Elena Terekhova
Quite CZECHed [0] - 19.07.2025
«When I picked up the receiver, it was the Centre for International mobility calling. They told me: "You’ve got this job”. You know, at the same moment I screamed out "Super!!!” Perhaps they didn’t expect such a reaction. But what they told me later was that they had definitely liked it».This was how Ivana Matušková embarked on one more very special job in her life, or one very special life at her job, which is still a puzzle.
Ivana is the tutor of the Czech language at Ulyanovsk State University and the Head of the Czech Centre in Ulyanovsk. The courses of the Czech language were arranged based on agreements between Ulyanovsk State University and the University of Masaryk. (read more at http://bordersoff.ru/publ/30-1-0-391) The most challenging thing is that Ivana has been residing in Ulyanovsk for two consecutive terms, throughout the 2010-2011 academic year.
"That’s it, I screamed out "Super!!!” … And then I put down the receiver. A whirl of thoughts I had! I was about to go to Russia. "They say it’s incredibly cold during Russian winters. I will be there all alone, knowing nobody and nothing, simply to say about the town and the places…How will I do there?”
But everything turned out right. This May Ulyanovsk students had to say "goodbye” to Ivana going home for summer holidays. That terrible Russian snow falling, lying, melting, flowing and drying, (at last!) was over. But what the students got during this period was beyond any expectations.
At the 'goodbye' party. Photo by Elo Ismagilova © bordersoff
That Creative Czech Course
During the two terms (3,5 months each) Russian students experienced a multitude of ways to learn Czech. It was hard at first – learning the alphabet, reading and grammar drilling – and many of the beginners hadn’t "overcome” that pressure. Later on courses in Czech became more – watching films, listening to songs and recordings, studying Czech traditions and history and even meeting a delegation from the University of Masaryk…Only the steadiest succeeded and made the courses a pleasure to experience.
Study trip to Brno
After the Masaryk delegation visited Ulyanovsk State University the UlSU International Office and Czech language students got a kind proposal to come to Brno and have a language study course during the 2 weeks at spring semester. Thanks to the International Office and the International Students’ Club at the Masaryk University a language course in the Czech Republic was a deeply gratifying experience for the Russian students.
Students from UlSU at the opening meeting, the University of Masaryk © bordersoff
Studying major subjects(according to the major at Ulyanovsk State University), going out to cultural evenings and parties, going on excursions through Moravian region, giving out presentations, playing city games, visiting European capitals – and all these in Czech! – that’s yet another story to tell on how Ulyanovsk students spent their time during these two weeks. What’s more, several Ulyanovsk students have already applied to continue their studies at the University of Masaryk next year, in order to pursue their Master’s or Phd.
Ulyanovsk students at the University of Masaryk © bordersoff
CZECH it out!
Next year Ivana Matušková is coming back with Certificates for Ulyanovsk students indicating the acquired knowledge of the language. The Certificates seem the long-awaited documents for the students who have passed the oral and written parts of the Czech language exam – but not the last ones: the majority of the students are going to continue Czech studies next year.
South-Moravian Centre for International Mobility and Ulyanovsk State University are going to keep the courses for the first group on and also launch the courses for the new beginners next September.
Just CZECH it out! Ivana is coming back. Perhaps this time it's your CZance!
Youth |02.06.2011 | Views: 2226
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