Abstract
The paper critically examines the concept "reálie", used in the context of foreign-language teaching. The first part presents the results of the analysis of theoretical literature and assesses the way "reálie" are understood in selected textbooks.
The paper criticizes the structuralist approach to the understanding of the concept "reálie", which has been dominant in the theoretical literature on the subject. Based on the analysis, a new approach to the concept "reálie" is suggested, which takes into consideration the pragmatic and social-practical aspects that play an important role in communication and in foreign-language teaching.
Two fundamental types of "reálie" are recognized, "high" and "low", which correspond to two different functions: identificational and practical, respectively. The suggested classification reflects the different interests of the participants in the process of foreign-language teaching, i.e. on the one hand foreign students, and on the other teachers of Czech as representatives of the host society.