Slovenian Webclassroom. Slovenia

Slovenia

Topic Outline

The independent state of the Republic of Slovenia was declared on 25 June 1991, adopting a democratic parliamentary system. It had emerged from of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia formed in 1945. The Slovenian nation has had a long and remarkable history. Important historical events are traced in the web sites and are referred to in the topic activities. Contributions of some Slovenians are given in www.uvi.si/10years/contribution/.

Slovenia was the first democracy of Europe as documented already in 611AD, known as Caranthania, part of which is in present day Austria. The system was studied by political theorists. The leader's stone throne of the day still stands in the original place in Austria. It is regarded as significant in the development of Western democracy, and referred to in the writings of Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence. The Slovenian nation became a feudal state after 745AD and was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy until 1918. In 1918 it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

The Slovenian language and culture of the people thrived during the Middle Ages. There was a rich oral tradition of song and narrative. German was the official language of the state and administration, Latin was the language of the educated. The oldest Slavic documents were written in Old Slovenian, a series of liturgical texts called the Freising Manuscripts of 972 to 1022AD. The Slovenian translation of the Bible of 1586 was one of the earliest in Europe, at the time only 12 nations had their own translation. Today Slovenia has a population of two million people, and continues to flourish as a modern central European state. Extensive information about Slovenia and the society is located in the two web sites of the Government of Slovenia and the Public Relations and Media Office, in both English and Slovenian.

Topic	Slovenia
Text -types	Activities: Country Information	Linguistic elements
map table interview script notes leaflet information sheet interview script profile timeline chart talk summary notes talk leaflet article article talk magazine article radio script talk	Activity 1: 1. Geography of Slovenia Maps label a map of the main regions of Slovenia http://slovenija.turistika.net/map-si.htm (eng/slo) 2. Twelve Regions of Slovenia note the names of the regions of Slovenia http://slovenija.turistika.net/ (eng/slo) read each main region takes notes and write an interview script about the regions of Slovenia http://slovenija.turistika.net/slo_Pokrajine.htm (eng/slo) http://www.randburg.com/si/general/slo3.html (eng/ger) 3. Geographic Regions write a leaflet about the regions of Slovenia http://www.gov.si/vrs/ang/slovenia/slovenia.html (eng/slo) http://slovenija.turistika.net/general-info.htm (eng/slo) 4. Basic Data write an information sheet on facts of Slovenia http://slovenija.turistika.net/basic-data.htm (eng/slo) 5. Slovenian Cuisine write an interview script http://slovenija.turistika.net/slokuh-e.htm (eng/slo) 6. Country Profile write a profile of Slovenia http://www.gov.si/vrs/ang/slovenia/slovenia.html (eng) Slovenian History Activity 2: 1. Historical Overview write a timeline of events of Slovenian history http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/slovenia-brief/history/ (eng) 2. give a talk on the following periods of history of Slovenia http://www.gov.si/vrs/ang/ang-text/slovenia/history.html (eng) 2. Theories of Slavic History in Europe Read following articles 1. write a summary of the Urnfield culture of 1300BC and a proto-slavic language theory 2. note the main points of the description of Venetic culture of 1000BC 3. read about the comparison of Slovenian alphabet and the Venetic alphabet and interpretations 4. write and give a talk about the meaning of some inscriptions of 400BC of the Este culture with the use of using Slovenian language. Slovenian Language* Activity 3: 1. Alphabet write a leaflet about the alphabet http://www.ijs.si/slo-chset.html write an article about the Slovenian language http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/slovene/ (eng) 2. History of the Slovenian Language http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/slovene/linguistic-situation/ (eng) http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/slovene/history/ (eng) 3.The Freising Manuscripts write an article about the oldest Slavic manuscripts http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/freising-manuscripts/ (eng) http://www.thezaurus.com/thezaurus/sloveniana/freising_manuscripts.htm (eng) 4. Primoz Trubar (1508-1586) give a talk about the importance of Trubar http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/first-slovene-book/(eng) http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/first-slovene-book/ (eng) 5. The Bible in Slovenian - translated by Jurij Dalmatin in 1584 write an article about the Slovenian significance in Europe http://www.thezaurus.com/thezaurus/sloveniana/dalmatin_bible.htm (eng) http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/first-slovene-book/ (eng) 6. France Preseren (1800 -1849) write a radio script about the significance of the poet for the Slovenian language and national identity http://www.preseren.net/ (eng/slo) http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/preseren/ (eng) Slovenian webclassroom topic - France Preseren Facts About Slovenia Activity 4: *give a talk about an aspect of Slovenia 1. General Information 2. State and Political System 3. International Relations 4. Towards the European Union 5. EU Accessions 6. Slovenia and Nato 7. International Trust for Bosnia and Herzegovina 8. Culture 9. Media 10. Tourism 11. Agricultural, Food and Forestry http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/facts/ (eng)	noun - declension, adjectives used as nouns adjective - possessive, prefix - pre pronoun - interrogative, negative, evaluative noun - case variants, plural, collective numerals - gender pronoun - reflexive, relative adjective - comparative, superlative verb - reflexive conjunctions - subordinating adverbs - interrogative


