"PIVO”, this is the first Czech word I learnt and an extremely essential one. Pivo kept me company throughout my month long stay in the beautiful medieval city of Prague. Nope, it’s not a blue-eyed Czech man. It’s better than one. Pivo is the Czech word for ‘Beer’. Cheaper than mineral water in Prague, I couldn’t think of a better excuse not to have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner…well, pretty much throughout the day. That’s just one of the many highlights of my recent stay in the UNESCO World Heritage listed city. I was of course there for a more noble reason - to pursue the TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate. Many a time though, admittedly, I have to remind myself that was THE reason why I was there. Even as I drowned myself in Grambrinus, my favourite Czech beer and Becherovka, a bitter-sweet Czech liqueur.
The Czech Republic is located deep in the heart of Europe. Full of fairy-tale castles and chateaux, it’s one of Europe’s most historic countries. Its capital, Prague, has a magical feel about it. Walking and deliberately getting lost through its cobbled streets was like history lessons coming to life for me. I felt as if history had stopped back in the 18th century as I took in the sights. The city had enjoyed two architectural golden ages, a Gothic period under Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and a baroque period during the Habsburg Counter-Reformation. Unlike other Eastern European cities which were battlefields during WWII, Prague has escaped almost unscathed. Free of traffic except for horse-drawn carriages and framed by a colourful array of historic buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin, Prague’s old town square ranks among the most legendary public spaces in the world. Most streets are pedestrianised and being summer, café tables spilled out into the cobbled streets. The square was my regular hangout at lunch time. My course-mates and I would munch our hotdogs, enjoy our pivo and bet on who’s a Czech man and who is not amongst the sea of tourists. By the way, the answer lies in the eyes, their eyes, that is.
The Czech Republic is located deep in the heart of Europe. Full of fairy-tale castles and chateaux, it’s one of Europe’s most historic countries. Its capital, Prague, has a magical feel about it. Walking and deliberately getting lost through its cobbled streets was like history lessons coming to life for me. I felt as if history had stopped back in the 18th century as I took in the sights. The city had enjoyed two architectural golden ages, a Gothic period under Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and a baroque period during the Habsburg Counter-Reformation. Unlike other Eastern European cities which were battlefields during WWII, Prague has escaped almost unscathed. Free of traffic except for horse-drawn carriages and framed by a colourful array of historic buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin, Prague’s old town square ranks among the most legendary public spaces in the world. Most streets are pedestrianised and being summer, café tables spilled out into the cobbled streets. The square was my regular hangout at lunch time. My course-mates and I would munch our hotdogs, enjoy our pivo and bet on who’s a Czech man and who is not amongst the sea of tourists. By the way, the answer lies in the eyes, their eyes, that is.
And how can I not mention the infamous Charles Bridge. It's an enchanting 520m long structure not to be missed. Graced by 30 statues dating from the 18th century and hordes of buskers, peddlers and artists, it is most romantic in the evenings. Well that’s where I could be found most evenings. It’s where I discussed the finer points of teaching with my course-mates of course. Ahem.
As luck had it, my school is located right in the old town square. In fact, I had to walk across the square each day for my classes. School was attended by close to 50 “I need a break from work” type adults; all aspiring travellers cum teachers. I was the only Asian amongst the Americans and Brits and the first Singaporean in the school. As many of my schoolmates have never been to Asia and know little about Singapore, I took the opportunity to wow them with the Uniquely Singapore Brand videos and TVCs. I also had the opportunity to publicise Singapore Education as I was consistently doing well in my grammar classes.
The course was challenging. The techniques taught in TEFL certificate course include giving instructions, eliciting, modelling, highlighting, checking, correcting, blackboard use, voice projection and manner. Included in the course was an overview of classroom control, cultural awareness and dealing with problem students. We were also taught how to use coursebooks effectively, how to plan lessons and syllabi, how to test and use communication activities including games, music, role-play, etc.
This course also gave us a chance to make practical use of the theoretical knowledge by teaching eight lessons throughout the course. We were assigned different types of lessons and opportunities to practice teaching with different levels of foreign students. We also had to look for a Czech student to practice one-to-one teaching. I taught mine over jugs of pivo of course.
This course also gave us a chance to make practical use of the theoretical knowledge by teaching eight lessons throughout the course. We were assigned different types of lessons and opportunities to practice teaching with different levels of foreign students. We also had to look for a Czech student to practice one-to-one teaching. I taught mine over jugs of pivo of course.
All work and no play? That’s not my style. Weekends were spent exploring the beer gardens, the Czech Castle, the Jewish quarter and the neighbouring towns of Ceski Krumlov (the pearl of Bohemia), Kutna Hora (famous for its prosperous silver mines) and Karlovy Vary (the largest and oldest of Czech’s many spa towns). Oh yes, I also found time to enjoy an opera, a violin recital and a weekend visit to Frankfurt where I enjoyed more drinks with colleagues Gevin Png and Alan Tan.
It’s been an enriching and memorable experience. Pivo anyone?
