I canceled my Czech citizenship test!
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- čas přidán 16. 05. 2024
- Why I canceled the Czech citizenship test-twice! And what I'm doing to finally try to pass it.
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Ahoj! I'm Jen, Native Californian, living in Prague, Czech Republic for the past 9 years with my husband and our rescue dog Tobik. One fateful night, we drank a bottle of wine, threw a dart at the map, and bought one-way tickets to move our entire lives to the center of Europe! Everyday we learn something new, about Czech people, Czech culture, Czech history, Czech language and how to battle the Czech bureaucracy. Dream Prague started as a place to share what we learned with other foreigners living here.
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Mluvíte dobře, byl bych rád, kdyby moje angličtina byla tak dobrá jako vaše čeština. Bojujte, určitě vyhrajete.
Neni co vyhrat.
Přesně to jsem chtěl taky napsat, zvlášť dobře děvče skloňuje, což je u jiných cizinců problém. Pro vzájemné sblížení Čechů a Američanů dělá výrazně víc než všechny ziskovky a neziskovky, které se tím živí.
Na druhou stranu, zije v CR uz deset let. Znam cizinku, co po sesti letech v CR mela cestinu absolutne bez prizvuku a gramatiku na takove urovni, ze by z fleku mohla ucit CJ na gymnaziu. A z vlastni zkusenosti pobytu v cizine a setkavani se s cizinci, na uroven na ktere je ted Jen se clovek dostane tak do pul roku, pokud pred tim neumel jedine slovo. Bohuzel, zivot v kosmopolitnim centry Prahy cizince izoluje a ti se pak nemaji motivaci ucit cestinu.
@@josefhlavaty9261 Přesně. Americká vláda, naše vláda atd. si na to platí lidi a agentury, ale ve finále projekty jako tento kanál na Yourube s velkým osobním zapálením zdělají mnohem víc.
Rozvodí v ČR téměř úplně přesně kopírují hranice tří historických zemí. Čechy jsou Severní moře, Morava Černé a Slezsko Baltské.
Hi, I am a Californian living in Slovakia. I've been here a long time and finally took the Slovak Citizenship test in June (and passed). I was terrified. At least the Czechs give you something to study, here, they just tell you to check Wikipedia. There was a very difficult article to read, then they took it away, and we had to write a summary of it. Then came a 3 person panel, asking: questions about myself, questions about the article I read, etc. Then questions about Slovak geography, government officials, Slovak symbols, main Slovak cities. It's nerve wracking, but you should try it. When I saw the article, and how difficult it was, I almost collapsed. Luckily, they gave us about 15 minutes to read it. I let one of my Czech students watch your shorts and she thought you were brilliant. Direct quote, brilliant. Just try it, I don't believe they will make it so difficult for you that you won't pass. Good luck! Feel free to email me if you have any questions that can help you.
As a slovak person it's interesting to read about this 'cause almost no one knows how it works/what's in the test
@@nany_590 I didn't really know what to study for, but I assumed from Jan.1, 1993 on. They don't tell you much when you hand in the application. They said to read Wikipedia (but not which years to study, or what to study). They said they would ask a 'few questions' about current events. Anyway, I passed it thank God.
@@marialourdesmiksik7739 What were they asking about current events?
@@MrSinjoy Who are the current heads of government. Mostly questions about geography, past heads of state, cities, etc. Everybody got different questions. There were 9 of us, and we did the oral exam one by one. When someone came out, they usually stopped and told us what they were asked.
@@marialourdesmiksik7739 Thanks. There is only one head of government though. :D
I was born in Czechia but spent my whole adulthood in US. This year I married my HS sweetheart and moved back to Czechia. I can tell you I made an ass out of myself so many times that I stopped being embarrassed. It simply comes with the territory. Don’t get discouraged Jennifer. And BTW, I love your channel. Cheers.
Czech is so difficult people are afraid to write emails. Just yesterday I was writing an email where I wanted to give my phone number in the end and I wrote "Telefon na mě: xxxx" then I was like is it "mě" or "mně" or "mne" who the hell knows... Then I was like "Můj telefon: xxxx" (genius I know).
In this case you have two options: Telefon na mě/mne is correct.
2. a 4. pád
Koho, čeho, koho, co
mě, mne
3. a 6. pád
Komu, čemu, o kom, o čem
mně
I'm a little Czech grammar freak to be honest. And proud of it
@@luciekulikova455 vždy si tam dejte tě/tobě/tebe a je z toho poznat správný tvar! "telefon na tebe", takže správný tvar je na "mne", ačkoliv zrovna u tohoto tvaru to někteří uživatelé moderní čestiny považují za zastaralé a preferují nahrazení tvarem "mě"
Jako já si to pak našel xD, takže si to snad budu rok pamatovat.
@@jeffsaffron5647 v tomhle mě absolutně zachraňuje Vašek. Místo mě/mně si dosadím do věty Vaška, a pokud má dvě slabiky, je to mě, pokud má tři slabiky, je to mně.
"Dej to Vaškovi" = "dej to mně"
"Vaška to mrzí" = "mě to mrzí"
Funguje to absolutně spolehlivě
Mozna ti mladsi, starsi vetsinou jazyk dobre ovladaji.
Kdysi jsem se učil anglicky, ačkoli jsem neměl vůbec žádnou šanci hovořit s anglicky rodilým mluvčím. Pak se mě na stanici tramvaje zeptal nějaký španělský turista, jak se dostane z bodu A do bodu B. Mluvil anglicky skoro pomaleji než já a já jsem zjistil, že mu téměř rozumím a dokázal jsem mu poradit - taky pomalu. Pak jsme se zpocení z té námahy, ale šťastní nad tím, že se dorozumíme, rozešli každý za svým cílem.
Tento příspěvek píšu pomalu, abyste mu lépe rozuměla😀 a také abych opravil překlepy, které mně dělá jakýsi Parkinson!
Přesně! Já jsem takhle kdysi radil cestu nějakým Italům. Měl jsem za sebou sotva pár lekcí (turn left, go hundred meters, turn right, you see the building on the corner..) a navíc v našem městě neměli kde zabloudit, ale kamarád čuměl, jak plynule umím anglicky .-)
Pane Vladislave Nováku.
