Job Discussion Forums

[Chris Westergaard]

Czechs in Prague tend to be more closed and they don't really communicate with each other. If you get out of the city you'll find people more open. However it will always have to be you that initiates things most of the time. If you want to make friends with Czechs, you're going to have to (many times) extend your hand first.

[Arab Strap]

Sweeping generalisation BUT I�ve always found the suave, sophisticated, urbanite Praguers to regard themselves as a cut above the Slezak/ Moravak peasantry (with whom they tend to take a superior air and see as county bumpkins).

This is a point of view shared by my Czech friends in Brno/Ostrava and my Czech wife.

Maybe it�s just me but I�d rather go for a slivo and a pivo with Bolek Polivka than with Vaclav Havel any day.

[mr tree]

these people who are being negative about the Czechs - i wonder, what were your students like? because i've been astonished at how the vast majority are really nice people. a lot of them have developed into my friends, which also has the secondary benefit that we stay in touch by email or go to the pub, giving them more opportunities to practise their English.

you may see that as them "taking advantage" of you, for your English ability, but to be honest I find I have to cajole them into doing this and it's only our good personal relationship that allows me to get them into this good habit of using their English as often as possible

then there was the trip "na vodu" with my good Czech mate (who i knew before coming here) and 6 of his friends - i hadn't met 4 of them before, but they immediately took me under their wing, taught me bits of Czech and we talked rubbish and laughed and drank and fell over....

really, i don't see this reputation they have for being "cold". so, maybe that's just my lucky personal experiences - but the flipside might just be your unlucky personal experiences - in which case, it's hard to generalise off that....

[Chris Westergaard]

I've always gotten along very well with Czechs, so what I said doesn't apply to me directly. However as a director of a TEFL course here I've been in contact with nearly 800 teachers or so over a period of 6 years. Most of what I say on this forum is based on trends or patterns that my students have told me. Most of my students or at least a high majority will say that Czechs are far more closed off than lets say Americans. You can't deny this though because for the most part it's kind of true.

Students don't really count because you get to know them over a period of a year or so. However, Czechs aren't just closed to foreigners, they are closed to each other. If you get a room full of new Czech students (say for a first lesson) They will most likely just sit there and not say anything to anybody. Now if the room was filled with Americans, they would probably find out as much as they could about each other.

This is one example that I can think of. Another is the lack of any kind of small talk. Czech's don't engage in conversation with strangers. So if two people are in an elevator or waiting for a bus or something like that, they will remain silent.

When you enter a shop you say Dobry Den, when you leave you say Na Shledanou

That's it! You don't say anything else besides these two expressions. Actually asking the person how they are doing or how their day is going would be considered weird. I usually do it to get a rise out of people, but as a foreigner I can get away with this.

I could continue this list with differences between Czechs and Native Speakers, but you get the point.

It's a cultural difference and sure not every Czech is closed, but a pattern is a pattern and a trend is a trend.

[spiral78]

I entirely agree that Czechs tend to be reserved. But when you do make friends, in my experience, they are real ones. Very genuine.

By the way, do you know what the 'country bumpkins' say about Praguers, Arab Strap?? Probably just about what you'd imagine

[mr tree]

i would agree with most of Mr Westergaard's post, certainly. i'd point out that the main reason we're discussing this is the following...

[ITTP]

Hi there

I think it was in 'On The Road' where Jack Kerouac asked William S. Burroughs (Old Bull Lee - who had traveled extensively), if he had any insights into people based on his travels.
Burroughs' reply was something like "some's good, some's ain't".

I haven't traveled as extensively as Mr Burroughs (well, actually maybe I have ), but speaking from my own experience I have noticed that a lot of people do come to Prague expecting Czech people to conform to their own cultures rather than trying to fit in with the local Czech culture.
Now I am speaking about expats in general.

I find it interesting because the same model doesn't apply, for example, to France. In France, expats generally accept and embrace the French culture.

