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 is a comprehensive curriculum designed for beginner university-level language learners who may not have the opportunity to engage with native or superior and advanced level speakers of Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, or Serbian outside of their formal instructional settings. However, those learning the language in the country will also greatly benefit from its content. For instance, its authentic simulations of real-life situations, which learners may encounter when using the language in the target-language environment, can furnish such learners with opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the target culture.
The topics covered in Tako lako are carefully crafted to be relevant in today’s world. The topics are meaningfully contextualized with the learners’ personal experiences in mind and geared toward stimulating conversation and encouraging engagement. Some of the topics include music and film interests, travel habits, family relations, behaviors in public spaces, and traditional cuisine. Although some topics may be sensitive or personal, the textbook always offers options for learners so that all may participate and contribute comfortably and without exclusion.
Language learners (i.e., L2 learners) follow a story of six local and two visiting U.S. students in Croatia over a 10-month period that corresponds to the L2 learners’ academic year of learning the language. The story unfolds simultaneously with the learners’ real-life experiences, meaning that the timeframe in the textbook aligns with the period during which learners are exposed to the story. This synchronization provides L2 learners with a sense of authenticity, allowing them to better connect with the narrative. By immersing themselves in these characters’ lives and the situations in which they find themselves, L2 learners gain valuable information on everyday life in Croatia and insight into how the language is effectively used in a variety of situations and contexts.
The textbook material was created by following the ACTFL (2017) Can-Do Statements, including the section on intercultural communication. Statements from Novice Low (NL), Novice Mid (NM), Novice High (NH), and partially Intermediate Low (IL) levels were used as learning outcomes to develop the curriculum’s tasks through backward design. Some can-do statements that were deemed less useful for learners were omitted. Some statements were also eliminated if they closely resembled ones already included. The statements covered the following areas: interpretative communication, interpersonal communication, presentational communication, and intercultural communication. Below are some examples from the textbook for each type of communication.
Instructors interested in learning more about communication skills are encouraged to read World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages and ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.