Jste učitel matematiky z Opatova?
@@MiladaKaiser - Jsem ajťák v důchodu, a nikdy jsem nic neučil. Pokud je důvodem vaší otázky třas rukou pana učitele matematiky na Opatově, tak mimo Parkinsonovy choroby nemám s panem učitelem nic společného, jen je mi ho líto, protože tato nemoc je neléčitelná.
@@elevendarter112 To já to měl naopak, někdy kolem maturity se mě taky někdo anglicky ptal kde je tady "shopping mall" a kromě toho že jsem v tý době neznal slovo mall (ale samozřejmě mi došlo že myslí obchoďák), tak jsem jenom se školní znalostí angličtiny absolutně nebyl schopnej mu popsat cestu, veškerou angličtinu jsem se naučil až pozdějc z netu, hlavně z youtubu a pak trochu násilnou metodou když jsem začal cestovat a prostě jsem občas mluvit musel protože to jinak nešlo. 😀
👍🤗
Máte krásnou češtinu, chtěla bych mluvit anglicky jako Vy česky. Moc držím pěsti 🍀
Držím Ti pěsti, Jennifer. To dáš! 😀🙏
Hey Jen! Thanks for reteaching me English grammar when I was studying TEFL, and thank you for your super inspirational Czech vids here on YT. It always give me motivace, inspirace, a úsměv 😁 - nice to know I’m not alone out here sounding jako postižený cizinec. Čeština není jednoduchá a často je pro mě jako španělská vesnice ale rad se snažím.
To dokážeme! 🇺🇸❤️🇨🇿💪
Wishing you all the best. From a Czech guy living in the oversees (US and UK) for many decades now. ‘Tva cestina je super. Jdi do toho testu, urcite nemas co ztratit.’ Keep doing the videos and if you and Honza ever fancy a chat please let me know. So intersting to observe your perspective as an American in the Czech lands…
Incredible introspection, honest, precise and fun. We all know the procrastination part and we know you can make the test easily but you're so responsible person you aim at the top self assurance and this can stress you as any other student. I bet you would to any of your student recomment to be more relaxed, but we also know the "It's the cobbler's children that go barefoot" part so yes we understand you and I think we all will laugh together with you after you succesfully complete the test.
As someone who is planning to take the Czech language test (maybe next year), this is incredibly insightful. Thank you, Jen!
C'mon Jen, there's no way you won't pass! 💪 I had the same fears when taking my C2 Cambridge exam, which was also very expensive + no refund. The testing lasted for 6 hours (!), during a lunch break I nearly passed out on the phone to my grandma and during the oral exam I couldn't even recall what snails were called in english. AND I passed. You've got this.
Thanks for the video. i just subscribed. It's good to know that you are taking the test afterall this year. I am also taking the B1 test end of November,next month and my czech is no where as good as yours. In fact, im pretty crap. However, I have stopped procastinating and going head on for the exam. I hope to watch more of your videos all month.
Držím palce! Zvládneš to❤️
Glad you´re fighting on, Jen! I´m sure you´ll do just fine at the exam. My fingers crossed!
Jen, Good luck with your exams and the Czech Citizenship
Hi Jen, I have total faith in you. I have followed your channel for years and believe that you will pass the test. I studied Czech in the military, then at university and lived in Prague for several years. I have always been impressed with your (and Honza's) dedication in your studies and preparation for the citizen tests. You can do it! I will hold my thumbs for you.
problém s tím, do kterého moře ústí Labe, bude asi v tom, že na podobné věci se u nás klade důraz už od prvních ročníků ZŠ a je nám ten zeměpis asi nějak přirozenější. Jak moc tuhle znalost uplatníme později v běžném životě, je diskutabilní. Každopádně díky za super videa a přeji hodně štěstí s učením ČJ a samozřejmě hodně vycpaných nutrií!
Tvůj zkušenost je zajímavý. Díky, že sdílet. Vrátil jsem se z Prahy před třemmi týdeny. Byl jsem v Česku poprvé. I když ulivelo se mi protože mistní lidí mi rozuměli, mistní lidí taky myslel, že jsem plynulý když začil jsem konverzacy v Češtině. To byl trochu...nevím jak se řekne...discouraging když mluvili rychlě a nemohl jsem pokračovat v Češtině. Každopádně, pokračuju studovat český a možna někdy budu mluvit více když jedu do Česku.
If you don’t mind me asking. What motivates you to learn the Czech language? I mean, CZ is a small country, and learning the CZ language will give you the ability to speak with 10-15 million people top; that’s not a big market. So how did you find the motivation? I am asking because I am having trouble convincing my kids (that have CZ citizenship) to learn the language.
@@cruiserupce Lots of reasons, but it all started with a random video in Czech on CZcams in October 2020. I thought the sound of the language was absolutely beautiful. The way the R rolls and the way the C sounds in the word brokolice. I have since made genuine friendships from an ocean away, which is another source of motivation.
Myslim, ze lidi, co si mysleli, ze jste plynuly, asi nebyli Cesi, ale jsem rad, ze se vam v Cesku libi :)
Jste úžasná. Vždycky mě fascinují cizinci, kterým stojí za to učit se tu naši krásnou, ale velmi obtížnou řeč. Držím vám palce, ať to zvládnete. Zároveň je to pro mě motivace vrátit se k angličtině a posunout ji na novou úroveň. Krásný den a klidné Vánoce.
Jste obdivuhodná žena 😍 Američani i Angličani jsou povýšení a do sebe zahledění lidé, touha u nich se učit jiný jazyk, když ten jejich je přece jediný, světový, nejlepší je prakticky nulová.Znalosti a historie jiných národů to samé, nezájem.A vy se snažíte naučit jeden z nejtěžších a zároveň nejkrásnějších jazyků na planetě.Máte můj veliký obdiv, ať vám zkouška dopadne dobře a když ne 🥱o nic nejde.
@@tafdiz Někteři mohou mít předky z Čech, Moravy či Slezska.
....
Bohům žel k nám lezou ti evangeličtí křesťanští misionáři s tím, že potřebujeme spasit. 😔😢
to máte odkiaľ,že čeština je jeden z najťažších jazykov ?
