But, let’s move to what I intended to talk about. Among the many things that North Americans know little about, is Slovakia. Slovaks think Americans don’t know about Slovakia because they are not educated enough. But I think Americans don’t know about Slovakia, because they aren’t interested. I ask my Slovak friends repeatedly what they know about the smallest state in the USA or any small province in Canada. They don’t know anything about these places. They also have trouble remembering time zones and are a bit confused about the weather in America.

I would say that there are less intelligent and more intelligent people all over the world; it doesn’t matter what nationalities we are. What is interesting is that people who don’t have a chance to try living in different parts of the world would consider themselves different, maybe better than others are. Many Slovaks do think that their high schools and universities are “equipped” with a better content of books, instructions and lectures than American schools are. Slovaks would say that Americans don’t study enough, that their courses are simple and that they don’t pay adequate attention to facts that are important for students in other countries.

Since the Slovak Republic is located in the heart of Europe, Slovaks feel every nation in Europe and all over the world should know about us, the Slovaks. Moreover, they feel that whoever who does not know about us is probably not clever enough. Slovakia is a small country that hosted this year’s summit of President Bush and President Putin. The Slovak government made the meeting of these two Presidents a great celebration. American flags were all over the capital and thousands of police officers spent hours figuring out what was going on. Believe me; it looked like Mr. Bush’s presidential campaign or worse. Despite the gala, Slovaks are in shock because American media introduced Slovakia as a part of Former Soviet Union or former Jugoslavia.

I would say that it is mostly because of the misconceptions like this one that Slovaks consider Americans uneducated. A while ago, some of my Slovak friends had a chance to visit America and tried to take some courses at local colleges and universities. Based on their experience, they felt that studying in America is much easier than studying at home. I actually can compare the difficulty, because I have tried both systems. The first that makes the Slovak university system more challenging is that students need to pass an entrance exam while they are still in high school. They’re preparing for final exams before graduation and studying to be accepted to universities they choose.

However, passing that exam does not guarantee a student’s acceptance. Almost ten years ago, when I was sweating during the entrance exams, 3000 other students were sweating along with me but the number university seats open for the next year was a mere 300. Even though a student passes the exam, some other criteria are considered before they are admitted. For some, a

student’s aunt or uncle, or neighbor may help in the admitting process or provide a key to a new car for a helper who is willing to provide a student with exam questions. Though students all over the world are familiar with entrance exams, Slovaks still think that the exams in Slovakia are the hardest ones. I believe, however, that most students are accepted based on their knowledge, not on their parents’ bank accounts.

However, for those talented and smart individuals who are accepted, studies are no fun. It is hard work. Slovaks need to know a lot to pass a course and teachers expect them to score high. Mostly there are competitions among students. I dislike one particular thing about some Slovak teachers: they want their students to simply chase those books that are sometimes unavailable in local libraries and students need to travel to other towns, or call their friends in other universities and look for the books. One seminar work can destroy the relationship between a student and a teacher. There are many strict rules that are introduced to students from the very beginning.

On the other hand, I think being a Slovak abroad makes my studies in America hard because I learn new facts in foreign language; because of this, every success makes me extremely happy. However, if the American grading policy were to resemble the one in the Slovak republic, I would need to concentrate even more and work harder, too.

Passing grades of 50 or 60% in Americans schools are not comprehensible to Slovak students. In Slovakia, college and university students need 75% to pass their courses. I believe a passing grade of 70% is rare, so it is very hard to pass courses in Slovak universities. Many students are not able to do so. They end their studies, or even worse things happen, such as the firing of students from their last exams in the last year of their studies.

I think giving students an option in what is important to them, rather than drilling in insignificant statistics or issues, is laudable. A fifty percent passing grade gives students opportunities to decide what they need to improve more; they have time for concentration on topics they like, rather than being forced into reading and studying books they simply deny because of their contents, (or they don’t learn about small unimportant countries located far away).

On the other hand, the pressure on students in countries where passing grades on assignments and exams are higher than in America wouldn’t do American students any harm. Students who excel at higher standards know the word “toughness.” I think foreign students who come to America are pleasantly surprised about the grading system. Still, as I have mentioned, studying in a foreign country is as hard as needing a passing grade of 80%, but I am happy to have an opportunity to choose among many courses. I did not have that chance in Slovakia.

