
Kouzelná kniha češtiny (The Magical Book of the Czech Language): A Creative Cultural Journey in the Czech Language and Beyond
The book, written and conceptually developed by bilingual and bicultural Joanna Vasdeki as an original work, was implemented within the Czech School of Athens and supported by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It invites children with an existing foundation in Czech to explore cultural concepts, stories, traditions, and values through drawing, songs, fairy tales, photography, and collaborative activities.
Rather than focusing on grammar or formal instruction, the activities aim to immerse children in the sounds, images, and symbols of Czech culture, encouraging them to expand their vocabulary and deepen their linguistic confidence naturally. The sessions promote intercultural identity building and emotional connection with language through art-based learning. The approach responds to the needs of bilingual and bicultural children who may not study Czech as a school subject but wish to maintain and enrich their connection with the language and heritage.
While developed specifically for Czech learners, the principles and methods of the book are adaptable and can inspire similar arts-based language learning approaches for other languages and cultural contexts.