The Project Method: Practical Implementation in English Classroom

The article focuses on the project method as a teaching tool, which activates teacher and students’ roles in learning English. We reveal our experience of implementing project activities to develop different communicative skills such as speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The paper deals with special approaches while developing project stages for each skill. In the article, listening skills are presented as the most difficult ones for the students to acquire within the project method activity. Even the most advanced learners need to prolong working on listening and will find that there are some words or collocations which are difficult to understand the first time they hear them. It can be stated that project method implementation into class activities comprises all language skills which are interconnected, meanwhile, reading skills are the basis of writing activity and enlarge an individual’s vocabulary, knowledge about the world around or inner outlook. Listening skills prepare for better understanding, responding and proceed to further information in the process of learning. It is also emphasized that development of speaking skills with the project method provide easier communication for a speaker in different speech areas, which can lead to the higher professional development.

Visual Literacy in Educational Practice

In the 21

Czech National Awareness in Moravia in the Revolutionary Years 1848/1849

This study focuses on the process of the gradual shaping of Czech national awareness in Moravia from the beginning of the nineteenth century onwards when the necessary conditions for the development of improved mutual relations between the Czech (Slavic) population in the two Lands of the Czech Crown -Bohemia and Moravia - were slowly being formed. Moravia faced a number of handicaps to the development of a national revival in comparison with Bohemia, the most significant of which was the relatively high degree of Germanisation of the land. A change to the image of Moravia came in the revolutionary years 1848/1849, when Czech national awareness spread to broader sections of society in Moravia. The view of Bohemia held by the Moravians underwent significant change and a period of increasingly intensive political and cultural contact between the two lands arose.

Educational Ideals of the Founders of Christian Schools in Poland and its Application

The article elaborates on the fundamental educational ideals of Christian schools founders, as well as its applications in the context of non-state schooling. It is based on the research material gathered in the interviews and content analysis of schools documents. Researched schools are directly or indirectly connected with Protestantism in Poland and UK. Comprehensive and wide-ranging results are shown, reflecting inconsistent environment of Christian schooling in Poland after 1989.

Penitentiary Tutors’ Activities with Foreign Prisoners. Between Uniformisation and Identity Shaping

This article tackles the issue of penitentiary tutors’ work with foreign prisoners. The analysis provided a premise to explore the directions of a rational proceedings with persons representing different cultures. The article presents two aspects of exploration. First concerned experiences in everyday accomplishment of penitentiary tasks towards foreign prisoners, and the second focused on the analysis of the competences of integration of migrants and the significance of penitentiary influences on such ground. As a result, the concept of rational uniformisation prevails in terms of requirements of the process of serving deprivation of liberty. The objective of consolidation of different identities and the foreigner are more in the focus of attention of international rights declarations, rather than practice.

Political Aspects of CEE-Countries Participation in American Anti-Terrorism Campaign (2001–2011)

The paper deals with the political moments of CEE countries participation in American anti-terrorist and military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the course of these events, it accentuates the bilateral relationships between four countries of Visegrad group with the USA, with the focus on the participation of Poland and Czech Republic that presented some different, although controversial patterns of support of American policy. The paper clearly shows the remoteness of international terrorist threat in the region that is irrelevant with active participation of the region in outer campaigns in Asia, with dubious rationale and consequences. As a result this paper is the attempt to consolidate the conclusions of other (predominantly local) works on the issue, but also to generalize this issue from the historical perspective; and is the additional contribution to the whole picture of American anti-terrorist campaign in the first decade of XXI century. Thus the background of terrorism in the region is contemplated through the context of American anti-terrorist policy along with the reforms of anti-terrorist system of these states after “September 11”. Indeed, main point of the work is the comparative approach to analyzing the contribution of Poland and Czech Republic to the anti-terrorist campaign.

Cursed with Patriotism. The Educational Potential of Enslavement (Polish Society in the Russian Partition of Poland in the First Half of the 19th Century)

The paper presents the educational space of Polish homes and schools during the Partitions of Poland, with emphasis on its crucial role in the process of integration of the young generation, the birth of solidarity among them, and shaping their national and civic identity. Especially the Enlightenment ideas of the Commission of National Education (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej – KEN) that were to be found in the course books of the Wilno Educational District from 1803 to 1832 made it possible to perpetuate the model of patriotic education originated in family homes.

Contribution of Orders and Institutes of Consecrated Life of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to the Formation of National Consciousness of Ukrainian Children and Youth

The history of the Ukrainian nation, its cultural and spiritual inheritance is the bright example of the selfless mission of the Ukrainian church. In the end of XIX – beg. XX the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church played the most important role in the formation of national consciousness, deepening of the inner world, cultural rise of the Ukrainian nation on the territory of West Ukrainian lands.

Love Knows No Boundaries. The Study of Contemporary Czech-Polish Family Relations Inspired by the Documentary Entitled “Para Mieszana”

The article discusses Polish documentary film “Para mieszana” (“Mixed couple”). Film was released in 2005, directed by Kinga Dębska and Lenka Wimmerová. The document shows episodes of everyday life of four mixed couples living together in Czech Republic and Poland. Their life is shown on many levels: marriage, family and career. Every couple is in different stage of live, dealing with various difficulties. The article presents interpretation of family structure, language and space of their living activities as well as their world of values.

Contribution of Editor Věnceslav Švihovský to the Formation of the National Consciousness of Russian Czechs

On the basis of personal estate of editor Věnceslav Švihovský, the author describes his life and work in the years 1875-1957, especially in the formation of national consciousness of Russian Czechs.