@A M To je věc názoru. Asi bude hodně záležet na tom, z jakého jazykového prostředí člověk pochází.
A kolik z nás by se samo od sebe učilo cizi jazyk nebo historii jiných zemi, kdyby to do nás netlacili ve škole? Moc asi ne, co?
@@adrianacernochova Doslova to dělám každej den. Kuli klišé "američani neumí státy Evropy, a ty snad umíš státy USA?" jsem se naučil na slepé mapě všechny státy USA, Kanady, pak i Afriky, Asii jsem víceméně uměl vždy, už mi chybí jen se naučit státečky v Oceánii a Karibiku. Učit se historii, tak nějak samo o sobě vyžaduje aby jste se učila historii celých kulturních regionů. tedy i ostatních států, jinak je to velice nesmyslně omezená perspektiva (v anglosaském světě docela častá). Takže tam taky vám nemůžu dát za pravdu. A neustále se přesvědčuju kolik dalších lidí to má se znalostmi podobně. To že vy to neumíte, neznamená nic.
Hi Jen,
and thank you for your next great video! Just don't stress about the Czech test. Your Czech is at a very good level! I'm sure you'll do it soon ! I know how hard it was for me to start learning English 39 years ago. It was under totalitarian, communist system here and the conditions for learning English were totally inadequate in Czechoslovakia. My big motivation for learning English was to be able to correspond with my relatives living in the state of Texas. You know, I did it and after the Velvet Revolution I was able to go to Texas to visit my distant relatives at last.
Čeština je těžká, i my češi se všechno tohle musíme učit stejně jako ty, takže se nemusíš tolik stresovat😅✌️
@@tafdiz Rovnako ako slovenčina pre čechov :)
No, je v tom přeci jen trochu rozdíl, učit se to celý život od narození, nebo pár let jako dospělý ;)
@@tafdiz gramatiku nepotřebuješ umět
@@hanselvogis5142 Bez gramatiky nedáš dohromady větu, která by dávala smysl. To už spíš pravopis se dá oželet.
@@breznik1197 to byla odpověď tomu Slovákovi ohledně češtiny
Jeniny videa sleduji velmi ráda. Má to strukturu, logiku, přináší zajímavý vhled na život v Česku, držím palce při pokrocích v češtině a vždy se těším na Ahoj, uvidíme se příště. A velmi dlouho jsem napjatá, zda už zkouška byla absolvována. A co Honza, má ji? Nebo v tom jedete spolu a jdete ve stejný odložený termín. Držím palce a díky za sdílení cesty a objasnění toho, co nám, domácím, připadá jasné.
All the best of luck, Jen! I think they should definitely make more practice tests available, both for the permanent and citizenship exam. The material is so scarce compared to other languages and it's certainly not the same being good at the language and being good at taking exams.
Your example with *vozidlo* reminded me the time I was taking my school leaving exams (maturita). I was very good at Spanish and during the exam I had to read a text which was later discussed. There was 1 word, _cazafantasma_ (ghostbuster) I didn't know and it didn't seem to be important. The examing teacher kept asking about it and at the end I got a C (3) and felt devastated, since I had been known for being the best student in Spanish.
Tu español es muy bonito Zuska!❤️
You speak Czech very well, keep up the amazing work!!
Držím palce, moc Vám fandím!! 🤍🤍❤❤💙💙✌😉
I wish you the BEST.🎉👍
Hi Jen, don't worry too much about exam. They are not so strict. I did mine 4 years ago. Just get ready and go! Good luck! 👍🙏
Ahoj Jen, podle mě to dáš úplně v pohodě! Držím palce! Je pravda, že co do náročnosti se testy v USA s těmi českými nedají vůbec srovnávat, ale zato
na sebe budeš právem pyšná, když je zvládneš. Hodně štěstí!
Hello Jen, it was pleasure to meet you at the Czech citizenship exam. I had never heard of you before, must say :) I hope you liked coming to LIberec because of it and after seeing this video, I believe you were relieved when you found out you wouldn´t be tested with a slovanic applicant :) I have decided to use this video in my English class and of course I will tell my students that I had the pleasure to listen to you speaking Czech. I wish you to pass it. Good luck :)
Go for it girl!!!
Hi Jen, I'm going through the same process as you but I'm a little ahead of you. I took the realie and the language test a little earlier in the year and passed both, so I wanted to share my experiences with you, in case it proves helpful. I took both of my exams in Prague.
With the language test, as you, particularly with the writing section, I had to write a review on a film that I saw and say what I liked and didnt like and what I would like to see more of. The next part I had to write a letter to a friend who was away somewhere, presenting an opinion. Here one of the things thats important is to make sure that your opinion has a structure opening, reasoning and closing/conclusion. I heard from many people beforehand, that a lot of weight is given towards this as well, and it's not just the grammer/vocabularly.
With the listening, they play a sample at the start and ask if you can hear it ok. Then each section is played twice, there were two short form listening sections (weather report) and a conversation between a boss and his secretary, then there was a longer radio interview that was played. Here I really can't emphasise enough, read the questions that they are asking carefully, in my case some of them were designed to lead you down the wrong path if you're not careful. It's hard to explain but for example one of the questions was, does the interviewee like jam, simple enough but the answer was along the lines of, you'd think I'd like jam wouldn't you? and I used to like jam but these days I enjoy much more the process of making jam. :) So just something to pay attention to. The speaking part was fun, you're randomly paired with someone and after an initial introduction, you're given some pictures and have to make a story up about them with your partner. In my case, we had a woman, a hospital and a cake. So we made up a story that it was our work colleague who had broke her leg skiing and we were going to visit her in hospital and my test partner was baking her a cake :)
Anyways, this is getting long, so will finish by wishing you good luck on your test!
Jen, you are pretty much describing my own journey through FCE and CAE exams. :) The structure of those exams is similar to the citizenship tests and the struggle is exactly the same. BTW, I got an Asian girl for the "chat with your partner" part. Her japanese accent didn't make it easier for me back then. So I know exactly what you feel like.
