The Czech language can be quite difficult to learn and many English speakers find it very hard to pronounce. If you’re keen to learn some basic words and phrases we recommend a Czech phrase book from Lonely Planet. Believe or not even knowing a few short sentences will always please the locals, who will be pleased at your efforts and admire your trying. There are also courses for English tourist willing to learn the Czech language. Czechs usually speak German, English or Russian as a second language though their ability will vary, this may be more obvious when talking with older generations. Before the turn over in 1989 learning Russian was compulsory in schools. These days almost no one will learn Russian and most people prefer to speak English or German.
