ICP Czech language course lecturers

Jitka Pourová

I’ve graduated from Czech studies at the Charles University Faculty of Arts. I love the Czech language and I love working with people, so that’s why I’ve decided to teach foreigners Czech – I’ve been doing it for a long time and I still enjoy it. Through the stories my students tell me, I get to know their countries, learn a lot of new and interesting things, and I’m virtually traveling the world. Those who’d like to study on their own at home can find a lot of study material on my website, Facebook, or YouTube. Apart from teaching, I also help other tutors, organize methodology seminars for them, and proofread Czech texts. I also enjoy going to the movies, theatres, exhibitions, going for trips and traveling.

Kateřina Cegrí Fiérrez

I’ve graduated from Czech studies at the Palacký University Olomouc Faculty of Arts and I’ve been teaching Czech as a foreign language since 2013. I’ve taught courses of Czech to adults, youth, and even children. Teaching Czech lets me meet people from all over the world. After each lesson, I get this feeling that it’s not just me teaching them, but also them teaching me. Every day they show me just how much more I’ve got to experience in my life. I believe learning has to be fun and that’s why I keep searching for new activities that I can do with my students. Other than teaching, I also take part in creating study materials. For example, I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to the creation of a Czech textbook for youth “Levou zadní I.” (https://ceskylevouzadni.cz/). I also love traveling, reading, going to the movies and theater, and I’m learning Spanish.

Naďa La Mantia Magulová

I’ve graduated from Czech studies at the Charles University Faculty of Arts. I’ve been teaching Czech to foreigners for over ten years and I enjoy it more and more. I’m fascinated by how people of other nationalities view our language and I applaud their courage to learn Czech, which is not the easiest of languages. Most of all though, I love the moment when students realize they’ve got a grip of the language and start speaking with confidence. I also teach a bit of French, Italian and Russian. When I’m not teaching, I keep myself busy with my family, cook spaghetti for my Italian husband and young daughter, I also enjoy hiking (ideally in the mountains or in distant countries) and amateur theater.

Zuzana Štrachová

I’ve graduated from Teaching Czech as a foreign language, and also German language and literature at the Charles University Faculty of Arts and I’ve been working in the Integration Center Prague since 2018. My lessons are online and I’m still learning more about online teaching so that my lessons are not only efficient but also fun for my students. I like creating my own study materials and coming up with some additional activities I could implement in my classes. I love the “eureka moments” in my class, but the moments when we can laugh together with my students are even better. My other hobbies include distance and winter swimming, and that’s why you can see me all year round in the Vltava river or on its shores, warming up by a fire.

Marwan Alsolaiman

My name is Marwan Alsolaiman and I’m from Syria. I came to the Czech Republic as a student. I’ve graduated from ČVUT Faculty of Civil Engineering, I’ve got state language exams in Czech and Arabic and I’ve also got a Bachelor’s degree in pedagogy and didactic methods. I’m also a musician, I’ve established the first Arabian band in the Czech Republic with which I’m still playing – but I also play with Czech bands. I’m also a poet and I’ve published one poetry book in Czech so far. Since language rules and grammar aren’t cosmic laws, but rather an agreement of a number of people in a certain community, what I enjoy most about teaching languages (especially Czech) is that sometimes a student might say something grammatically incorrect which could very well become a new rule. In my lessons, students learn from me, but I also learn a lot from them. Every student is unique and everyone can teach something to others.

Ivana Štěpánková

I’ve graduated from the Charles University Faculty of Arts and initially, I was only teaching English. But later I got an offer to teach Czech to my English-speaking colleagues it was decided! I was thrilled by the possibility of rediscovering my native language from a foreigners’ viewpoint. Students in my in-person and online classes come from various countries and I’m happy to be in such a culturally diversified environment. My hobbies include traveling, yoga, outdoor sports (alpinism, cycling, skiing, etc.). I’m also a lover of good food and wine.

Ludmila Kopřivová

After graduating in Slavic Languages from the Charles University Faculty of Arts, I worked as an independent professional editor in the SNTL foreign language dictionaries and specialized literature editorial office. I also did proofreading, translations, and cooperated with LEDA Publishing. I’ve been a teacher of Czech for foreigners (mostly Slavs) of all proficiency levels since 2013. I also work with the Research and Test Centre at Charles University Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies as an examinator and evaluator of spoken and written of the ZKOBČ exam (exam for application for Czech citizenship), CCE B2 exam, and previously also the exam for granting permanent residency. I’m also a member of the AUČCJ (Association of Teachers of Czech as a Foreign Language), where I’ve run several private and group language courses for asylum seekers. And what do I like about my job? I like that I get to meet talented and motivated students, who enjoy learning Czech, and I’m thrilled with their every progress and achievement. It also gives me an option to look at the beauty of our native language from another (their) point of view. So it’s not just them learning, but also me. A teacher’s job is hard, but also meaningful and rewarding.

Nela Pochová

I’m originally a university lecturer of philosophy, but I’ve been teaching languages, especially Czech for foreigners, since 2004. I work with language schools. occasionally translate texts, and I’ve been working in the Integration Centre Prague since 2016. I see teaching as a way of pushing myself and my students further. I try to keep a friendly and relaxed vibe in the classroom and deliver the teaching material in a fun way. In my spare time, I like travelling, watching movies and handcrafts. Life motto: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” (Steve Jobs)

Nataša Kević

I’ve graduated in Czech Studies from the University of Belgrade. I moved to the Czech Republic 20 years ago, started working first as a translator, and later I also got into teaching Czech to foreigners. Learning a language can help us to deeper understand the local culture, people, and their mentality. Through communication, everything that was once distant and unknown to us foreigners then becomes near and dear. That’s why learning Czech is doubly exciting: both from the linguistical and people point of view – both for the student and the teacher.

