Materials for Self-learning of Slovak Language

Last Updated: 14 December 2022

In this article, we would like to present you some options to learn Slovak online for free: e-learning websites, publications and handbooks.

Slovake.eu 

Firstly, we present you the website Slovake.eu. You can study there the Slovak language in 13 different languages: Czech, English, German, Esperanto, Spanish, French, Croatian, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian and Slovak.

The website consists of language courses of various levels (A1, A2, B1 and B2) with numerous exercises, tests and dictionaries to help you become familiar with the grammar, learn new vocabulary or communicate with other uses of this page in Slovak. Moreover, you can find here interesting information on Slovakia.[1] To start learning Slovak, you just need to register.

Slovake.eu is a project supported by the European Commission within the program KA2 – languages – program of lifelong learning. The project is coordinated by the civic association Edukácia@Internet (E@I).[2]

 

E-Slovak

E-Slovak is another free E-Learning course of Slovak language. The site offers tutored lessons that are available during the school year, as well as self-learning courses. The courses correspond with the handbook „Krížom-krážom – Slovak language A1“. The course consists of main phrases, vocabulary, grammar and topics about the daily life. To start learning Slovak, you just need to register.[3] The condition for completing the course is a basic command of English (A2). After successfully completing the course and passing the final exam, you can get a certificate.[4]

The website e-slovak was made by Studia Academica Slovaca - The Centre for Slovak as a Foreign Language which is a specialized centre at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University (FF UK) in Bratislava.

More information and link to the course

 

WE LEARN SLOVAK

„We Learn Slovak“ (Učíme (sa) slovenčinu) is a free e-learning platform that offers space not only for learning, but also for teaching Slovak as a foreign language (from A1.2 to C2 level).

The basic idea of the platform is to work with a text in the form of audiovisual material (real TV reports, vlogs, video podcasts, etc.) in length of 2 - 4 min. There are two interactive tasks for each video: one focusing on listening and the other one on grammar and vocabulary. There is also a transcript of the video to make the work with the text easier. Every week, two new videos with interactive tasks are published. Worksheets in various thematic areas are freely available for lecturers.

More information and link to the platform

 

YouTube Channel "Slovenčina ako cudzí jazyk"

YouTube channel "Slovenčina ako cudzí jazyk" ("Slovak as a Foreign Language") presents a series of short videos, added on a weekly basis, which help foreigners to learn basic Slovak language in a simple and playful way.

Each video is 5 to 15 minutes long and always focuses on a different topic, such as the history of Bratislava, classic fairy tales, recipes, movie quizzes or logic puzzles. Description from YouTube: Learn Slovak by listening to stories in simple Slovak. New videos are uploaded every Monday.

In this video you will find out about more free resources for learning the Slovak language. Most of them are available in this article as well.

 

Bodka_sk

Bodka_sk: an entertaining and educational blog about the Slovak language intended for foreigners. It helps students to self-educate and thus learn formal as well as colloquial phrases and phraseology and participate in the "Bodka Answers" Q&A session every Monday. In this session, a native Slovak language speaker answers questions from followers, not only about the Slovak language but also about life in Slovakia. The blog is run by a Slovak teacher who studied pedagogy in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 

SLOVAK WITH ANI

The TikTok channel slovencinasani was founded by a foreigner who learned Slovak at the level of a native Slovak. It is a place where Slovak terms, expressions, phrases and grammar are explained in a memorable and funny way. You will find there several sections created based on questions and requests from foreigners. You can ask the author any question about Slovak language, and you will get an answer.

 

We Speak Slovak!

„We Speak Slovak!“ (Hovoríme po slovensky!) is a comics series that serves as an additional educational material for learning Slovak as a foreign language. The format of the comics is suitable for a wide spectrum of users, including the teachers of Slovak language, students, or parents. “We speak Slovak!” is recommended for beginners at the A1/A2 level.

This series presents 12 different topics in form of comics texts, grammar, exercises, and a memory card game. The materials can be downloaded for free.