My advise for the listening part? Get yourself exposed to Czech language as much as you can but with no "text help". E.g. watch films with no subtitles, tune some Czech radio and play it as much as you can as a background sound at home. You will get used to the flow of the language, the intonation, stresses in words etc. Eventually, you will catch words and phrases more easily. Listening part was always the hardest for me but being exposed to the language daily and being forced to react to a spoken word helped me a lot.
As for the reading and vocabulary - the usual stuff helps. Mock tests, texbook exercises, reading anything you find, even if it seems too hard. Some useful phrases might get stuck in the memory. Newspaper articles can provide an extensive vocabulary. You can find various optional expressions and synonyms in regular papers or in books.
Wish you the best of luck. You will nail it.
Good luck. I have a few words of ‘kitchen Czech’ from my partner and her family, but the idea of learning vocabulary and grammar of the language is overwhelming. I feel sure that immersion in the language from living there will as you are will support your studies and lead to success in you test 😊👍
I became a citizen a little over a year ago and my last hurdle was the language test. For the written part, I memorized a general introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph for some situations and that helped me pass the written part. Glad I got the citizenship. whew! Don't worry, you'll hear well. For sure you know enough to pass the B1 exam. Good luck!
You´re very brave woman, Jen! Wishing you good luck! :D
Ahoj Jen, včera jsem narazil na Tvoje videa. Moc se mi libí, jsou i pro mě poučné i když jsem se narodil a žil in CZ 35 let. Keep up the good work! 👍 Karel z Oshawa, Ontario
Hi Jen, best of luck at your exam! My husband is contemplating right now on whether to be satisfied with permanent residency or whether to go through these exams as well. It is very easy for him to understand because as you said, he is from a different Slavic country (Bosnia) and his language is similar in a way but I’d say that your Czech is a lot better when in active use. I think it may be because English grammar is different and you don’t get the “bad” stuff from it thinking “oh it is gonna be the same as in my language likely”. :-) What we feel is the biggest issue is the fact that he isn’t forced to actively use Czech anywhere aside from my family and when he did autoskola. I’m native Czech but I have much better vocabulary in English aside from work terminology because I’ve been consuming media, entertainment etc. mostly in English ever since I was 15 or so, meaning it’s way more natural for me to speak English with him unfortunately and I just can’t bring myself to forcibly speak Czech to him (to my father’s great dissatisfaction 😁).
Zdravím, Jennifer. Nejlepší je asi poslouchat ve volných chvílích co nejvíc televizi, aby si člověk pasivně osvojil výslovnost a doplnil slovní zásobu. Nejlepší jsou asi klasické filmy a zprávy. Držím palce! : )
No radši audioknihu...přeci jen ta mluva v televizi kolikrát...není o co stát - hlavně s intonací
Welcome to the world of the people who are not English speakers 😁 I guess that everyone studying a foreign language have problems understanding something, it is not just Czech. Btw, the Cambridge exams in English are pretty similar to the exam you describe in this video, the hearing (old CD players are everywhere, not just in the Czech rep.), writing, speaking (at CPE exam I had to speak with another student about fotball...I know literally nothing of that sport...but I passed it anyway)...So if millions of people manage to pass their Cambridge exams in English, you can do it in Czech! Good luck and thanks for the video, it was interesting.
I recommend watching the evening news on Czech TV regularly (“Udalosti” at 19:00). It’s likely you will know what’s going on in the world already and the pace of speech I think is quite friendly for someone learning the language.
Hodně štěstí. Držím Vám palce. A drobný příspěvek do Vaší slovní zásoby:„a dnes si prosvištíme..."🙂
Scheisse Tschechischen - zatracený soused :)
Milá Jenny, Vaše čeština je vynikající. Prostě mějte život v Česku i češtinu ráda tak jako doteď a uvidíte, že všechno dobře dopadne. Přeju hodně štěstí!!!
In college, for the first exam date, we usually practiced the ancient tactic of reconnaissance by combat. Surprisingly often it worked well, and when it didn't, one at least tested the strength of the enemy very accurately.
yeah... but you usually don't pay few thousands crowns for failure :)
My partner Czech and has been in the US for twenty years. She is great on English, but sometimes still has to process the words. It is so nice to hear her effortlessly speak Czech. You'll get there. It's a tough language to write.
Good luck with your exam! I was paranoid that I would get the Russian babuška for my speaking partner too. It really wasn't that bad. The part of the exam that was the hardest for me was the listening portion. It was less about listening comprehension and more of a short term memory test. The first time I took the exam I passed everything but messed up the listening part by 2-3 questions too many so I had to retake it. The second time I took the exam, it was again the listening part that was most difficult. But I did pass the second time. The worst thing that happens if you fail the exam is that you have to pay to take it again. No worries. I'm sure that you'll do great. Best of luck to you.
The exam sounds very similar to the Cambridge English exams (FCE, CAE) and I felt the same when I took them (except I didn't have the additional issue of talking to another student with a thick foreign accent). No exam will be refunded if you fail, it is best to not think about it. If you can practise the exam, do it. It is the best way to prepare and when you know you have passed the exam regularly at home, it gives you concidence that you will pass the real one too. If you can practise with a higher level one, even better! For example you said the exam is B1 level so you would try B2 exam. You obviously don't need to pass that one but it will push your language skills and it also comes with that benefit that when you go back to B1 exam, it will feel easy! Good luck!
Hodně štěstí, držím palce ;)
Milá Jen, nezbývá nic jiného, než si doma zakázat angličtinu a začít s manželem mluvit česky. Na začátku to asi nepůjde moc dobře, ale za cca 3 měsíce si hlava zvykne a začnou se vybavovat i slova dávno zasunutá někde vzadu. Rada je to příšerná, já vím, ale přesně takhle postupovali emigranti z komunistického Československa v Kanadě a USA, když se musela celá rodina rychle naučit jazyk, aby se uživili. Děti byly plně adaptovaní do cca 2 let, dospělí cca 4 až 5 let.
kterého manžela myslíš? papírového falešného použitého ke spáchání federálního zločinu, nebo jakého?!
Jirko, rada to vubec neni priserna, naopak, Jen by se procvicila ve schopnosti MYSLET v cestine. To je hodne dulezite.
