The project "CZECH ONLINE - Czech as a Foreign Language for Specific Purposes" originated at the Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic and builds on the successful project from 2013-2015 called CZKey - Online Platform for Learning Medical Czech. Project was funded under LLP Leonardo da Vinci / Transfer of Innovations programme and was awarded the European Language Award Label 2017 and the "Seal of Quality 2013" award for project implementation. The main project outputs are available at www.mluvtecesky.net. The project initiators are trying to build on the previous project, which was focused only on medical Czech. The Medical Czech module will be fundamentally innovated and two more specific modules Czech for Lawyers and Czech for Economists and Traders will be added to the project's essential outputs. Furthermore, the Language Tandem module, which is an innovative element in language teaching, will be newly created. The project will be useful in teaching non-native speakers of the Czech language. The language portal will be available in Czech, English, Polish and German. Universities and organisations from the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria are involved in the project. In the field of tertiary education, it is the Language Centre of Masaryk University, which is the main coordinator of the project, partner universities are Silesian University in Katowice from Poland and Fachhochschule Burgenland from Eisenstadt in Austria. CASAJC (Czech and Slovak Association of Language Centres) and Formata also participate in the project. In particular, CASAJC through its network of language centres in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will provide dissemination of information about the project and its key outputs. Formata, a graphic studio, programs the web portal and guarantees its timeliness and modern conception corresponding to the latest trends in world web design. The aim of the project is to make available to students interested in studying Czech, especially in the areas of medical, social and nursing services, legal services, and in the economic and commercial areas, free online learning material without the need of any additional funds. In this way, a student interested in Czech can acquire knowledge with which he / she will be able to successfully pass the entrance examination for a university in Czech and thus obtain formal education free of charge. The main fundamental outputs of the project are the creation of modules of medical Czech, Czech for lawyers and business and economic Czech. The portal, whose study will also be possible from mobile phones, aims also to reach out to those outside formal education and thus help them to integrate into society. It can also be used for teaching Czech to primary school students and high school students who come from non-Czech families. It is also applicable to professionals in their respective fields who seek recognition in their fields. An integral part of the project are also multiplication activities planned so that the main multipliers and the target group are regularly informed about the progress of the production of essential outputs, the possibility of networking and communication with experts. The portal will be available indefinitely, its activation on the Internet is not restricted, either for individuals or language teachers. With regard to long-term sustainability, the essential outputs are planned in a timely manner, not linked to specific dates or events.
The goal of the project was to support a vulnerable group of people who, in their current country of residence, do not have sufficient employment and financial evaluation for a full life, as they were used to in their country of origin. The main outputs of the project are intended for non-native speakers who want to learn Czech so that they can use Czech in their studies or in their jobs. Language competence is one of the basic skills and at the same time key ability both for obtaining an adequate education and for full integration into society and obtaining a job. Three specific specializations were chosen for the project: 1. Czech for doctors, 2. Czech for lawyers and 3. Czech for economists and businessmen. These three specific orientations simultaneously fulfill the criteria of societal necessity and are very much needed in the home countries of the partner organizations. At the same time, these three specific orientations serve not only for university studies, but no less important is the fact that it is possible to develop language competences with the help of the essential outputs of the project even for people with a professional orientation in the field as social services, legal services, business services.
The need for the project arose at Masaryk University. The creators of the portal wanted to continue their work for the target group - non-native Czech speakers who want to integrate into Czech-speaking society. Due to the good experience with the mluvtecesky.net portal, which was created in 2013-15 as part of the "CZKey - Online Platform for Learning Medical Czech" project, the team again focused on creation of an online tool for teaching the Czech language, which is available free of charge to all interested parties. As part of the project, the creators decided to expand the possible impact on the target group and add legal Czech and business Czech to medical Czech. By studying on the portal, users can acquire knowledge with which they will be able to successfully pass university entrance exams in the Czech language, and thus obtain free formal education. The portal aims to reach interested people outside of formal education, and thus help them integrate into society. It can also be used for teaching Czech to children in primary education and students in secondary schools who come from non-Czech-speaking families. It is also usable for professionals in the given fields who strive for recognition of education in their profession.