In my view, there is one significant difference between French and Czech culture.
French culture is largely built on national pride and a strong reasoning that the French way is the way forward.
Czech culture on the other hand tends to be more introspective, questioning, self-doubting, reflective.
You might find a slightly inebriated French person in Prague boasting that they are French but I doubt you would find the reverse with Honza Novak on the banks of the Seine after a tipple.

When I was in the USA I was completely impressed with the confidence and positiveness of people there.
Yes, compared with the USA, Czech people on the street and in shops can come over sometimes as incredibly rude and cold - no smiles on faces which sometimes almost spurt venom from insistent eyes.
However, and this is my point, this experience is usually focused within the parameters of the Prague tourist zone.
Teaching English provides you with the opportunity of meeting local people and I must agree completely with Mr Tree that the majority of people I have met here have been absolute angels.
There are of course the odd 'ones' who cheat and drive like there's no tomorrow but these types of people can be found worldwide.
Generally though, people have gone out of their way for me here to make me feel welcomed.

Another variable to take into consideration is that when the Russian tanks rolled out of the country in 1989, the locals were there with open arms ready to welcome the West in. This hospitality hasn't diminished but there is definitely a jaded element towards the average tourist who comes to Prague these days. Only last month one Italian tourist came to me and loudly asked in English "Charles Bridge?". I walked a block to show the man the right direction and he then walked off without even as much as a "Thank You". I took it as one of those comical moments in Prague but imagine if you work in the center of Prague and this sort of thing happens on a daily basis?
Eventually that smile is going to wither

I feel Mr Burroughs' quote is valid for the Prague tourist scene where some people are out to fleece you while others are there to help you. However, the same cannot be said for the whole of the Czech populace. I firmly believe that the vast majority of Czechs are good people.
Actually, I firmly believe that the majority of ALL people are good; it's just the odd rotten apple which can spoil the potential of a city or nation.

So, my advice is to get to know your students, travel out of the city once in a while, and most importantly to apply the century old wisdom of When In Rome...

Oh, and watch out for zebra crossings

Neville

ITTP Prague
Jungmannova 32
Prague 1

[Arab Strap]

Make way for another sweeping generalisation, just stoking the fire but don't you find your average Czech (whatever that is) to be racist?

In my many years teaching there I often heard, 'I'm not racist, BUT, I hate gypsies' from my students.

So-called 'neighbourhood watch' groups are terrorising Roma, wandering the Roma areas like some Nazi Sturmabteilung.

Several Czech politicians have been caught off mic making blatant racist comments only to receive sympathetic public support.

Romany children are still being sent to 'special schools', Roma unemployment and access to basic amenities are still major issues.

How many skinheads have you heard of being murdered by Roma?

The Narodni strana (Czech National Party) actually advocates a 'final solution' to the Roma 'problem'.......they propose to relocate the Roma to India!

These same jokers demanded an apology from the Muslim community in Brno for the recent bombing of a hotel in Pakistan and the subsequent death of the Czech ambassador. I'm glad to say the Brno mufti told them where to go.

These same jokers have been bill posting the controversial cartoons of Mohammed all over Brno in an attempt to provoke the Muslim community, who again told them where to go.

These same jokers demand the right to march at any time, any place and carry Palestinian flags, not out of sympathy for their plight, but purely out of anti-Semitism

These same jokers attacked my Ethiopian friend, whom I might add speaks perfect Czech and English.........I was hiking in the Beskdy mountains with him one day and a group of Czech school children looked at him as if he was from another planet, told him he smelled and even asked if they could take his picture!

These same jokers murdered a Somali student, march through Roma areas after football games shouting �Black Monkeys go to Canada�, celebrate the birth of Adolf Hitler etc, etc, etc��

I would also suggest this racism is institutionalised, Roma and other minorities face discrimination at every level of society.

This sickening trend is even present in sport, one need only think of Milan Baros and his racist gestures to a black player and I saw a Czech player call Edgar Davids (a black player from Holland), live on TV, a �f**king n***ger�. I�ve gone to football games and left early out of disgust after black players received torrents of abuse from the fans���.I might add that the Czech FA does f.a. about this.

Of course racism is not unique to the Czech Republic but I think it�s fair enough to say that Roma are universally, if not hated, at the very least eyed with suspicion by the majority of Czechs.