Barbora Khomenko

Even as a child, I was a typical bookworm. Every week I would bring piles of books from the library and read them under the covers at night. My other passion has always been traveling and experiencing new cultures. While searching for a suitable field of study in which I could combine these two hobbies, I came across Teaching Czech as a Foreign Language. Like several other ICP colleagues, I graduated from Charles University in Prague. I don’t like to refer to my job as “work”, because I really enjoy teaching language courses. I like my students, many of them have become friends over time. Although I am not a big fan of technology, I am very grateful for the possibility to do online courses because it allows me to live outside the city, which has always been my dream. I love walking with my kids and dogs, the wild outdoors, and long summer evenings on the patio. In addition to working with ICP, I am involved in organising certified exams for Czech citizenship and weekend residential courses (https://www.czech-language-courses.cz).

Matyáš Havel

I graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Charles University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sinology. I am currently studying for a Master’s degree in Teaching Czech Language and Literature and Teaching Czech as a Second Language. The intensive study of a foreign language such as Chinese and Chinese literature paradoxically led me to think more and more about my mother tongue, to study it and to teach it. What I love about Czech is its way of expressing the details and subtle nuances of how we feel, what we do, and what’s going on around us in a concise and ingenious way. In teaching, I enjoy passing this “world view” on to my students. I like to incorporate literature and other authentic texts into my teaching. In my spare time, I read, go swimming, running, or visit cafes and museums. I‘m compiling my own glossary of Czech dialectisms and a literary guide to Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, just for myself, without plans to publish these.

Roman Mamula

I have a Master’s degree in Teaching Spanish Language and Literature from Masaryk University in Brno. Shortly after my studies, however, I discovered the beauty of teaching our mother tongue, and my enthusiasm has not diminished since. Having lived in the South of Spain for a few years, I am well aware of how important it is to know the language in order to understand the character of the local people and the way of life in the country. So, what I like to do most in my lessons is to find ways of introducing students to the language through authentic materials and real-life stories, and it makes me very happy when they share their experiences with me. In addition to language teaching, I also professionally develop e-learning materials with a focus on software and accounting. When I am not working, I enjoy travelling, reading books, sports and walking around Prague.

Jana Čivrná

I graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Brno, majoring in Czech-Russian. I went back to the faculty to pass the PhD exam in Czech language and literature and got my PhD. I have worked in all types of schools, where I taught psychology, pedagogy, social communication, in addition to my main subjects. I started teaching Czech to foreigners about 20 years ago, and in recent years I have been teaching it at ICP Prague. In addition, I occasionally prepare students with insufficient Czech knowledge for entrance exams to secondary schools. I prefer teaching when there is a personal contact between students and the teacher. I like my students. They say they always look forward to my lessons. My motto is: I am a teacher, your guide to the Czech language. The learning is on you.

Olha Futoran

I was born in Lviv, where I started studying Czech and Ukrainian at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. I followed up my studies with a Master’s degree in Czech and Ukrainian Philology at the Faculty of Arts at Palacký University in Olomouc. Since I have gone through the study of Czech from scratch as an adult myself, I like to share my own tips for more effective studying with my students, and point out the most common possible mistakes. What I enjoy most about teaching Czech is watching my students’ progress during the semester and hearing their feedback on how they handle new communication situations. I like to use various interactive tools or materials in my classes and try to create a friendly atmosphere in which we can spend the whole semester together. In addition to teaching Czech, I also do interpreting and occasional translations. In my spare time I like to read, go for long walks, play the piano, hike and mountain climb, and go mushroom picking.

Ivo Biršel

I started teaching Czech as a foreign language right after I graduated from university in 2016. In the beginning I mostly taught one on one or in small groups. In 2019, however, I started to focus more on larger groups, and I feel that since then I’ve been more and more absorbed in this work. I try to work interactively in my class, often using different apps (Kahoot is a particular favourite). I like to help show my students the way through Czech, as I realise how challenging the language can be. Outside of work, I try to spend a lot of time with my young daughter, I like to cook, and I’m always ready for a game of football if I have a chance.

Martina Svárovská

I studied Czech and French language teaching at the Faculty of Education of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. I started out teaching French, but it wasn’t that interesting for me, whereas teaching Czech was a real challenge! I still enjoy this job a lot, as there is always something new to discover. :) I like to introduce students to our Czech world and show them how it “works”, in return I like to hear their stories and we learn from each other and expand each other’s horizons. In my leisure time I spend time with my family, I love mountains and hiking, reading books and travelling the world.

Anna Rosenová

I’ve been teaching Czech to foreigners since 2014 and I’ve never stopped enjoying it. I studied Teaching Czech as a Foreign Language in combination with Czech-French Interpreting at Charles University. I’ve gradually gained experience teaching individual and group courses at my alma mater, in non-profit organizations supporting the integration of foreigners in CR, and during internships abroad. What I enjoy most about my work is that it is varied and rewarding. It allows me to meet people of different nationalities with unique experiences from all over the world. I enjoy it when the ice is broken during the first lessons, rejoice when students make small and big progress, and when the group becomes a group of friends. My free time is best spent outdoors – hiking, biking or cross-country skiing. I like exercise, but when travelling I also enjoy the local culture, reading books, good food and drink. I like to learn foreign languages, I speak English and French. Since 2022, I mainly teach courses for slavic speakers at ICP.