I hope the Slovak school system will soon change its façade and will make itself more approachable for students of any age and any social status. It is all about money, because when students pay for their education, they are more appreciative, and better respected by their instructors (In Slovakia, a former communist country, university education is free.)

In America it may cost a lot, but that feeling you have is priceless. Believe me, I can compare now.

Though there are many people in Slovakia who speak English – they are still in the minority. Often, expertise is lacking and those who have just a little knowledge about foreign languages and a little practice in speaking them are employed as teachers. The deficiency of teachers who are real professionals is due to a bad economic situation in the Slovak school system. Many schools are so under-funded that they close each year around November, because they do not have enough money to heat the classrooms.

Further, those who graduate from a college or university as high school or elementary school teachers are not willing to teach because their job is not appreciated and valued enough. The value of their salaries is not equal to their education. Even if a school had the funding to hire qualified language teachers, they would have a very difficult time finding a qualified teacher who is willing to take the job.

The school administrations have no other choice but to hire fresh high school graduates or college students who speak some English, German or any other language demanded by students. Many times these so-called teachers are ex-babysitters or ex-housekeepers who spent some time abroad. But still, principals assume their language skills are probably very good, which can produce an illusion of competence for students who have little familiarity with a second language.

These positions would be better described as a substitute for teachers, and one reason for these lay-personas being hired by the school system is money. Hiring helpers instead of trained professionals means that the school can operate at a profit, while students are unaware that they are not being instructed by experts.

These untrained language teachers are far from having the experience in using and teaching the language. Their contribution to educating children is short of knowledge in syntax, morphology and literature, not to mention their marginal pedagogical skills.

Parents may sometimes wonder how come their children demonstrate a poor level of skill in communicating in a foreign language. Those children have a hard time expressing themselves and it’s difficult for them to compete with children educated by professionals.

Obviously teachers should be able to do a great job without any help in printed form, but better textbooks, dictionaries and magazines for illustrating a language represent no harm either for teachers or students. However, the textbooks and magazines available in Slovak elementary and high schools are based mostly on British English. Words, phrases, even grammar have specific features different from, for example, American English. There is also a significant difference in the pronunciation of British and American English. Students mainly in elementary and high schools are barely aware that the English language has various deviations. They are taught English one way. The differences between the American and British English, or even Australian English, are hardly presented at class.

I personally prefer American English. Americans speak more smoothly than the British do. This English is softer and I feel good listening to it. The British English sounds hard – it’s more like the German language in some ways, but both of them have the same basis and I grow every time I speak in English, read in English or listen anything that sounds like English.

In Slovakia, I was one of those lucky ones who had an opportunity to receive the basics in English even before the Velvet Revolution in 1989 – the fall of Communism. My teacher had been working with me and my classmates during our elementary school years and later we all appeared in his class at high school.

I enjoyed English a lot. A regular English class in Slovak schools doesn’t differ much from any other class over the world. The textbooks help students and teachers to provide the best possible information about life in English speaking countries. Video and audio tapes introduce students to live speech between British students, people in public, in libraries, and stores, etc.

Slovak students learn about the biggest and the most famous cities in Great Britain and the USA. We are even wrapped up in facts about population, climate and the school systems in English speaking countries. College students have a better knowledge about phonetics, phonology, syntax and literature. They are also introduced into the depth of grammar.

From my perspective, too much “science” is not very practical for future teachers. Young college graduates know a lot about subjects and objects in sentences, so they can explain why and how to use some lexicology methods, but they are lacking in vocabulary. Before I left to come to the USA, I had completed three years of my university degree and I had earned over 90 credits in English.

Despite of that, I still have to admit that the level of my vocabulary could have been compared to that of a high school student. One important thing in teaching a foreign language in Slovakia that’s missing is talking and expressing what you think and what you know.

I was pretty confident coming to America and talking to the Americans. But I experienced shock right away when I couldn’t understand what I cashier said to me. I felt like a beginner.

Since then I have had many opportunities to improve my language skills. Television, radio, magazines, books not to mention communicating with the Americans and finally studying – all that means an inexpressible help in reaching my goal of becoming an English teacher.