I've also had several colleauges with darker skin tones (from Mexico, Peru, Italy and Iran) being mistaken for Roma and suffering racial abuse.

Go on ask your students what they make of Cigani, go on I dare you.

Upre Roma!

[spiral78]

In support of some sweeping generalizations (again), yeah, Roma are looked upon negatively.

But I have black Czech friends, and even a couple who are married to 'white' Czechs...and live in small towns. No big problems.

So, I wouldn't support the sweeping generalization of 'racist,' but anti-roma...I have to agree that this is a general trend.

[Arab Strap]

Nice that your black friends don't seem to have any problems but the number of black Czechs (yes I know a couple too) is minuscule........if they were a significant minority then I would expect a completely different picture.

Racism is racism whether it's against blacks, yellows, browns, whites, pinks, blues or greens. Just because the few black people you know may only have been subject to some curious stares doesn't make it all right.

If it makes you feel any better though the hatred of Roma extends right across Europe and is even more prevalent in Slovakia and Poland.

[ITTP]

Well, lets all just hope then that now there is a black man in the White House that the race or color of someones's skin holds significantly less importance as compared to the potential of a person as an individual or part of a social grouping.

Racism and xenophobia unfortunately will always exist but I really hope that Mr Obama's electoral success will change the course of history in terms of race awareness and tolerance and respect of other races, social groups, etc.

Yes, the 'gypsies' (who form many social sub groups in the Czech Republic) are in general looked upon extremely negatively.
This is a throw down from the communist era BUT the situation is improving and it is improving mainly in part due to the younger generation.
My daughter for example schools at a Czech school and there are mixed races/social groups in her class - my daughter and everyone else in her class are being brought up in a healthy mixed race/social group mutually respecting environment.
This is happening in the vast majority of schools in the Czech Republic.

There is a huge difference between racism and xenophobia.
The skin heads, who thankfully are on the wain now, were notorious active racists in areas of Zizkov in the late nineties.

As another case in example, my parents moved a few years ago from West Sussex to Devon (both in England). They were shocked to learn that the local Devonites called re-locaters to Devon 'windies' - a negative term for people who move to Devon from other parts of the world. It is the Polish who are now the brunt of xenephobic rhetoric in Devon and in most other parts of the UK.
Coming over stealing our jobs, etc. (blah blah blah).

Of course, 40 years of communism and limited outside influence has had a major negative effect on the attitudes of some people here towards foreigners and also towards minorities in their own back yard (such as 'gypsies' - who once again, are not 1 social group but made up of many different and complex groupings).

It is improving and education is the way forward.

Actually, that is one of the many things I loved about San Fran.
Everyone seemed to get on so well.
No matter what their social status, ethnic group, race, etc.
In other cities such as London it has vastly improved over the past decade but there is still a long way to go.

Have a good Sunday everyone!

Neville

ITTP Prague
Jungmannova 32
Prague 1

[Aussie Chick]

[Aussie Chick]

Regarding racism in Czech Republic, it is definitely alive and well. I was in a relationship with a black American for several months, and we certainly got some stares from the Czechs for being a mixed-race couple. My partner had some stories of his own, especially in having to avoid neo-Nazis in the streets etc. I certainly didn't feel comfortable when they were around, and I was white!!

Although many years ago I was in Italy, in a relationship with an African, and I'd say the Italians are even more openly racist over there.

But it's what you have to accept if you are living in a different country, with different values to what you have at home. Racism isn't acceptable, no matter what country you're in, but living in someone else's country means acknowledging that their outlook to life isn't the same as yours.

[mr tree]

you keep saying "maybe we're the lucky ones" - you don't seem able to consider that your experiences maybe extreme in the other direction. the Czech Rep you portray is one that you'd never want to visit - and i think it's terrible to portray it in that manner

"Maybe over time, if you're lucky, they will warm up to you and socialise with you, but you will never be one of "them". You will always be seen as an outsider who they can take advantage of. And no, I'm not being OTT"

yes, yes you are...

[parrothead]