Linguistics 1. Language origin and development. Describe the theories of language origin. What language properties can be identified as universal? Compare the main writing systems in the past and today. Point out differences between spoken and written form of language nowadays and from the historical point of view. Compare British English and American English, mention differences in spoken and written forms of these varieties. Name main representatives of English and American lexicography and their achievement (English dictionaries before Samuel Johnson, Johnson´s dictionary, Noah Webster, James Murray). 2. English language development. Describe typical features of Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English periods. Compare native words vs. loanwords in English. How does assimilation of loanwords function in English? What foreign influences can be recognized upon English language vocabulary in individual periods? Support by examples (Latin, Greek, Norse, Norman French, other European languages). 3. Linguistic theories of the 20th century. How does synchronic approach to linguistic studies differ from diachronic one and how are these differences related from the historical perspective? Define European Structuralism and its typical features (Geneva school, Prague Linguistic Circle, Neo-Saussurianism). Why is Ferdinand de Saussure considered to be the father of Modern Linguistics? Define American Structuralism (Leonard Bloomfield, Edward Sapir). 4. Varieties of English. In which countries is English widely spoken as a native tongue? Explain the distinction between regional and social varieties of a language, mentioning also distinctions between accents, dialects and idiolects. Give examples between Standard British and American English. Discuss some other regional varieties of English. Discuss the status of English as an international language, explaining reasons for this phenomenon. 5. Time-related structure of English lexicon. Define categories of words that are marked by being old and new. What is their function and distribution? In which functional styles and genres do these categories appear? Describe borrowing as one of the means of enriching English vocabulary. What waves of borrowings can be recognized in the development of English? 6. Form of English words. Describe units from which the words consist and outline their possible structure. Which word-formative processes operate with morphemes? Compare morphemic structure of English and Czech words.
7. Words vs. Lexemes. What types of meaning can be identified in English expressions? Define and exemplify polysemantic words. What types of multiword expressions can be recognized in English and what differences can be seen in their semantic structure? 8. System of English vowels and consonants. What are cardinal vowels? Which monophtongs, diphtongs and triphtongs can be recognized in English? What are their specific features? Describe basic differences between English and Czech vowels. How do vowels differ from consonants? Categorize consonants according to their place of articulation. Describe their features. What is the structure of consonantal clusters in English and what specific features of phonemes can be observed in them? 9. Suprasegmental features of English. Define rhythm, its basic unit and its distribution in spoken language. Describe basic features of stress distribution in English words. How does intonation function in English? What meaning is revealed when different tones are used? 10. English Syllable. Describe syllable structure in English and how it differs from syllables in Czech. What obligatory units appear in syllables and which other units may be present? Differentiate strong and weak syllables and state which phonemes may appear in the centre of each type. How do syllables relate to the language rhythm and intonation? 11. Functional styles of English. Outline basic categorization of styles in English. In detail describe scientific style and its subcategories. What are their specific features? Outline basic differences between English and Czech scientific style. Describe categories of expressive means and stylistic devices. Name, describe and exemplify the major types. What is their function? In which functional styles and genres do they appear? 12. Parts of Speech. Explain how and why words are classified into parts of speech/ word classes. Give examples of classifications based on (i) derivational morphology, (ii) inflectional morphology, (iii) syntactic co-occurrence. In your answer, focus on diagnostics for nouns, verbs, amd/ or adjectives. Be able to show that words like courage, idea and fact are nouns but in no other category, or that words like put, tell and become are verbs but in no other category. 13. Nouns. Describe in detail the category of Noun: give its classifications related to (i) morphology (derivational morphemes added to nouns and which form nouns, inflectional paradigms, Animacy/ Gender, Case), (ii) syntax (the internal structure of NPs, the role of Count vs. Mass nouns,, the role of number), and (iii) semantics (the grammatical functions of nouns, roles of proper vs. common, and abstract vs. concrete nouns). Demonstrate each phenomenon with prototypical examples and standard exceptions.
