The best way to learn Czech is a mix: mostly Czech you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Czech you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Czech Work Best?
Reading and listening to Czech at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows, radio and podcasts | Czech at natural speed | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Which ending a word needs | Endings that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Czech for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Travel in CzechiaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Pass the Residence ExamThe Czech exam for permanent residence tests level A2, so read and listen at your level most of the time, and try the practice tests on its official site as the exam gets close.
- Watch Czech Films and TVPut most of your time into listening, starting with videos made for learners and moving on to shows on iVysílání with Czech subtitles.
- Read Czech BooksSpend most of your time reading short stories, and move on to books once everyday conversations feel easy to follow.
- Work in CzechiaRead and hear Czech about your field most of the time, and practice formal Czech, which uses vy for “you”, with a tutor.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Czech.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Duostories for easy stories or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in two rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Czech lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A first course | Duolingo's free Czech course, or lessons and exercises on Charles University's Česky od A do C, open as a guest | Pimsleur, whose 30 audio lessons have you hear and say Czech |
| Reading and listening at your level | Short stories with audio on Duostories, and stories in slow Czech on slowczech | Bubblegum or LingQ |
| Shows and news | iVysílání for Czech Television shows, Short Czech News for news in simple Czech | Language Reactor for Netflix and YouTube with Czech subtitles |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | The Czech Language Institute's Internetová jazyková příručka, once you can read explanations in Czech | Mango, whose Grammar Notes explain how Czech works |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from reading real Czech sentences you can follow.
- Reading Czech Like EnglishLetters like c and ch have their own sounds in Czech, as in cena (price) and chata (cottage), so play the audio as you read.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each noun comes with the ending it had and an example of how it is used.
- Films You Can't Follow YetSave Czech films for when you can follow a scene with Czech subtitles on, and watch slowczech or Easy Czech before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Czech with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own. Some Preply tutors teach intensive Czech or business Czech.
Should I learn Czech grammar first?
No. Start reading and listening right away, and look an ending up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Dám si kávu (I'll have a coffee) and Poslouchám hudbu (I'm listening to music), it is easy to see that káva and hudba change their last letter to -u after verbs like these.
Which Czech app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Czech, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Czech app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- Čeština pro cizince, the official site of the Czech language exam for permanent residence (A2 level, practice tests), from the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic
- Charles University, Česky od A do C (free lessons and exercises, open as a guest)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, Czech language exchange partners
- Wikipedia, Czech orthography (c, ch and the letters with marks)