More information and link

 

First Aid in Slovak

The handbook "First Aid in Slovak" is a result of a teamwork of students and their Slovak language tutors at foreign universities. It is a practical tool for communication in everyday life situations. The publication is gradually being published in 15 foreign languages.[5]

The brochure is available online in English - Slovak and Ukrainian - Slovak versions.

Authors: © Mgr. Júlia Vrábľová (editor), Mgr. Michaela Mošaťová, PhD., Mgr. Zuzana Hargašová, PhD., Mgr. Zuzana Šmatláková. Publisher: Comenius University in Bratislava and Studia Academica Slovaca 2016. First Aid in Slovak was published within a project being part of the educational program of Slovak as a foreign language, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic.[6]

 

Slovak for Asylum Holders and Asylum Seekers

Slovak for Asylum Holders and Asylum Seekers is designed to make grammatical, lexical, syntactic and phonetic phenomena understandable to people from different countries, with a different language culture, different age and education. Slovak for Asylum Seekers and Holders does not attempt to encompass all Slovak grammar.

The aim of language training for asylum seekers and asylum holders is to build and consolidate the basic communication competencies, with an emphasis on the practical use of language in everyday situations. Therefore, the Slovak for Asylum Seekers and Asylum Holders does not attempt to clarify all the grammatical phenomena of Slovak language, it focuses only on the most used phenomena.[7]

Author: © Mgr. Miriam Uramová, 2007 
Cover and illustrations: © Mgr. Art. Marek Šafárik, 2007
Published by: Civic Association Človek v ohrození

This publication was published as part of the project „JOPA - the Language and Professional Training of Asylum Holders and Asylum Seekers“, funded by the European Social Fund within the EQUAL Community Initiative.[8]

Download the publication in PDF

 

PODCAST SLOVAK FOR U

 

FREE MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Learn Slovak - 50 languages

This free application contains 30 lessons providing basic vocabulary and a method of learning the language combining audio and text. " 50 Languages" is recommended for absolute beginners and A1-A2 level of Slovak language proficiency.

More information about this application

 

Learn Slovak - 5000 phrases

This app offers an opportunity to learn the Slovak language through your native language (over 60 languages are available). The application is free and includes conversational phrases on different topics with pronunciation and phonetic transcription in Slovak. Additionally, it offers games focusing on  listening, writing and speaking skills. It is suitable for beginners, as well as advanced students.

More information about this application

 

Learn Slovak Vocabulary Free

This application is designed for rapid learning and training of Slovak vocabulary and phrases on different topics. Moreover, it offers the English-Slovak dictionary consisting of more than 10,000 words and phrases. It is available in English or Slovak language and it is suitable for levels from absolute beginners to advanced learners. It is not designed for learning grammar.

More information about the application

 

Naučte sa po slovensky

This application is designed as an electronic phrase book with over 1,000 most important phrases in Slovak. It is suitable for those, who are travelling and visiting Slovakia, and would like to learn the basics of the Slovak language. Available in English or Slovak language for absolute beginners and A1-A2 level learners.

More information about the application

 

 

[1] Slovake.eu, Slovenčina online – ľahko a rýchlo, (2017), Available at: https://slovake.eu/sk/about 
[2] Ibid.
[3] R. Kamenárová et al., E-slovak, Information, (Comenius University, Studia Academica Slovaca – The Center for Slovak as a Foreign Language, 2017), Available at: https://www.e-slovak.sk/mod/page/view.php?id=919
[4] Ibid.
[5] J. Vrábľová et al., First Aid in Slovak – Prvá pomoc po slovensky, (Comenius University. Studia Academica Slovaca – The Centre for Slovak as a Foreign Languages, 2016).
[6] bid.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    [7] M. Uramová, Slovenčina pre azylantov a žiadateľov o azyl, (OZ Človek v ohrození, 2007), str. 4.
[8] Ibid.