14. Pronouns. Provide a classification of English pronouns, giving examples of each group. Concentrate on properties of personal pronouns with respect to (i) meaning/semantics, (ii) form/morphology and (iii) usage/ distribution/ syntax. Define antecedent and show how antecedents can have different properties for each group of pronouns. Distinguish the notions of discourse anaphor and syntactic anaphor, and demonstrate this contrast in terms of the distinction between English personal and reflexive/ reciprocal pronouns. 15. Verbs. Describe in detail the category of verbs in English: give its classifications related to (i) morphology, both derivational and inflectional (esp. inflectional paradigms related to Tense, Aspect, Voice), (ii) syntax: differences among Auxiliary, Modal and Lexical verbs esp. in questions and negations, classification based on verbal subcategorisation, and (iii) semantics (dynamic/ activity vs. stative verbs). Demonstrate each phenomenon with both prototypical examples and standard exceptions. 16. Clause structure. Start with the logical structure of a clause, demonstrating the concept of verbal event, and its participants (classification of the main semantic roles). Demonstrate for both active and passive patterns how the logical structure of events is formally realised in English in a clause (i.e. show the frequent correlations between semantic roles and sentence members and also how these differ in active and passive clauses). 17. Subjects. Explain briefly but generally the concept and classification of syntagmatic relations/ sentence members/ functions. Demonstrate in detail the function of Subject in English. Describe its (i) semantics (semantic role(s)), (ii) morphology (Subject Case and Agreement) and (iii) syntax (position and status in declarative, interrogative and imperative clausal patterns). Explain with examples the functionss of English expletive subjects (there and it) and in this connection, the definition, nature and position of associates. 18. Objects. Explain briefly and generally the concept and classification of syntagmatic relations/ sentence members/ functions. Demonstrate in more detail the function of Object in English. Describe its (i) semantics (semantic role(s)), (ii) morphology (Object Case) and (iii) syntax (i.e. position with respect to the verb and to adjuncts). Describe the process of passivisation, describing exactly the distinction between active and passive structures. 19. Clausal word order. Demonstrate distinct sentence word order patterns in English. In addition to standard word order, describe the different conditions under which verbs and objects can precede verbs. Explain how the concept of operator (the first Modal/ Auxiliary), provides the orders for interrogative, negated and emphatic patterns. Then describe in more detail the post-verbal part of a clause related to verbal subcategorisation (transitive vs. intransitive, “double objects,” the order of object(s), particles, and adverbials, etc.).
20. Complex Sentence Analysis. Explain how the following concepts relate to dependent clauses: Part of Speech, Semantic Role and Sentence Function and describe how dependent clauses are interrelated. Give a difference between a simple, a complex, and a compound sentence. Provide a classification of different types of Subordinate Clauses according to (i) the sentence member they replace and (ii) the part of speech which typically occurs in the same function.
