94514 - Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian

Learning outcomes

Student is expected to acquire all linguistic skills: speaking, writing, listening and reading comprehension. The course uses communicative method of teaching. At the end of the class, student is familiar with the basic grammar structure of bosnian-croatian-serbian, and is able to engage in and produce simple oral and written utterances, as well as to analyze and comprehend texts at the A1 level

Course contents

The goal of the 2024/2025 BCS course is to introduce the students to the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language. The course will focus on the development of students' comprehension, reading and verbal (and basic writing) skills, intensively enhancing their vocabulary and grammatical competences. Although the course will concentrate on a textbook of Croatian language, as we progress with time toward intermediate level more information will concern comparative linguistic and cultural aspects of BCS.

Communicative contents:

Croatian phonetic system

Introducing oneself, useful phrases

Occupations and identities

Family relations

Describing people and countries

Expressing needs, demands, likes and dislikes

Prohibitions, necessity, desires

Planning and organizing vacation

Ordering and discussing food

Buying clothes and discussing fashion

Talking about life styles; phone conversations

Expressing emotions; discussing past events

Proposing ideas and plans; discussing space and time

Buying souvenirs; at the post-office

Discussing educational systems; CVs and job interviews

Expressing one's opinion and affects in dialogue

Visiting people

Understanding money and counting

Doctor's office; free time

Discussing newspaper articles

Vacation experiences

Grammatical contents:

Alphabet; basic counting

Personal pronouns; present of auxiliary verbs; demonstrative pronouns

Occupations; nominative of nouns

Family relations vocabulary; fleeting “a”; gender of nouns

Colors; nominative of descriptive adjectives

Present of verbs in –ati, and –irati; accusative of names and nouns

Present of modal verbs

Present of verb “ići”; prepositions; pronouns in accusative

Present of “jesti” and “piti”

Present of verbs in –iti, -jeti; personal pronouns

Locative of nouns and pronouns

Past tense

Dative; Future

Direct and indirect object

Present, past and future of reflexive verbs

Instrumental case

Genitive of nouns and pronouns

Genitive case with numbers

Talking about body parts; pluralia tantum

Declension of abstract nouns

Imperative; infinitive in –ći; vocative case.

Cultural contents:

Linguistic, cultural, historical information from the textbook, enriched by other didactic material and short texts from daily newspapers, short videos etc.

Readings/Bibliography

Textbook:

Čilaš-Mikulić, Marica, Milvia Gulešić Machata, and Sanda Lucija Udier. Razgovarajte s nama! Udžbenik hrvatskoga jezika za razine A1-A2. (Textbook). Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, 2022.

Čilaš-Mikulić, Marica, Milvia Gulešić Machata, and Sanda Lucija Udier. Razgovarajte s nama! Vježbenica hrvatskoga jezika za razine A1-A2. (Exercise book and grammar). Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, 2022.

Books of interest to Italian speakers:

Fiorentini, Ilaria. Sociolinguistica delle minoranze in Italia: un'introduzione. Roma: Carocci editore, 2022.

Gott, Vlatka and Anna Morpurgo. Corso di lingua croata (A1-B1). Milano: Hoepli, 2020. 

Grubač Allocco, Gordana. Grammatica serba: manuale di fonetica, morfologia e sintassi con esercizi. Milano: Hoepli, 2018.

Additional material :

Čilaš-Mikulić, Marica, Milvia Gulešić Machata, Dinka Pasini and Sanda Lucija Udier. Hrvatski za početnike 1. Textbook. Zagreb: Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, 2013.

Čilaš-Mikulić, Marica, Milvia Gulešić Machata, Dinka Pasini and Sanda Lucija Udier. Hrvatski za početnike 1. Exercise Book and Grammar. Zagreb: Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, 2013.

Čilaš-Mikulić, Marica, Milvia Gulešić Machata, Dinka Pasini and Sanda Lucija Udier. Hrvatski za početnike 1. Educational CD for Croatian as Second and Foreign Language. Zagreb: Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, 2013.

Alexander, Ronelle and Ellen Elias-Bursać. Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, A Textbook with Exercises and Basic Grammar, second edition, Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2010.

Alexander, Ronelle. Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, A Grammar with Sociolinguistic Commentary, Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2006.

Barac-Konstrenčić, Višnja, Miljenko Kovačićek, Sonja Lovasić and Dobrila Vignjević. Učimo Hrvatski. Textbook. Zagreb: Centar za strane jezike, 1999.

Barac-Konstrenčić, Višnja, Miljenko Kovačićek, Sonja Lovasić and Dobrila Vignjević. Učimo Hrvatski. Workbook. Zagreb: Centar za strane jezike, 1999.

Selimović Momčilović, Maša and Ljubica Živanić. Srpski jezik – početni tečaj za strance. Textbook. Beograd: Institut za strane jezike, 2001.

Recommended:

Browne, Wayles and Theresa Alt. A Handbook of Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian. SEELRC, 2004.

Grubišić, Vinko. Croatian Grammar. Zagreb: Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, 2007.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods will combine communicative and grammatical approaches, with a strong emphasis on enabling students to speak, use the acquired vocabulary and start reading relevant short texts. In principle, classes will be devoted to grammatical explanations and exercise, problem-solving tasks and drills. As we progress, we will start reading short excerpts from literary works and media articles, focusing on different reading tactics, vocabulary enrichment, and cultural contextualization.

The main learning outcomes expected as the result of this course is the development of students' communicative and comprehension skills, with a special emphasis on speaking and developing linguistic confidence. The desired outcome is for students to cultivate their capability to communicate effectively, continuously develop their vocabulary and start reading texts to compliment the course work.

Assessment methods

The assessment of the students' learning process will be designed so as to methodically follow the development of their comprehension, reading and oral skills, their vocabulary, and grammar competencies. The mid-term exam together with the final (written) exam will make for 70% of the final grade. Additional 30 % of the final grade will be based on students' participation in class work and discussions.

a. The final exam consists of a written test

b. The mid-term written test will take place after completing first 50% of the lessons. The final written exam will take place at the scheduled date after the end of the lessons.

Teaching tools

Multimedia, Internet, Video, Press.

Office hours

See the website of Sanja Kajinic