Good luck!
Hi Jen
I feel your fear and uncertainty. No worry ….As your hubby said put a schedule to study for the test and be confident. I am pretty sure you will pass . I have one small advice to perfect your Czech skills …have a good close native Czech friend to hang out with regularly and only converse Czech with her …Nooooo English
Wish you the best of luck and stay strong
This is a one way street.. success
I was guessing Baltic Sea as well :D Good luck with the test.
7:40 I perfectly understand this conundrum. To kill the boredom I took the General English Language Exam while in Olomouc. The first part was an audio played from some ancient cassette recorder and in BRITISH English on top of that! I was struck by fear. Thanks to my ADD I subconsciously got the meaning and was able to answer the questions.
From here on, I am completely with you.
Dear Jen. These tests are really crazy, poor you.
Hold on, I believe you'll win 🖐️
Don´t over-think it so much Jen, let´s do it, overcomming fear is same in every language ;)).
Wish you best luck, you will do it "raz dva" :)
You know how we feel, when we learn english too.😇 Its difficult for us too. You doing GREAT! 💙
Moc držím palce a v klidu, představte si, jak těžké je pro nás Čechy dělat takovou zkoušku v angličtině:) vždy jsem říkala, že čeština je pro cizince určitě hodně těžká. Osobní zkušenost: i když mám C1 English, nerozumím když někdo mluví příliš rychle nebo hovorově. Zkouška je jen formalita, důležité je, že se snažíte porozumět kultuře a máte zájem se učit:))
Určitě můžu doporučit mluvit, mluvit a pochopitelně studovat v knihách, chce to jen čas a trpělivost.
Čeština přece jen patří mezi 5 nejtěžších jazyků světa.....
Hodně štěstí!
@@dasamatulova4850 Rozhodně čeština nepatří mezi nějakých pět nejtěžších jazyků na světě. Navíc hodně záleží na tom, s jakým jazykem ji porovnáváte.
@@ristori2514 :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D napsala, že patří mezi 5 nejtěžších jazyků světa, což sice nevím jestli je pravda nebo ne, ale říct, že záleží na tom, s jakými jazyky to srovnává, to je MEGA GÓL :-D :-D :-D
@@ristori2514 jo už mi to možná došlo. Ty máš na mysli mrtvé jazyky? Nebo snad jazyky jiných světů, než naší země?
To make you feel a little better, my first language is Slovak, my grandma was from Moravia and she would talk to me in Czech since I was a kiddo....and yet it took me 3 years of living in Czech republic to finally stop making obvious mistakes that would always give me away as a non-native speaker...and till this day I am convinced my English is a lot better than my Czech, despite watching czech-dubbed movies while growing up. In some ways it is one of the most difficult languages on Earth, so you shouldnt really feel like a fraud.
You might also be having trouble with Czech because of how similar it is to Slovak
@@arandomlanguagenerd1869 Oh, definitely. I have had problems when studying French because some words were just too similar to English when written and so I used to pronounce them incorrectly or pronounce English words with French pronounciation rules...like, I have never been the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to learning languages.
@@norwood_reaper2704 Strašně si vážim Slováků žijících a pracujících v Česku, co se naučili česky. Stejně vždy poznám že jsou ze Slovenska, ani ne kuli chybám, ale mají velmi specifický způsob intonování. Ale vážím si toho protože popřeli to co mi obecně u Slováků vadí, a to je neschopnost polevit ve své národní hrdosti (budu znít jako wanna be psycholog, ale podle mě to má co dělat s nějakým národním komplexem). Já když přijedu na Slovensko, tak aspoň fráze říkám slovensky (zbytek česky, protože tak dobře napodobovat slovenštinu neumím), stejně jako když jsem v arabské zemi, tak základní fráze říkám arabsky, zbytek anglicky.
@@caifothiazz tak sa skús spýtať, koľko Čechov hovorí na svk slovensky... ak je to u Slovákov v Čechách hrdosťou, čím je to u Čechov na Slovensku? 😲 nepracujem v Čechách ale doteraz som nemala potrebu hovoriť česky keď som tam bola, proste mi všetci rozumejú a tých pár slovíčok čo nie, tie preložím...
@@caifothiazz dovolim si nesuhlasit. Ano, vseobecne, ked clovek ide do inej krajiny mal by respektovat lokalny jazyk, ale to sa podla mna na Cesko/Slovensko nevstahuje. Ked pride Cech na Slovensko, nikto od neho nechce aby hovoril po Slovensky, pretoze to je absurdne. Ako ked pred par rokmi na Slovensku skusili dat slovenske titulky k ceskym filmom. Slovaci to okamzite zkritizovali, ze co je to za blbost, uplne zbytocne.
Problem avsak nastava, pretoze nove generacie Cechov nemaju okolo seba slovencinu, a tak jej niekeby vobec nerozumeju. V tom pripade Slovak musi prepnut do cestiny, ale musim povedat, ze pre nas je to dost sok. Pretoze my rozumieme vsetko, tak nechapeme ako vy mozete nam nerozumiet. Chapem, ze je to preto lebo mate viac dabovanych filmov a knihy prelozene do cestiny (aspon ked ja som bola mala v 90tych rokoch), ale stale mi to pride ako velka skoda, ze sa vlastne chtiac ci nechtiac pripravujete o bilingualizmus. Tiez ma stve, ze ked Slovak je v ceskej televizii hovori cesky, ale Cech v slovenskej televizii samozrejme hovori cesky (ako by to aj malo byt).
I had to guess too but i got it right. 😁 Btw do you changing sentences in czech (sms or email) if you're not sure how it's right?
Quick tip for some czech learning - find some czech group on discord with active voice channels about something you're interested in (languages, tech, dogs, food, politics... whatever) and talk with them. That's best way how to learn to talk and not being ashamed (they don't see your face).
Cheer up! You can do it. (The question about Labe is medium level for Czechs. Labe is our largest river, and we spend a lot of time with maps of Europe during school classes. Still, I guess not all Czechs can answer that correctly.)