As I was going through the chapters – simultaneously I was going through my life.

I am still not too old to do the review of my childhood, youth and maturity. However, what I went through during past 26 years made me think and think again about what’s important in my life.

I was planning to be born on my mother’s birthday, but I missed the due date. I came almost three weeks later. I didn’t even get a chance to see my mom, because I was rushed into the ICU and then to the different hospital due to a condition related to pneumonia which was caused by an excessive amount of fluid in my lungs. Now I know that I was not supposed to drink that. But hey, nobody told me that at the time:.

By the time I entered the school yard for the first time, I already had some cuts and bruises, but I was described as a very quiet and shy girl. During the elementary school years, my chart at the doctor’s office was becoming fuller and fuller and by the time I graduated from high school, the diversity of my chart could have been compared to that of an old man.

I went through so many sore throats, flues and cold, I had to have my tonsils removed – you wouldn’t believe how hard it is for me to swallow a large vitamin pill to this day! Once, after having very bad headaches that didn’t allow me to bow my head to the knees, I was sent for additional x-rays. They showed some mass in my head and it had to be removed trough my nostrils. I also spent some time in hospital because of my teeth after a doctor pulled my tooth in not very professional way. I guess she was just practicing on me.

I was only eleven at that time and I already blamed God for suffering so much. I had no clue children over the world suffer much more.

By the age of seventeen, in addition to enjoying first dates and receiving first kisses, my appearances at the doctor’s office doubled. The cause? Kidney stones. I spent some time in hospital waiting for the stones to leave the canal. Finally laser surgery brought some relief, but still some stones are there.

After having so much illness in my childhood and adolescence, I would never have believed that someone like me could have a family of their own. But, I got pregnant. I sill don’t know how, but I did. After I realized that it was not a joke, and that I really was pregnant, I did my best for the baby and myself.

The first three months went accordingly to the book I was reading about the pregnancy. After that, I had every symptom mentioned in the book, starting with morning sickness – pardon me, in my case it was all day sickness. I was throwing out everything. Everything from my stomach, shelves and table. I had blood on my toothbrush, spider veins on my legs and, based on the ultrasound, some gallstones as company for my baby.

When the D-day came I was yelling and screaming, pushing and cursing and verbally throwing my husband out of the room. Pushing didn’t help. My daughter was born by C-section and so was my son two and a half years later.
Now, I am enjoying my children a lot. They are two smart and beautiful creatures – how did this happen? – and I love them to death.

Just recently, though, I started having pain in my breast and chest, arm and fingers. Of course, I cannot forget the breasts, right? The pain was awful, my bones hurt and I had the urge to cough. My doctor prescribed antibiotics and sent me for blood tests, an x-ray and a CT-scan.

I was so scared I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat. I did excellent research on the Internet, better than any radiology centre. As it turned out, the results were fine. I nearly kissed the doctor when I heard, but instead I kissed my husband and children. The joy and happiness I felt that day hasn’t stopped yet.

I realize again and again what’s the most important in my life. I may sound like a hypochondriac, but when I feel sick I usually really am.

Here, in America people try to prevent diseases by regular check-ups. Billboards, brochures and commercials teach us about the symptoms of various kinds of cancers, and people try to take precautions.

From my point of view – the more I know, the more scared I am. On the other hand, with so much information I can help not just myself but also people around me. Health Studies has so far been an interesting journey through my past, but I hope that what I learn will help me keep my family safe in the future.

Back in Europe, the media sends people messages about Americans, though not all of them are true. For example, America is often depicted as a fat nation. There’s even that gossip that there is a very small number of pretty girls in America. So, before packing my suitcase I had lost several pounds to catch someone’s eye and to become some kind of rarity among the American girls.

Well, how surprised was I when I discovered thin, pretty girls and tanned bodies in tight jeans? It suddenly reversed the image I had about those girls and women. Certainly the fact that Americans have quite a number of overweight people cannot be denied, and obesity is clearly a special concern, particularly among the youngest. Still, there are overweight people all around the world. So, why point a finger at Americans?

Watching American TV shows about losing weight, exercising and low fat diets, however, makes you think that being overweight is a very common problem in America. Yet I wouldn’t join those who claim that one of the significant features of Americans is obesity.

