Should we make them study Czech while they study here? Change of Students' Attitudes towards Learning Czech during Study Abroad
Abstract
This paper presents findings of a pilot study carried out among American students coming to the Czech Republic for one semester within their study abroad programme at Charles University, Prague, taking Elementary Czech Course as a part of their compulsory syllabus. The aim of the study was two-fold: 1) to assess the options such research may bring and 2) to gather some data for the upcoming research to create hypotheses regarding the attitudes and motivation towards learning Czech as a second language.
During three consecutive semesters, 174 students participated in filling out questionnaires. The findings have confirmed that the students' attitudes change throughout the semester and they have also shown some factors influencing the initial and final attitudes.
Majority of students display rather negative emotions (anxiety) relating to learning Czech at the beginning but at the end most of them express a positive attitude. The findings imply some pedagogic suggestions regarding the syllabus and course design.