It is relatively easy to remember that Elbe goes to Hamburg. But if Hamburg is Baltic or North sea, that's a bit harder. If I were German, it would make much more sense. But for a Czech person, it feels that knowing that its the Atlantic Ocean is a good enough detail :D
7:42 lol I remembered about listening part of tests when I was at school. Especially if the recording was "on phone" like. One had to really focus to understand what they were saying and once recording I remember exactly. It was two older guys with thicker accent talking about grass fertilizers and terrible audio anyway.
Anyway good luck with your studies!
Ahoj Jen! I totally feel your frustration. I often have the opposite problem as a Czech in the USA 🤓
Milá Jen, nejprve bych Ti chtěla říct, že máš velmi hezky upravné vlasy. Fakt, takhle Ti to moc sluší, i když to asi dá práci. Za druhé, souhlasím se spolukomentujícími: Ty určitě zkoušku složíš, česky umíš moc dobře. Je mi trochu líto té paní, co na Tebe mluvila česky u zkoušek a byla fanynka Tvých videí. Teď se dozví, že byla důvod, nebo možná spíš záminka, abys další testy odložila. Nevěděla jsem, že u testů zkoumají i vzájemné porozumění dvou cizinců, kteří mluví česky, to mi nepřipadá vůbec spravedlivé, protože opravdu záleží, jak kdo mluví, s jakým přízvukem a jak rychle. Osobně si myslím, že by Ti občanství měli dát automaticky, bez nějakých zkoušek. Na výjimku. Za to, jak propaguješ Českou republiku, její obyvatele, přírodu, kulturu, zvyky a vůbec všechno. Myslím, že mnohý Čech neudělal pro naši zemi tolik jako Ty (včetně mě).
Great! Souhlasim s Vami! Jen udelala test.
Jen,to dáš! Držím každopádně pěsti!! Úplně mi to připomnělo certifikát z angličtiny..brr;) teď ziju v Německu a představit si ze tohle vše dělám v němčině tak 2xbrr;)
Best luck Jen Go for it😊You only loose money 😢but gain experience if you don’t pass I do understand how you feelI I went trough the same scary moments in English test when I was applying for Nursing qualification in AU
I can SO relate to the car towing situation, I once had to call a tow service in Austria with my embarrassingly basic grasp of German. :)
With a small child by my side, it was raining, we were waiting for like 3 hours, because the car was a camper van and a big enough car had to come, and when he finally arrived, it was, of course, a regular tow truck, despite me repeatedly confirming the fact and the exact car type... it's driver was really surprised by seeing the camper van, luckily he was able to repair it on the spot... :)))
Dear Jen, I so relate to so many topics - fast talking natives, over the phone conversations with plumbers (especially in Canada!), accents of all description...I still think you should go for it, it would be a waste of your great grasp of Czech reality not to :o) What had helped me most in English were the soap operas, you know - with those frequently repeated phrases in conversation, also books and movies with subtitles. Fingers crossed!
I understand your language frustration. My first language was ASL, then spoken English, and I started learning czech later in life because my grandmother was from there. I find that I end up using alot of context clues. It's like I can understand maybe 1/4 of what is said. I can understand written language better, but can take my time translating it, and if I don't understand the translation then use the context surrounding that one phrase or word to understand it. I live in Texas, and we have a huge czech community here, but not many speakers to practice with.. the last czech fest I went to served tacos, cervesa, and an abortion of a kolache.. it was put on by the 100% Hispanic catholic church, and I appreciate the effort, but I was thinking something Pilsner, and much different food.. love your videos!
You can try Czech Sign Language.
That is a possibility! Thank you!
Jen, don't give up! You can do it, I believe in you. Btw, I also didn't know into which sea Labe flows, and I am Czech :D But that question actually makes sense, and it is nice fact to know and think about. Just don't be discouraged by these questions. Do you have a Czech friend to speak with and practice btw?
Máte k tomu dobrý přístup s nadhledem. A jste pracovitá. To dáte.
Hi Jen, I have the very same experience with dealing with services as a Czech who moved to California already 20 years ago. I need to be contacted in writing not by phone. 😅 It is extremely difficult to deal with people over the phone as I do not catch different phrases or accent. So you are not alone!😅
To s tím CD přehrávačem mi připomnělo, jak jsem před lety vyletěl od zkoušky z angličtiny. Starej rozhrkanej magnetofon položenej na desce stolu, takže to krásně rezonovalo, a nahrávka telefonického rozhovoru dvou dam. No nechytil jsem z toho skoro nic :)
Příště až půjdete do hospody, si sedněte k vedlejšímu stolu, kde sedí Češi. :-) Také je dobrá příprava při návštěvě divadla, kde na rozdíl od filmu je velmi dobře hercům rozumět.
Taky dobre sledovat televizi a radio....
Všiml jsem si že spousta dnešních herců (a tam patřej i velký jména jako třeba Ondřej Vetchý) strašně nesrozumitelně vyslovuje a artikuluje a je to velkej problém v moderních filmech a nechápu ty režiséry že to takhle tolerujou a neohládaj si to. Největší peklo je takovej ten vousáč co hrál toho instalatéra v tom filmu Instalatér....z nějaký díry, už nevim odkud, ale tomu jsem fakt nerozuměl skoro ani slovo. Taky mam často problém jako rodilej Pražák rozumět tady na Nymburksu lidem z vesnic, mluví se tady v zásadě stejně (řikaj bejt, sejra a podobně) ale oni tak nějak zvláštně mektaj a polikaj konce slov že to někdy zní asi takhle: ahj jk smš místo ahoj jak se máš, řikam tomu zatim vidláckej přízvuk, protože oficiální název toho akcentu neznam. 😀 Mluví takhle i spousta politiků, hlavně Moraváků, tam zase je zvykem nedělat pauzy mezi slovama. A je pravda že u divadelních herců je ta artikulace o několik levelů vejš než u těch filmovejch, v divadle jsem tenhle problém nikdy neměl že bych nerozuměl.
Držím palce!
Good luck with your language test! What worked with English and other foreign languages for me, is just getting immersed. Flashcards only get you so far, dig into newspapers and then books to get the flow of the language and words used in their context. But you will do it, don't worry. A friend of mine passed couple of days ago and she still struggles with many words, they are lenient.