The other gossip running around says that studying in America is not a big deal. The school system is, in fact, one of the easiest, and it all results in the conclusion that American students are lacking in intelligence. Some European students even believe that college graduates from America have less knowledge than those from other countries, and would have troubles succeeding in competition with European students. Also, from the Slovak perspective, the most important factor in education is money. Americans pay for their educations, so it is assumed that every student will surely be granted a degree, whereas students in countries with free education must work very hard to pass.

Now that I have lived in America for a while, and experienced both the American and Canadian school systems, I have an opportunity to support or refute these stereotypes.

My attitude has been clear and now even more evident since I have decided to complete my degree here. I agree that money means freedom, even in the school system, but I don’t believe that money can buy teachers, answers to exam questions or make a difference in evaluating students.

After the communist regime was over, Slovak television deluged the audience with commercials, TV shows and sitcoms from the western countries. We saw the American life as one single image – cars, parties, money and freedom. It served as propaganda. We used it to assure ourselves about carefree life on the American continent.
I am not afraid to say that some gossip about American people is just a matter of jealousy and grudge.

The East and West differ in so many things that before visiting America, Slovak travelers turn to travel agencies for advice on American life and customs. The agencies inform people about distinctions in using proper words, rules applied in restaurants and stores, and other social norms. Some of these teachings cover the most basic aspects of life. For example, one agency teaches that American store customers don’t have to leave a shopping cart in the store, but are allowed to take their groceries in the shopping cart outside the store and leave the cart there. They also tell us that there are assistants at the cashiers helping people load their groceries. By learning these things, it is assumed that immigrants can avoid misunderstandings in communication with Americans. We are also taught how to properly communicate in conversational English. For example, we are taught that “chips” don’t stand for “french fries”, or that “cola” is not going to be understood as “coke.”

From my experience, however, I have to say that Americans understand everything just fine. They don’t need a specifically American phrase to serve their customers.

Here in America I live around nice people, I feel comfortable talking to them, whether it’s in a store, on the street or in church. I do admit, though, that the magic pronoun “you” makes interaction much easier. In the Slovak language – and indeed in many European languages – when you talk to an older person and you use “you”, it is not the same “you” as you use while talking to a teenager, your friend or any child. Here in America, there is only one “you” and all people are addressed in the same manner.

At first I was shocked by the American way of greeting people and introducing themselves. They are not afraid to show their feelings and interests. Americans greet people without knowing each other. When they feel comfortable and sympathetic they just express themselves. In Slovakia, strangers usually don’t come forward to people they’ve never seen. The Slovaks don’t trust as much as the Americans do. They always suspect something bad.

From my perspective, Americans exaggerate a lot. But still, I like their sense of unity and togetherness, and I believe the precautions they take are in the right place. What makes me speak of exaggeration is how they celebrate birthdays, weddings, etc., which are bit over the edge. It’s all too grand.

On the other hand, they don’t pay attention to useless issues as the Slovaks do. For example, how others dress up. The first time I really participated in an American Sunday mass, by listening and understanding I realized I paid no attention to people as I used to back in Slovakia. People here in America aren’t so concerned about dressing up and looking good in places like church. I like it a lot.

I never feel humiliated because of my language handicap or my country of origin. After all, America is the country with no limits. It’s well known for the mix of cultures and races and it all gives people the message that whoever wants to admire and love America has a right to do so.

As a university student in Slovakia, with my major in English, I sometimes had a hard time understanding what was going on during the lectures. Therefore, I had to study even more to catch up with the rest of the class. I also envied those of my classmates who had an opportunity to study in England, the USA or Canada. They really didn’t have to show any special effort in passing the exams.

After completing three years of my university degree, I got a chance to experience the school system in the United States and to finish my studies here. Now I am experiencing the great school system in Canada through my studies at AU. In making the move from Slovakia to North America, I felt like I was chosen and called to bring some innovation into my life. I didn’t leave because of a lack of interest in studying in Slovakia – rather I found it interesting just being a part of something new.

Back at home the interest in education is evident, but the future of graduates is not always great. Many of them are not appreciated enough. The nation can see the reflection of this fact mainly in salaries.