report brochure radio talk report newspaper article list brochure radio report interview	Economy Activity 5:: Write report about 1. about one of the state institutions http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/slovenia-brief/economy/ 2. information given in one of the related links - on bank of Slovenia, Port of Koper, Business Opportunities, trade Point, Ministry of Economy http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/slovenia-brief/economy/ (eng) State* Activity 6: The Government - the State and Political System write a brochure about the government of the Republic of Slovenia http://www.gov.si/vrs/ang/slovenia/slovenia.html (eng/slo) 26 December 1990 http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/plebiscite/ (eng) give a talk about the Independence movement in Slovenia The Constitution of the Republic the Slovenia - 23 December 1991 read the constitution http://www.us-rs.si/en/basisfr.html (eng) http://www.gov.si/dz/si/aktualno/spremljanje_zakonodaje/ustava/ (slo) Media* Activity 7: Media write report of information and services offered by the Media Office of R of Slovenia include details about: press, newspapers, radio TV, electronic media http://www.uvi.si/eng/service/ (eng/slo) Public Holidays Activity 8: write article about public holidays in Slovenia http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/slovenia-brief/holidays/ (eng) http://www.uvi.si/slo/slovenija/kratka-predstavitev/ (slo) http://www.uvi.si/eng/office/responsibilities/holidays/ (slo) Symbols of Slovenia write details about the: national emblem, flag, national hymn read text and listen to the national anthem "Zdravljica" http://www.uvi.si/slo/slovenija/kratka-predstavitev/drzavni-simboli/ (slo) http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/insignia/ (eng) Slovenian Currency - Tolar write a list of currency of Slovenia http://www.bsi.si/html/bankovci_kovanci/bankovci/index.html (slo) Slovene Bank notes and Coins http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/currency/ (eng) Famous Slovenes on Bank Notes write a brochure about the famous Slovenians portrayed on the notes http://www.randburg.com/si/general/slo8.html (eng/ger) Information About Slovenia* Activity 9: write a radio report or interview about an aspect of Slovenia based on one of the articles listed and sources given below List of Articles http://www.uvi.si/eng/new/background-information/ (eng/slo) http://www.uvi.si/eng/index.html (eng) About Slovenia http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/slovenia-brief/ (eng/slo) http://www.uvi.si/slo/index.html-l2 Useful Links http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/useful-links/ (eng) Resources* Books Bogataj, J, Sto srecanj z dediscino na slovenskem, Presernova druzba, Ljubljana, 1992 Cepic, et al, Zgodovina Slovencev, Cankarjeva zalozba, Ljubljana, 1979 Bozek, Z, Slovenija, Ljubljana, 1995 Fallon, S, Slovenia, Lonely Planet Publications, Melbourne, 2001 Kmecl, M, Zakladi Slovenije, Cankarjeva zalozba, Ljubljana, 1979 Pogacnik, A, Geografski Atlas Slovenije, Drzavna zalozba Slovenije, Ljubljana, 1998 Slovenija, turisticni vodnik, Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, 1995 Tomazic, I, Etruscani in veneti, I. Tomazic, Wien, 1995 Tomazic, I, Slovenci: kdo smo? Od kdaj in odkod izviramo?, Wien, Ljubljana 1999 Valvasor, J, Slava vojvodine kranjske, Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, 1994 Websites http://www.gov.si/vrs/ (eng/slo) http://www.uvi.si/eng/index.html (eng/ http://slovenija.turistika.net/ (eng/slo) http://www.thezaurus.com/thezaurus/sloveniana/index.htm (eng) http://www.randburg.com/si/general/slo3.html (eng/ger) http://www.thezaurus.com/thezaurus/links.htm (eng) http://www.uvi.si/10years/contribution/ (eng) Maps of Slovenia http://tis.telekom.si/karta/ (slo) http://slovenija.turistika.net/map-si.htm (eng/slo) http://ecis2001.fov.uni-mb.si/ (eng)	adverbs - comparative, superlative verbs - imperfective, verbal prefixes verb - compound tenses predicatives verb - optative, verbal noun - conjunctions particles - primary, secondary