The Czech Republic is geographically situated in the heart of Europe. It shares its borders with Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia. It has a population of 10 million of which 1.5 million live in its capital city, Prague. There are currently 10,000 American/British expats living in Prague. Its currency is the Czech Koruna (CZK), and at the time of writing of this article there were 47,-CZK to the Britsh pound, 28,-CZK to the American dollar and 32,-CZK to the Euro. The price of a beer in my local pub/bar is 12,-CZK.

When you walk through Pragues cobbled streets and look up at the awesome array of architectural styles you cannot help but release a satisfied sigh. In fact, even after having lived here in Prague for the past 9 months I am awestruck at the natural beauty of this wonderful city everytime I walk its seemingly endless cobbled streets.

Prague survived pretty much damage-free at the end of the second world war and even 40 years of communist rule couldn’t destroy the magic of Prague. Actually, in many ways it added to it. One of the few advantages of communist rule meant that central Prague escaped much of the urban development which cities such as London simply couldn’t avoid.

Prague has metamorphosised since the early days after the velvet revolution of 1989 from an obscure post-communist city to the internationally-recognised city that it has become today, while still managing to retain its former charm.

Prices in Prague are still much more affordable than in Western Europe although you do have to shop around a bit more now though. Nevertheless, it is still possible to eat a filling meal together with a beer (pivo), for under 3 US Dollars. Accomodation prices are comparable to Western Europe but you will find that most other products are very affordable.

I would suggest learning a few words or phrases in Czech before you begin your trip to Prague and then trying to increase your basic knowledge of Czech once you are here. Prague people or Pragers as they are sometimes referred to can be cold and reserved towards foreigners but if they see you are trying to master even just a few basic words of Czech they will become much warmer and friendlier and will go out of their way to assist you.

Also, try to make a weekend trip out to the Czech countryside. The further you travel from Prague the lower the prices become and the friendlier the people get. I can recommend visiting the castles of Cesky Krumlov, Krivoklat and Karlštejn, the historic town of Brno and the National parks of the Krkonoše and the Sumava.

Concerning crime, Prague and infact the whole of the Czech Republic is a very safe and laidback country. Not once in my time spent here have I seen an argument escalate into a violent situation. When I took the TEFL Prague TEFL course last year we had a fantastic class of trainees (3 men and 4 women in total), and nobody had any problems whatsoever. Our female collegues said they felt comfortable in Prague day or night and we all found it very easy to meet people here. Perhaps a point to make though are the pickpockets who ply the trams running through the centre of town. Particular trams to be a little cautious about are trams 9 and 22 and any other trams which pass by the Prague castle. It’s not epidemic but nonetheless you should be aware of this potential danger. Apart from the occasional pickpocket scam though there is every reason to feel completely at ease in Prague at anytime. Compared with the crime statistics of New York and London, Prague is a kindergarten.

The favourite pastimes of Czechs are drinking pivo, spending time in the countryside or at their cottages in the countryside, and complaining about politics. Notable customs you should be aware of are

  Taking off shoes before entering a home;
  Standing up to let pensioners sit on trams/busses/metro;
  The custom of picking up a shopping basket everytime you enter a shop (if you don’t the shop assistant may automatically assume you are a shoplifter/store thief);
  In the Czech Republic it is the person who has just walked into a room/office who addresses the others present.

Other customs are reserved for the pub/bar

When it is your turn you should buy a round of drinks;
You should make eye contact when toasting drinks;
Payment of the drinks bill/tab is calculated when your time at the pub/bar is finished (the barkeeper/bartender will mark your bill/tab everytime you order something);
A 5-10% tip is considered polite (this mainly applies to restuarants);
When drinking absinth it is considered a faut pas to pass your burning spoon over the full contents of your glass before drinking it.

I have made many references to the pub/bar culture in Prague simply because it is so prevalent. There are however many other entertainment options open though and at really affordable prices such as world-class opera and theatre performances, museums, art galleries. There is also a very much strong expat community in Prague and this can be seen in the live foreign music gigs/concerts and English poetry readings which dot the night venues of Prague.

Whatever your tastes Prague has something for everyone. I have included a few useful links below for you which will help you in your pre-journey plan. If you have any further questions about Prague you can contact the administrative team at TEFL Prague and they will I’m sure be very informative about what you need to know.

I hope you have a great time in this wonderful city and I wish you all the best with your TEFL studies at TEFL Prague! You’ll have a great time!

Alistair Stoodly, Graduated October 2003

Recommended Prague links:

http://ittp-tefl-prague-tesol.blogspot.com