Tako LakoThe capital is Sarajevo, and the country comprises two autonomous entities: The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. The third unit, the Brčko District, has its own local government. Throughout history, Bosnia and Herzegovina was at the crossroads to different empires, such as the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, which helped create a unique center of cultural diversity.
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A highly geographically diverse country. The ten regions offer beauty and diversity in nature, culture heritage, and gastronomy. Each region offers breath-taking destinations that will give you memories for life. The Croatian coast is known as the pearl of the Adriatic with its crystal clear water and hundreds of islands. The country’s capital is Zagreb, located in the north part of the country.
Curriculum & Textbook:
https://croatian.takolako.org
Montenegro’s capital is Podgorica, but its cultural center is the historical capital of Cetinje. The country is small yet rich in history and incredibly diverse. You can go from the sea to the mountains in an hour. You can explore the Mediterranean and continental climate in a day. The Montenegrin coast is one of the jewels of the Adriatic. The Montenegrin language was standardized in 2009.
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The capital of Serbia is Belgrade, a cosmopolitan city, rich in cultural and historic heritage, and built at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Beyond urban cities like Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia’s enchanting landscapes offer plenty of opportunities to experience active holidays, rural retreats, traditional food made according to old family recipes, and family holidays.
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Tako lako, which translates into English as It’s So Easy, is a free online textbook intended for beginner-level learners of Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian (B/C/M/S). The textbook aims to develop intercultural communicative competence and builds upon current research on culture teaching in the foreign language classroom (Abrams, 2020; Byram, 2020; Glisan & Donato, 2017; Nemtchinova, 2022). The website is meant to be used primarily in an instructor-led course. However, the textbook also offers segments for independent student practice (grammar and vocabulary practice). Below you will find more detailed instruction and an overview of the textbook.
The Tako lako (https://www.takolako.org/) homepage offers a comprehensive guide on how to navigate and utilize the online textbook. The page offers detailed instructions and tips to help you make the most of the textbook’s features.
The homepage of the Tako lako website features four culturally relevant symbols that correspond to four countries in the B/C/M/S region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia) and are accompanied by the name and the ISO code for each country. By clicking on the symbol, the user accesses the brief description of the chosen country and a link to the relevant version of the textbook. In addition to the symbols (located at the top of the homepage), there are several tabs with drop-down menus for quick access: Getting Started, About, Curricular Scope, and Resources. These sections serve as navigational aids, providing users with easy access to specific information and resources related to the textbook. Whether you’re a student or an instructor, this page will help you understand how to effectively use the textbook to enhance your learning or teaching experience.
The Tako lako website will eventually house a collection of four sets of teaching materials for the regional languages of Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian. The decision to create separate sets of materials for each language is based on existing studies that indicate a growing tendency to separate these languages in teaching practices. Currently, the website only features the full set of materials for Croatian. The ultimate objective is to work together with other instructors to create versions of the materials in B/M/S languages.
The homepage of the Croatian textbook website (https://croatian.takolako.org/) features ten units. Each unit is organized around a specific topic focusing on cultural components. The homepage of the Croatian textbook displays all ten units at a glance (Welcome, Free Time Activities, My Family, Housing, Holidays and Traditions, Gifts and Souvenirs, Transportation and Travel, Traditional Food, Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body, and City and Sightseeing).
Watch the video for more information on how to navigate/use the textbook material.