Also, have you yet encountered the other deceitful thing? Slovak language is accepted in Czechia and vice versa, documents don't have to be translated and there were some foreign students to barely scrape their Czech only to have their uni lecturer teach in Slovak 🙈
Dabbling with “non priority” languages can sometimes reinvigorate motivation for “priority” languages.
I often do this to avoid getting bored with a language. Just set it aside for another one (or two) for just a little while. It can help a lot in indirect ways.
Milá Jen, máš to v hlavě - strachy, obavy a nevěříš si, to je potřeba uvolnit, neber to tak vážně, tak moc se snažíš. Už taky nevím do kterého moře se vlévá Labe, zapomněla jsem to.😊
It´s funny to see you to speak about the language exam. I did last year the Cambridge Exam for B2 certificate in English in České Budějovice and I can say that they are completely the same! 😁 For example the listening an interview with a girl working for a tea company and tasting teas in mountains of China was so fast that half of the people were even glad just to know the theme of the conversation. And we have to answer the question written in our sheets. 😆I did it (the worst for me was the writing). And your speaking partner can be a person from India. So you just found yourself on the other side of the teaching process. 🙂
BTW, the question - when you started, I thought they asked you about "the roof of Europe" because we are part of it (3 different sides - watershed). Geography is just part of common education here. So it was easy question for me.
Don't forget to mention, that British history and gerography is also part of all English language tests. 😀 I remember more about British geography from school than about actual language. 😀
I'm Czech and we learn the river stuff at school (and I somehow remembered it even though I never paid attention at school)
It's so true about the anxiety from embarrassing ourselves by grammatical errors.
At my job I always look for any excuse to keep the project documentation in English. Just to mitigate the chance some Y/I mistake will get thrown back to my face by someone.
But to set thing into context. It's definitely not majority of people who do avoid written Czech. I'd guess it's around 20% who are like me and never properly learned the rules of subject-verb agreement which is the main source of Y/I mistkakes.
Hi new subscriber here did you take already the czech exam A2? Planning to take my PR next yr
I could totally relate when you said you felt like a fraud. I’ve been living in the UK for the past 5 years and some of my friends and family members think my English is like SO GOOD and here I am, forgetting “basic everyday” words and getting frustrated because I don’t know how to translate or explain something on daily basis. 😄
Also - someone might have already corrected you in the comments - it’s hovorová čeština (noun), not česky (adverb) 😜
A co Honza? Já myslel, že bude dělat zkoušky spolu.
Pokud by jste spolu doma začali mluvit česky, tak by příprava byla 100%
Nebo chodit s českými kamarády do hospody a mluvit s nimi jen česky.
Každopádně držím palce a věřím, že to dáš, protože jsi na jazyky evidentně talent a duší už jsi Češka. 👍🙂
To je právě podle mne problém Jen. Pohybuje se mezi anglicky mluvícími a nemusí mluvit česky. Kdyby s Honzou zkusili doma mluvit jen česky (a ty hospody přidali), tak už není co řešit ;)
Jennifer you should dare and try it! What you can loose? 5000Kc. It's a lot but you can make it! In Toronto I had to go through so many TSEL tests, citizenship test etc. I prepare myselfe - did my best - and DARE. I passed them all. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Hi, Jen! Zkuste omezit styky s ostatními expaty a více se setkávejte s českými přáteli. A pak jen poslouchejte, hodně mluvte, a nesnažte se každé slůvko vypilovat k dokonalosti.
Souhlas, český jsem se učila mluvit v hospodách:-). Potom co jsem "chytla" jazyk a způsoby vyjadřování šla jsem na učebnice a gramatiku. Jen, that is highly recommended method. Good luck!
Take souhlasim Pomohlo mi to s anglictinou v Australii
Well Jen, if it offers you any consolation, when I went for my citizenship exams (both realie and language on same day), I was sleep deprived and with a hangover, including a nasty headache. I was not able to get a proper meal until AFTER the exams were over, which meant well into the mid-afternoon, and I still managed to pass and with flying colors. If I could handle it, I am sure you could have as well.
Myslím že ať s občanstvím nebo ne sme si vás už stejně přivlastnili. Každopádně přeji pevné nervy a hodně štěstí.
Hi Jenn, please go and do the test! It looks very difficult before you take it, and as you appear to be a bit of a perfectionist, you get discouraged easily when you feel you cannot do 100% result. But trust me: good result is also good, not only the excellent counts! I would bet that 80% you will pass. I know it is not 100% but still a pretty good chance!
When I went for the Cambridge Advanced test, I was also pretty unsure if I pass or not. But I knew I took the effort to get ready and so I went. I counted my chances to be something like 70% to pass. I passed with much better results than I expected. And it was 5000 Kc (or even more) to pay in 1997 (it was a lot of money then) and I was a student.
Just go! You are better than you think and the examiners may not have such high expectations from you as you have. The more you postpone it, the more excuses and faults you will find. Go at the first possible occasion 🤞🤞🤞
@Jen, I'm a Czech guy living in London and I received British citizenship 1 year ago. I know quite well what you are going through, just in the opposite direction.
Luckily for me, the English exam (B2 level) was the easiest part of the whole naturalisation process as I have been studying and using English since the age of 13. I paid £150 for the exam, which is about 4500 Kč, and it consisted just of a 10-minute interview with a native speaker over a video connection (because of social distancing). It was probably easier than your exam but since I already have a C2-level exam from over 20 years ago, I did not bother spending a whole day at the exam centre and paying much more for it if the government did not actually require it.
My grandma and my mom used to be teachers and I'm gifted with lots of patience so I can be your 'sparring partner', writing short Czech essays for you to study, evaluating yours and helping you improve. I really mean it. I'm writing (mostly in English) for a living so it's no big deal.
Ping me if you are interested. One ex-pat helping another fulfill their dream. :)
What a question :D I am Czech and I knew the answer but my mum had no idea :D
Jen, držím palce.
I spent 30 years of my life in Czech Republic and although fluent (well, almost lol), I must admit this is an insanely hard language of all the ones that I have ever attempted to learn!
