Studia Academica Slovaca

Studia Academica Slovaca - The Centre for Slovak as a Foreign Language

Studia Academica Slovaca – The Centre for Slovak as a Foreign Language (SAS) is a specialized centre at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University (FF UK) in Bratislava. The pedagogical and research activities focus on education of foreigners interested in Slovak language and culture, propagation of Slovak science, culture and art abroad, implementation and coordination of the research of Slovak as a foreign language, realization of international and domestic research projects and publishing activities aimed at creating and publishing academic Slovakist publications and textbooks of Slovak as a foreign language. Besides that, SAS – as an expert centre for Slovak as a foreign language – traditionally participates in scintific-methodical preparation of lecturers of Slovak as a foreign language teaching at universities abroad. The result of the cooperation with the lectorates and foreign Slavists builds a database of Slavonic studies abroad.

Individual part of the Centre's activities are annual organization and realization of Summer School of Slovak Language and Culture Studia Academica Slovaca, which has been offered to the foreign applicants since 1965. Methodical Centre SAS has reassumed its succesfull history in 1992, and in 2006 it has transformed into SAS – The Centre for Slovak as a Foreign Language. In its almost half-century existence, SAS has shaped its contents and methodology, and has become a respected and coveted institution, with almost 6 000 foreign alumni interested in Slovak language, culture and realia from more than 51 countries all over the world. On the grounds of Studia Academica Slovaca was laid the basis of scientific description and didactics of Slovak as a foreign language, and thanks to its cooperators, first textbooks and didactics of Slovak as a foreign language were written. In relation to its wide tradition and experience, SAS currently works as a coordination and information centre with Slovakwide as well as exteriorial sphere of activity.

For the realization of the project implemented by Studia Academica Slovaca group "Educational programme Slovak as a Foreign Language", the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University has obtained an initiative award of the European Commission in the sphere of language education European label 2007.