Literature and Cultural Studies At the state exam, students must submit a reading list of all literary courses they have taken (including on exchange programs) and they are expected to be ready to discuss the works on the reading list. Moreover, each question must be covered by at least one work (one novel or play, three short stories, or five poems); if your courses have not covered all questions, you are expected to amend your reading list. When preparing for the exam, focus on the movements, periods, features, trends; however, you are expected to give some examples for these, both in terms of authors and works. 1. Old English and Middle English Literature Identify the basic types of literature in the Old English period, both in English and other languages. Describe the genres and formal features of Old English and Middle English literature. Describe the transition to Middle English literature. Identify the most important authors and works of Old and Middle English literature and their relevance for today. 2. Humanism and the Renaissance in English Literature Define the terms humanism and Renaissance. Identify the most important genres and forms; for each, give the most important representatives. What genres of plays developed in the Middle English period? Comment on Elizabethan theatre in relation to the society of the time. Describe the work of William Shakespeare, both plays and poetry, in the historical context. 3. English Literature of the 17th and 18th centuries Identify the changes in the period based on the historical development of the country (e.g., Puritan Revolution). Explain the term neoclassicism and how / why neoclassicist literature differed from the previous period. Define the term novel and explain the early development of the form. Explain the term gothic fiction. Characterize Pre-Romanticism. 4. Nineteenth-Century British Literature Explain the term Romanticism both in the historical context and literary context. Identify the features of romantic poetry. Explain if Jane Austen can be called a Romantic writer or not; place her in the context of British literature. Briefly outline the development of Victorian prose, poetry and drama. Explain the terms Aestheticism and Decadence. 5. Twentieth-Century British Literature Explain what modernism means; focus on the historical context of the movement as well as on formal features of modernist writing. Outline the development of poetry, drama, fiction before World War II that is not modernist. Explain how totalitarian tendencies and World War II were reflected in British Literature. How were the new feelings and moods in post-
World War II British society reflected in literature? Angry Young Men, Theatre of the Absurd, etc. 6. Literature of Colonial America Describe the beginnings of American literature, including Native American literature. Define the term Puritanism and explain why it was important for American literature. Identify the most important genres and forms and explain why these were so important. 7. Eighteenth-Century Literature Describe the streams of American literature in the first half of the 18th century. Outline the literature of the American Revolution. Explain who the Federalists were and their significance. Identify the most important genres throughout the period. 8. Nineteenth-Century American Literature Describe the development of American literature at the beginning of the 19th century. What was the Transcendentalist Movement? Explain the term American Renaissance and list the most important representatives. Was Puritanism reflected in any way in the 19th century literature? Explain the influence of the Civil War and the peculiar institution on American literature. Explain what realism and regionalism mean and give the most important representatives and their works. 9. American Literature of the First Half of the Twentieth Century Explain the terms realism and naturalism and give their most important representatives; take into consideration the reaction of the writers to social/political topics. Define the term modernism and explain its role in American literature. Comment on the consequences of World War I for American society and literature. What is the Lost Generation? What were the Roaring Twenties and how was the period reflected in literature? What is the Harlem Renaissance? Outline the reaction of American literature to World War II. 10. American Literature in Historical Perspective Explain the role of drama in American culture. Outline the development of American Jewish literature. Define the features and outline the development of Southern literature and explain the roots of its tensions. Outline the development of African American literature. Comment on the importance of ethnic literatures in general. 11. History of the U.K. Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxons, Norman Conquest and its Consequences, Medieval Period, Reformation and its Legacy, Civil War and Glorious Revolution, Formation of the U.K., Industrial Revolution, Naval Supremacy, the Great Depression, Rebuilding Britain after World War Two.
12. History of the U.S.A. Pre-Columbian Era, Colonization, Early Republic, Age of Jackson, Civil War and Reconstruction, Gilded Age, Progressive Era, The Great Depression, The Baby Boomers, Generation X. 13. Politics Compare and contrast the political systems of the U.S.A. and the U.K. What are the different branches of government and what purposes do they serve? What is a two-party system and how did it develop in the U.S.A? The role of third parties in the U.S.A. What is the Electoral College? Compare a First Past the Post voting system with proportional representation. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Define devolution and how it affected the distribution of powers in the U.K. The Pendulum Effect in British politics. 14. Geography Discuss the geography of both the U.S.A. and the U.K. What is environmental determinism and how does it influence history? The North-South Divide in Britain and the USA. 15. Regionalism What are the social, cultural, political and economic differences in different regions of the U.S.A. (North, South and West) and United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Island)? Define the term “borderland” and give an example. Explain the concept of sunrise/sunset (development/stagnation) areas in Britain and the USA. 16. Colonization and Foreign Policy Discuss English colonization throughout the world and its influences. In your opinion, was the colonization model a failure and why or why not? Compare and contrast British and American foreign policy in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Quest for Empire. Define and discuss isolationism. What was the White Man’s Burden? The influences of the Cold War and 21st century terrorist attacks on foreign policy. The Trans-Atlantic Alliance. 17. Multiculturalism Amerindians, African Americans, Mass Immigration, Racial and Ethnic Groups, Civil Rights, Multiculturalism in the U.S.A. and U.K. after September 11th, 2001. The Concept of Identity. Assimilation, Multiculturalism and Integration. 18. Religion Discuss the development and splintering of Christianity in the U.S.A. and U.K. Religious distinction in the four countries of the U.K. What is a theocracy? What is separation of church and state and how does this concept apply to the U.K. and the U.S.A.? What does it mean to be Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim in the U.K. or in the United States? Discuss fringe religions such as Mormonism and the Church of Scientology.
