Czech at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Czech at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Czech has been taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since the 1970s. The Czech program is housed in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, where Russian, Polish, and SerboCroatian are also taught. The Department has a thriving doctoral program in Russian literature, and many graduate students choose to study Czech as a Slavic language. The instructor for Czech is Dr. David Danaher.

In recent years, enrollments in Czech language courses have increased significantly (22 students took First-Semester Czech in fall 2003 as compared to just 9 in 1997). Czech language is taught at the introductory and intermediate levels on a two-year rotating basis. Advanced courses in Czech language are taught through independent studies. To accommodate interest in things Czech, a literature-in-translation course (The Writings of Václav Havel) was introduced into the program’s offerings in 2002.

In fall 2003, the Slavic Department hosted a Fulbright Scholar from the Institute for Czech Literature in Prague. While in Madison, Daniel Vojtěch taught two courses, a survey of literature in the Czech lands and an advanced seminar on Czech Modernism. UW-Madison is interested in hosting more Fulbright Scholars with specializations in Czech literature and culture in the future.

The teaching of Czech language, literature, and culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is supported in part by contributions to the November Fund, which was established in 2002. The website of the Fund (www.novemberfund.org) contains more information on UW’s Czech program and Czech-related events in the Madison area.

David Danaher
University of Wisconsin-Madison