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Learning Czech Prepositions through Pictures: Cognitive Schemas and Language Learning

Slide 1: Learning Czech Prepositions through Pictures: Cognitive Schemas and Language Learning

Learning Czech Prepositions through Pictures: Cognitive Schemas and Language Learning

Dominik Lukeš, 2004 http://www.bohemica.com

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Slide 2: Presentation outline

Presentation outline

  • Theory 5 min
  • Czech Prepositions in Pictures 15 min
  • The case of na 15 min
  • Learners’ lab 15 min
  • Tips for learners / Q&A 10 min

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Slide 3: Theory

Theory

  • Native speakers create image schemas that describe the core spatial meaning of prepositions. Each situation is then reduced to a schema.
  • The schemas consist of so called landmarks (stationary elements) and trajectors (moving elements).
  • When prepositions are used to describe non-spatial situations, the landmark and trajectors become metaphorically linked to elements in the situation.
  • Learners need to acquire both a stock of set uses and an ability to apply the right schema to the right situation. This requires both drilling and active image creation.

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Slide 4: Prepositions of Space

Prepositions of Space

A diagram of Czech prepositions of space around a grey ellipse that holds a black dot. Labels, with their Czech case questions and English glosses: "na Koho? Co? in the direction on" (arrow from above toward the dot); "do Koho? Čeho? to, into" (arrow from upper right toward the dot); "k(e) Komu? Čemu? to, toward" (dotted arrow from upper left into the ellipse); "v / na Kom? Čem? in / on" (inside the ellipse); "u Koho? Čeho? at, near, by" (beside a black oval to the right of the ellipse); "z(e) Koho? Čeho? from (within)" (arrow from the dot out to lower right); "od(e) Koho? Čeho? from (without)" (dotted arrow from the ellipse edge out to lower left).

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Slide 5: Prepositions of Space (cont.)

Prepositions of Space (cont.)

  • English one-dimensional: where
  • Czech three-dimensional: where, where to, where from
Kde?Kam?Odkud? / Odkdy?
v(e) / na Kom? Čem?do Koho? Čeho / na Koho? Co?z(e) Koho? Čeho?
u / vedle Koho? Čehok(e) Komu? Čemu?od(e) Koho? Čeho?

The same table as drawn on the slide: three column groups headed Kde?, Kam? and Odkud? / Odkdy?, each preposition shown beside a small circle diagram (a dot inside a circle, a dot beside a circle, and arrows pointing into or away from the circle). A bracket marks Kde? as Locational and a longer bracket marks Kam? and Odkud? / Odkdy? as Directional.

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Slide 6: How it works

How it works

  • Gifts from
    • Jdu od Petra
    • Vím to od Petra.
    • Tu knihu mám od Petra.
  • Going to visit
    • Jdu k Petrovi na návštěvu.
    • Budu u Petra.

The original slide: a yellow cartoon figure with outstretched arms, standing for Petr, on the right. Two dark blue arrows run between the figure and the two groups of sentences. The upper arrow starts at the figure and points away from it, up and to the left, towards the “Gifts from” group (movement from Petr). The lower arrow starts beside the “Going to visit” group and points at the figure’s body (movement towards Petr).

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Slide 7: How it does NOT work

How it does NOT work

  • Gifts from
    • Jdu z Petra
    • Vím to z Petra.
    • Tu knihu mám z Petra.
  • Going to visit
    • Jdu do Petra na návštěvu.
    • Budu na Petrovi.

The same slide as “How it works”, with the wrong prepositions in the sentences: the yellow cartoon figure on the right again has two dark blue arrows, the upper one pointing away from the figure, up and to the left, towards the “Gifts from” group, and the lower one pointing at the figure’s body from beside the “Going to visit” group. A large dark red X is drawn across the whole slide, from corner to corner of the text and figure, to show that these forms are wrong.

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Slide 8: Fun with na

Fun with na

  • Core meaning
  • Meaning extensions

Under "Core meaning", two line drawings of a box: in the first a black dot rests on top of the box; in the second a curved arrow runs from a black dot at the side up and over onto the box. Under "Meaning extensions", six line drawings: a box face with a black dot on it, a box top covered with black dots, a table, one box stacked on another, a box on a small base, and a box on a flat sheet.

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Slide 9: Spatial uses of NA

Spatial uses of NA

A diagram contrasting V and NA, each shown as a box labelled with the case questions Kom? Čem?, joined by a double arrow marked "být". Around V: škole, hospodě, kavárně, Německu, Brně, Praze. Around NA: koleji, náměstí, diskotéce, koncertě, hradě, Moravě, Slovensku, Havaji, Tahiti, ostrově.

  1. On: things, surfaces (vertical/horizontal), islands viewed as islands, peninsulas, places high up, selected other countries (Havaj, Nový Zéland, Florida, Island)
  2. In: institutions as official places (opera, pošta, univerzita, výstava, diskotéka)
  3. In the direction of: táhnul na Prahu

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Slide 10: Extended uses of NA

Extended uses of NA

  1. Metaphorical space
    • Direction of attention: myslet na, těšit se na, smát se na
    • Purpose: boty na fotbal
    • Instruments: na kytaru, dveře na zámek, jezdit na benzín
    • Cause: umřít na rakovinu, udělat na přání, na objednávku
    • Measure: prodávat na kilo, na metr
    • Something about to happen: je to na spadnutí
    • Wishes/toasts: na shledanou, na zdraví, na brzký návrat
    • Blame/responsibility: je to na Petrovi, hodil to na něho
  2. Time
    • For a period of time: jsem tady na rok, na hodinu
    • For events: na vánoce, na prázdniny, na dovolenou, na olympiádu, na závody, přijít na třetí
    • Set uses with time: na jaře, na podzim

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Slide 11: Non-prepositional uses of NA

Non-prepositional uses of NA

  1. Part of adverbs
    • nalevo, napravo, nahoře,
    • nastálo, natrvalo, nadarmo, nadále, napilno, načisto, najednou
  2. Prefix of verbs
    • upon: najít, nalít, namáhat se, nasypat, nadávat, napadnout, nasmlouvat
    • up (start): nalomit, nastartovat, nakousnout, napít se
    • fill up (ingest): najíst se, napít se, naobědvat se, naplnit (se)
    • to contentment: nachodit se, nazpívat se, nasmát se
  3. Prefix of adjectives and nouns (NÁ)
    • nápad, námitka, názor, nábytek, náhoda
    • nábřeží, nároží, náboženství
    • nápadný, náhlý
    • nabídka, nadání, nakladatel

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Slide 12: Learners’ lab

Learners’ lab

  • Think of the sentence in your own language a draw a schema.
    • The book is on the table.
    • Peter lives in the square.
    • We went to Moravia.
    • John is in Hawaii.
    • Karel is at the post office.
    • I’m here for a week.
    • I have these shoes for playing soccer.
    • I’m looking for somebody for babysitting.
  • If you can, translate the sentences, and / or draw an appropriate schema.

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Slide 13: Learners’ lab (cont.)

Learners’ lab (cont.)

  • Compare these sentences with your images:
    • Kniha je na stole.
    • Petr bydlí na náměstí.
    • Jeli jsme na Moravu.
    • John je na Havaji.
    • Karel je na poště.
    • Jsem tady na týden.
    • Tyhle boty mám na fotbal.
    • Hledám někoho na hlídání dětí.

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Slide 14: Learning tips

Learning tips

  • Learn the core spatial meaning of each preposition
  • Learn as many different uses of each preposition
  • Create an image for each use based on the core meaning
  • For abstract meanings link elements on both sides of the preposition to the original meaning

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