Well Pyotr, if you are a Russian, you should not have difficulties like for example an English speaking person.
I am a Polish guy. Surprisingly, many polish people think they speak and understand Czech well but in fact they don’t.
I feel for you. I am 3 years into Czech lessons, and I am finally at/close to B1 level. It terrifies me that you are struggling. I hope it’s just confidence, which I totally get. How hard do you work at it? Totally honest not demeaning question. Maybe (probably) one of your biggest challenges is that too many people in Prague speak English. I won’t have that problem in Opava \ Horní Lomná. Rather, I will be challenged with dialect and Polish/Slovakian influence. I am truly interested in hearing about your language acquisition journey. I was pretty cocky thinking that I listen to Czech a lot (wife is Czech), so I figured I’d pick it up more quickly than most. Not so much. It is so hard! And I’m freaking 57. Moving to Czech Republic in 2.5 years, and I’m really getting concerned. Any advise or experiential nuggets would be most appreciated. BYW- I’m a USC alum, don’t judge, and I went to a game a few weeks ago. I am truly horrified about what a shithole LA has become. You did well to call Prague home!
Určitě to zvládnete držím pěsti 🙂👏
Kevine, nebuďte vyděšen, don't be terrified. Jste šikovnej, vy to postupně zvládnete. Nejsem ani český native speaker, no přeji Vám, ať se Vám daří, ať všechno trpělive zvládnete, ať se zbytečně neznervózňujete a nepochybujete o sobě. Nebojte se, vyjde vám to. 🙂
Pokud budete potřebovat poradit s češtinou, ptejte se. Není třeba se stydét, třeba se ptát, ptát, ptát, dopňovat si vědomosti. Je to naprosto přirozené a posiluje to sebevědomí. Nebojte se ptát.
Ahoj, schválně píši česky - Jen, tvůj “problém” je že ty se česky učíš, studuješ češtinu, ale nepotřebuješ ji 24/7, ve skutečnosti potřebuješ trochu složitější češtinu hodně výjimečně . Zdá se mi že jsi pořád nepřekročila tu hranici kdy začneš v češtině i myslet (ne výhradně, ale když mluvíš česky), kdy třeba standardní výměny frází budou prostě přirozené bez toho abys nad nimi musela myslet. Jedině tak přijde to potřebné sebevědomí. Co by ti asi nejvíc pomohlo je, podle mého názoru, spíš “immersion”, ne “cramming”. V každém případě držím palce!
jojo, mně prvý krát začala angličtina dávat smysl, když jsem byl v zahraničí sám a proste musel jsem ji použivat 24/7, protože co si budem, není tak snadné potkat v mimo evropy SK/CZ lidi
@@slovak_in_asia Nic jinýho než zahraničí ti asi nepomůže, já měl z AJ taky čtyřky ve škole a uměl jsem tako akorát kliknout na new game ve hře, ale jak jsem začal cestovat, tak se to rychle zlepšilo, ono často stačí pár vět a trochu se rozmluvit a pomůže to, i když člověk třeba ví co chce říct, tak když tou angličtinou nemáš s kym mluvit tak se nějak zakoktáš kvůli běžnejm slovům, takže jet někam do zahraničí bez cizí pomoci je asi to nejlepší co můžeš udělat. Z youtubu a komentů člověk získá nějakou tu pasivní angličtinu, ale když pak máš mluvit bez přípravy a bez překladače na ověřování jestli neřikáš kravinu, tak to je pak něco uplně jinýho. Pak zjistíš najednou že neni nutný mluvit hyperkorektně a vždycky gramaticky správně, hlavní je se nebát a něco říct a pak už to jde mnohem líp když se zbavíš takovýho toho strachu že něco řekneš špatně, jo, stává se to, pak se tomu člověk zasměje časem. 😀
Problém u lidí jako ona je, že většina Čechů si s ní bude chtít povídat anglicky, protože si chtějí procvičovat angličtinu. Kdysi jsem měl učitele rodilého Brita, který tu žil, a přesně na tohle si stěžoval. Jeho partnerka trvala na tom, že s ním chce mluvit anglicky, prodavačky v supermarketu na něj automaticky začínaly mluvit anglicky atd.
Taky mam ten dojem
@@SMJSmoK Na tohle si stěžují všichni lidé co se učí cizí jazyk a přijedou do země kde se jím mluví. Já ty "domorodce" většinou (snad kromě těch partnerů) chápu: oni s ním potřebují něco vyřídit, vyměnit si nějaké informace, a to se s někým kdo se (pochopitelně) nedokáže pořádně vymáčknout, loví slovíčka, říká (z pohledu rodilého mluvčího) nesmysly - dělá těžko. Angličtina - i mizerná - je ten společný jmenovatel ve kterém se prostě domluví. Nemyslím že by si prodavačky za pokladnou chtěly procvičovat angličtinu: ony chtějí efektivně odbavit zákazníka.
Já nemám problém si s člověkem co se učí česky povídat česky, pokud je na to čas, a mám na to náladu. Klidně zafunguju i jako konverzační partner který pomůže se ponořením se do jazyka. Ale není žádná povinnost "náhodných domorodců" hovořit s cizinci jazykem který si ti cizinci zvolí - a považovat to za neslušnost je možná až arogantní.
Your Czech is great!
Hi Jen, the Old Quibbler at your service! ;) Anyone has got own ways of learning foreign language that work best for him/her - so from my own experience when I was learning English I uncovered quickly that regular conversation with native English speaker pushed me further than anything else (of course reading books increased my vocabulary and listening podcasts gave me better understanding of spoken word). You need to train your mind working in Czech (fluid words) so reduction of English speakers might work for U as well.
And when speaking to native Czech who conversates in machinegun speed - just ask him/her to slow down - most people R enlightened enough to play along (if U do it politely with shy smile and Tobik's eyes). ;)
Besides most of those Vietnamese do the test with knowledge far inferior to yours - and U can not blame them as they have much lesser contact with Czechs and their language is far more distant... So do not be afraid - U R doing great. ;) Bye!
Mně se vždy líbí: "Ahoj, uvidime se příště", roztomilé :-)
Dobrá hudba v pozadí