19. Economics From an economic perspective, compare and contrast the U.K. during the Victorian Era with the U.S.A. of the 20th century. Laissez-faire. From the Welfare State to Thatcherism. The U.K. in the E.U. 20. Culture/media “High” vs. “Low” Arts. Culture vs. Subculture. The “biased” media and its influence on both public opinion and official policy. The relationship between media and the government. How do art and music reflect back on both the age and location in which they were created?
Ekonomie a management 1. Ekonomie jako vědní disciplína. Definice ekonomie. Mikroekonomie a makroekonomie. Pozitivní a normativní ekonomie. Potřeby. Ekonomická vzácnost. Výrobní faktory. Hranice výrobních možností. Náklady obětované příležitosti. Alternativní ekonomické systémy. 2. Trh a tržní mechanismus. Podmínky vzniku tržního hospodářství. Tržní mechanismus. Poptávka a nabídka, utváření ceny. Zákon klesající poptávky a rostoucí nabídky. Faktory ovlivňující změny poptávky a nabídky. Konkurence. 3. Teorie chování spotřebitele. Potřeby člověka. Uspokojování potřeb. Chování spotřebitele a racionalita. Užitek. Rozpočtové omezení spotřebitele. Rovnováha spotřebitele. Individuální a tržní poptávka. 4. Teorie výroby. Výrobní faktory. Produkce firmy. Náklady a příjmy firmy. Poměřování nákladů a příjmů firmy. Účetní zisk a ekonomický zisk. Výrobní rozhodnutí firmy. Individuální a tržní nabídka. 5. Firma a konkurence. Firma v podmínkách nedokonalé konkurence. Monopol. Oligopol. Monopolistická konkurence. 6. Typologie firem. Právní formy podnikání v ČR podle vlastnictví firem. 7. Trh výrobních faktorů. Trh výrobních faktorů a jeho odlišnosti od trhu výrobků a služeb. Trh práce a mzda. Trh kapitálu. Rozdělování důchodů. Nerovnost v pracovních důchodech domácností. Lorenzova křivka. 8. Měření národohospodářských výsledků. Hrubý domácí produkt a jeho měření. Reálný a nominální HDP. Národní důchod. 9. Inflace a nezaměstnanost. Inflace. Definice inflace a její měření. Příčiny a důsledky inflace. Definice nezaměstnanosti, její měření a typy. 10. Ekonomický růst a rozvoj. Agregátní poptávka a nabídka. Ekonomická rovnováha a zdroje poruch ekonomické rovnováhy. Ekonomický růst a rozvoj. 11. Hospodářský cyklus. Definice hospodářského cyklu. Fáze hospodářského cyklu. Typy a projevy hospodářského cyklu.
