Dobrý den / Hello everyone,
I recently moved to Czech from England, with my wife who is Czech. I'm studying czech of course and I'd like to learn new words by learning their meanings, as described in czech. Looking up the English meanings all the time doesn't help me 'get into' the language.
Is there a czech equivalent of the OED? I've looked around, but can only find inter-language dictionaries and dictionaries of foreign words.
Also, are there any czech equivalents of the english 'Penguin Readers' - ordinary novels that have been abbridged and simplified to various levels for students of the language? At the moment I'm limited to books for little kids if I want reading practice at something my level of ability.
Moc děkuju za pomoc,
Robin
I would also like to know this!
Please, people, help us :)
Dominik, don't you have to add something on this topic? :)
Nenad
The answer to the first question is a qualified yes and the answer to the second is no.
1. Dictionaries: There are no monolingual dictionaries aimed at learners of Czech as a second language. That means that the ones you can get will not try to use simple language to explain meanings and sometimes may not help that much. There is the SSJČ (Slovník spisovného jazyka českého) which is comprehensive but out of date but the closest alternative to OECD. You should probably get one of the newer single volume editions that have been put out based on the new corpus of Czech (I can't remember the names but any Kanzelsberger bookstore and most others will have them). Speaking of which you can use the corpus directly. Just go to the public search page and search for a word or a phrase. It will then give you fifty examples of how it is used in context which might help you more than a dictionary.
2. To my knowledge there are no works of literature abridged for learners of Czech. There is not even any large volume of abridged literature for Czech students. The market is simply too small. I recommend getting a short book for children or young adults that you've read in your own language and read that. The Pauper and the Prince by Mark Twain might be good.