Education is very important for students in Slovakia. Parents, especially, urge their children to study hard, and to go for a degree, so they’ll have a better future. It’s not always the greatest choice.

Despite some uncomfortable conditions and many obstacles, the number of applicants for college/university entrance constantly rises but it’s several times higher than the number of openings. In Slovakia, having a degree is still a lifebuoy.

There are about 20 colleges and universities in Slovakia. It’s not enough, especially when the number of high-school graduates is large and students are eager to continue in their studies. One of the reasons for such an interest in higher learning was free education, which everybody had been enjoying for years. One of the advantages of free education is that it allows everybody to study, whether they are rich or poor. Paying for education will definitely complicate the situation. It’s clear that many colleges and universities will lose talented students just because they won’t be able to pay.

I was born in former Czechoslovakia and growing up in its very eastern part felt many times like having a temporary residence in a different country. Many people abroad considered Czechoslovakia as one of the states in Russia, which was just misleading.

The Soviet Union had been the greatest in every way. During eight years of my elementary school attendance, we were all forced into learning a Russian language, marching with Russian flags on May 1st, learning the Soviet anthem and doing things that really seemed to me like nonsense. Despite all that, Czechoslovaks were surviving, though our drunken minds hadn’t woken up in years. There was no need for that. People had steady jobs, employees and employers were both happy, and education and medical assistance were served for free for many years. The goal of the Communists was to keep it all forever. It would have been nice, but people asked for change. The main reason was to replace what was almost a dictatorship with democracy.

The Velvet revolution in November, 1989 was the first step Czechoslovaks took to explore a brighter future. Over 10 years, the existence of two separate, independent countries – Slovak and Czech Republic – has changed and improved relations with surrounding countries.

In the beginning, right after the revolution, many people, mostly older ones, were grateful to young people who had resisted communist leaders and had changed the regime in Czechoslovakia by strikes and protesting. After the communist regime was over, the style of living got a new face. Suddenly, we were free to do once forbidden things. Doctors, teachers and other prominent individuals went to church without a fear of losing their jobs and positions. On the other hand, western culture exploded too quickly and it has had a strong impact on everybody.

Morality and ethics have fled. Movies and videos contain a lot of violence and sex, and it all stares children in the face. Nobody is ashamed of anything. Every year brings something new. The year, especially, there has been the breaking old social structures and replacing them by new rules, such as paying for medical assistance and education for full time students. Those duties now evoke discontent and disagreement in people.

A few months ago, Slovaks again applied their voting rights. This time they voted to express their opinion about a membership in the European Union. The election was successful, but people still don’t understand the fact, that being a part of such a group means to play according to their rules and to adapt to new circumstances.

And this is a time when not only old people, but mainly younger ones, would welcome the old communist times, when food was cheap, jobs were steady and people happy.

As a student in Europe and America I have experienced two different styles of life and study. In Europe, I became a full-time student with a combination of two majors. Many times I tired of going to school every day, traveling by bus or car 45 minutes from my home. I had to travel everyday, because I was not qualified for living on campus. The reason? The place of my residency was too close to campus. There were other students who lived tens and hundreds of miles from the place. In this case, the room availability depends on numbers. And numbers here, means miles or money.

For college/university students in Slovakia the school year is divided into Fall and Spring semester, there are no summer sessions, and many times the exams last till July and reappear in the end of August. The official duration of college attendance in Slovakia is four to five years and mostly all of the students finish their studies during that time. Students cannot choose courses for a particular semester. There is always a schedule of required courses and those are the only ones to choose. Credits have not been completely introduced in our school system, yet.

This partly backward aspect of our school system is not what concerns me the most. What I really don’t like is the atmosphere in classes and some teachers’ attitudes. Students are required to show complete respect. It’s almost inadmissible to talk to a teacher without using proper words and of course, his or her title. Teachers are showing their power in many ways. They repeatedly fail students after five years of studying.

Obviously, some students lose their interest as well as their patience. And they end up, for example, in America where in this matter, just being in school teaches them.

I believe a student’s soul goes through the same stages wherever it is. It just depends on conditions offered to an individual, how fast they perceive, and how experienced the school system is.

Hopefully, The Slovak republic is on its way to succeed and can find a teacher in greater nations.