UAAT International Young Visiting Scholar Program
Tereza Slaměníková
Current Position/Title: Assistant Professor
Institutional Affiliation: Palacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Arts, Department of Asian Studies
Email: tereza.slamenikova@upol.cz
Webpage: kas.upol.cz
Host Scholar: Melissa Shi-hui Lin, Ph.D., Professor
Department/Institution: National Chengchi University, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
Biography:
Tereza Slaměníková, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the Department of Asian Studies, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic. She holds a doctorate in General Linguistics and Theory of Communication. Her academic research focuses on Chinese grammatology, onomastics, and phonetics.
Her interest in the structure of the Chinese writing system, explored in the doctoral dissertation, led her to investigate the use of Chinese characters in personal names. She has demonstrated how specific features of Chinese script influence the selection and formation of proper names. This research gradually expanded to include other types of proper names, resulting in a series of publications and conference presentations on topics such as the adaptation of Chinese brand names into English, Chinese dog naming practices, and the naming of Chinese restaurants in the Czech public space.
In the field of phonetics, she applies Oldřich Švarný’s prosodic transcription system to the study of rhythm in various types of spoken Chinese. Her pedagogical work in teaching Chinese as a foreign language includes research on perceptual errors among Czech learners and the co-authorship of two Czech-language textbooks: Chinese Business Conversation (2014) and Textbook of Chinese Conversation II (2016). She regularly integrates prosodic training into her teaching practice and advocates for a holistic approach to pronunciation instruction in Mandarin Chinese.
Lecture [1]:
Time: September 11, 2025, 14:20
Venue: National Taiwan Normal University, Heping campus II Bo-Ai building 10F room1002
Title: Pedagogical Approach to Chinese Pronunciation Instruction in Czech Teaching Materials
Abstract:
In most Chinese language classrooms, pronunciation instruction typically begins at the segmental level, emphasizing the accurate articulation of initials and finals, which represent the fundamental components of Chinese syllables. Given the tonal nature of Mandarin Chinese, attention to suprasegmental features, particularly tone acquisition, is also essential from the outset. However, the training is often confined to isolated units such as syllables and individual words, neglecting broader prosodic patterns. While tones are undeniably crucial due to their direct impact on lexical meaning, they represent only one aspect of Mandarin prosody. In the Czech context, the importance of prosodic competence in Chinese as a second language was recognized as early as the 1960s by sinologist Oldřich Švarný (1920–2011). His pioneering work focused on the rhythmical structure of colloquial Chinese and led to the development of a prosodic transcription system designed to enhance learners’ reproduction of natural speech rhythm. This system has been incorporated into a number of Czech teaching materials, both those developed under Švarný’s direct supervision and those published later by his students and followers. This talk will introduce the principles of Švarný’s prosodic transcription and discuss its pedagogical applications, drawing on practical experiences from its use in contemporary Chinese language instruction in the Czech Republic.
Lecture [2]:
Time: September 16, 2025, 15:00
Venue: National Chengchi University, Dao Fan Building room320113
Title: From Lin to Novák: A Cross-Cultural Journey Through Personal Names
Abstract:
Personal names constitute a fundamental component of human identity, functioning primarily as referential markers that enable the unique identification of individuals within a given community. However, beyond this basic denotative role, they perform a range of additional functions within human societies. As integral elements of a language’s lexicon, personal names adhere to specific morphological, phonological, and syntactic rules, with their structure and usage reflecting the linguistic system to which they belong. Moreover, names often encapsulate the collective values, traditions, and aspirations of the societies in which they are formed, thereby serving as symbolic expressions of cultural identity and continuity. This talk will focus on a comparative analysis of the Czech and Chinese personal naming systems, with particular attention to the two core components of personal names: surnames and given names. The section on surnames will explore their diverse origins and frequency of usage within each cultural framework. Regarding given names, the talk will discuss the factors influencing their formation, as well as their semantic richness and cultural significance. The aim of the talk is not only to highlight the structural differences between Czech and Chinese naming systems but also to open a space for reflection on how culture speaks through them in the everyday life of individuals.
