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Remember to Take the Adaptors!
Preparing for A Sabbatical in Prague
Richard Sapon-WhiteOLA IRRT Presentation
April 20, 2007
Oh My, I’m Going Abroad! Fulbright Fellowship
in Prague, Czech Republic for 4 months
7 month sabbatical in 2005
One month prep, 6 months in Prague
Take the whole family!
Preparing to Teach Different cultural expectations in
education Language barriers Developed 2 classes from scratch College teaching abroad: a handbook
of strategies for successful cross-cultural exchanges by Pamela Gale George. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1995.
“Strč prst skrz krk!” Important to understand culture and
language – even though teaching in English The Coasts of Bohemia – recommended
reading from Czech Fulbright Commission Colloquial Czech Made friends with Czech at OSU Examples in lectures reflected Czech
culture
Learning about Czech Libraries
Searched Library Literature for articles on Czech librarianship
Searched the web (especially IFLA’s web site)
The more you know in advance, the better you can communicate
Communicating with Czech Colleagues
Czechs are busy people Difficult, intermittent, long silences
via email Be persistent! Keep asking the same questions Keep asking the same questions in
different ways
Preparation of Course Materials
Asked for – and received – permission to work on prep during last months at work
Reserved a month of sabbatical for prep
Most prep occurred in Prague anyway!
Moving to Prague Useful publication from Czech Fulbright
Commission Banks, computers, schools, phones,
shopping, housing, etc. Electric plug adapters Contact with former Fulbrighters
returning/returned from Prague Purchased cell phones, printer, boom
box from returning Fulbrighters
Housing Czech Fulbright
Commission and others: go through realtors!
Looked at info on web
Tried to elicit help from locals
Used a realtor
Schools for the Kids
International schools too expensive Czech Fulbright Commission: can
enroll in public schools for free Contacted school run by Jewish
community but receiving government funding
Food Vegans with wheat sensitivity Czech diet: sausages/hot dogs,
cabbage, dumplings, beer Seventh Day Adventist health food store
and restaurant Small health food stores scattered
around Prague Larger supermarkets carry some health
foods and American products
Web to the Rescue!
Lots of information Local info: housing, shopping, maps Language and culture
Email Banking (Skype)
Help at Home
Friends came forward to Mow the lawn Forward mail Keep an eye on the house
Alerted police about our absence Phone, water, garbage pick-up on
“dormant accounts”
Other Business While Away
Chose to not rent our home Paid bills via the web
Made arrangements in a month in advance to make sure it worked!
Alerted credit card companies and bank of time abroad
Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Journey!
2 guide books: Dorling-Kindersley guide to Prague Guide to the Czech and Slovak
Republics Sections on money and banks,
shopping, health care, phones…
Lists
Sept. 2004: 4 page list of things to do
Jan. 2005: 4 page list of things to do
And Finally… We arrived in Prague
Without an apartment Without a school for the kids Without my lectures prepared
But We had a realtor We knew about schools I had syllabi for my classes We could speak a little Czech
Famous Last Words
Network with friends and colleagues here and abroad
Start as soon as possible to prepare for your trip
Enjoy the process and your time abroad!