12. Fiskální politika. Podstata fiskální politiky. Státní rozpočet. Daňová soustava. Nástroje fiskální politiky. Cíle a účinky fiskální politiky. Rozpočtový deficit, státní dluh. 13. Monetární politika. Peníze a základní charakteristika bankovního systému. Podstata a cíle monetární politiky. Nástroje monetární politiky. Restriktivní a expanzivní monetární politika. 14. Mezinárodní obchod. Podstata mezinárodního obchodu. Dovozy a vývozy. Obchodní bilance. Absolutní a komparativní výhody. Platební bilance. 15. Tržní selhání a zásahy státu. Příčiny selhání trhů. Nedokonalá konkurence. Externality. Veřejné a soukromé statky. Asymetrická informace. Zásahy státu proti koncentraci tržní síly. Přerozdělovací procesy v ekonomice. 16. Předmět managementu, jeho formování a rozvoj v novém tisíciletí. Vznik a školy managementu. Vliv systémového přístupu a kybernetiky na formování předmětu management. Trendy rozvoje managementu v poslední čtvrtině minulého století. Budoucnost managementu. 17. Podnikání jako hospodářský objekt řízení. Činnosti a charakteristiky hospodářského objektu a jejich vliv na účinnost řízení. Vlastnictví a jeho formy ve vztahu k podnikání. Podnikání podle obchodního a živnostenského práva. Obchodní společnosti, obchodně-závazkové vztahy a jejich zajištění. Orgány společnosti a družstva. 18. Funkce řízení a jejich uplatňování. Funkce řízení a jejich uplatňování v organizacích. Subjekty řízení podnikání. Fyzické a právnické osoby. 19. Osobnost a kompetence pro práci manažera. Znalosti, schopnosti a dovednosti manažera. Jejich hodnocení, získávání, rozvíjení a využívaní v manažerské praxi. 20. Motivace a řízení. Školy motivace a motivovaného chování. Motivační programy. Týmová práce v řízení. Tvorba a vedení týmů. Hmotná a nehmotná motivace. 21. Self management a Time management v práci manažera. Funkce Self managementu a jejich uplatňování v manažerské praxi. Principy a techniky efektivního Time managementu. 22. Úloha personálního řízení v systému řízení podniku. Jednotlivé činnosti procesu řízení lidských zdrojů (HRM). Efektivní nasazení lidských zdrojů (HRE). Optimální rozvoj lidských zdrojů (HRD).
23. Vyhledávání, výběr, příjem, adaptace pracovníků. Personální marketing a rozmísťování pracovníků v podniku, vztah pracovníků k podniku. Propouštění pracovníků, outplacement, outsourcing. Vznik a změny pracovního poměru. Smlouva. Převedení. Přeložení. Skončení pracovního poměru. 24. Odborná příprava a profesionální rozvoj pracovníků. Formy rozvoje kvalifikace pracovníků. Metody a hodnocení účinnosti firemního vzdělávání. Řízení kariéry a program nástupnictví. 25. Vznik a vývoj marketingu, základní pojmy. Vznik a vývoj marketingu. Marketing po roce 2000. Vývoj marketingu po roce 2000. Životní cyklus výrobku. Identifikace tržních segmentů, význam segmentace. 26. Řízení marketingového procesu. Marketingový proces. Teorie 4 P. Marketingový plán. Matice růst - podíl (Bostonská poradenská skupina). Analýza makroprostředí a mikroprostředí. SWOT analýza. 27. Distribuce. Výběr a řízení marketingových distribučních cest. Řízení a plánování zásob. Velkoobchod a fyzická distribuce. 28. Služby a jejich vlastnosti. Vlastnosti služeb a jejich důsledky pro marketing. Marketingové strategie firem poskytujících služby. Služby na podporu výrobků. Kvalita služeb. 29. Model chování spotřebitele a kupní rozhodování. Spotřební trh. Průmyslový trh. Obchodní trh. Státní trh. Cenové změny. Elastická a neelastická poptávka. 30. Marketingová komunikace. Reklama a public relations. Principy direct marketingu. Akce na podporu prodeje. Reklama na internetu. 31. Marketingové technologie. CRM, KCRM, PLC, marketingové analýzy. 32. Marketingový výzkumný systém a proces marketingového výzkumu. Marketingová studie. Podpora marketingového rozhodování. Dodavatelé marketingového výzkumu. Zdroje informací. Typy výzkumu. Projekt marketingového výzkumu. Specifikace problému a stanovení výzkumných cílů. Sestavení plánu výzkumu. Sběr informací. Analýza informací. Prezentace výsledků.
