Jaroslav Peprník

Professor Jaroslav Peprník (b. 1927) is one of the leading Czech scholars in English and American studies. He is the author of numerous monographs and textbooks on the English-speaking world and the English language. He is one of the founders of teh Department of English and American Studies in Olomouc. In his career, he has devoted himself to three main areas: teaching, preparing study materials, and researching historical relations between the Czechs and English-speaking countries. His professional work is characterised by an exceptionally extensive knowledge of the literature and culture of English-speaking countries.
His contribution to the field of lexicology has made him one of our foremost experts in this discipline. He is the author of many textbooks that have formed the cornerstone of English teaching in secondary schools and universities for many years. His life story and professional career have been an inspiration - proving that kindness, perseverance and a deep commitment to the profession can overcome even the most difficult challenges.
Professor Peprník has left an indelible mark in the history of our university and the hearts of many generations of students and colleagues. His work is admirable not only professionally but also humanly. With his erudition, humility, and passion for language, he has encouraged hundreds of students, many of whom are now educators.

His professional work has focused on research of the contacts between the Czech lands and the English-speaking world, culminating in the publications Anglie očima české literatury [England through the Eyes of Czech Literature, 2001], Amerika očima české literatury [America through the Eyes of Czech Literature, 2002], Češi a anglofonní svět: kontakty a percepce [The Czechs and the English-speaking World: Contacts and Perceptions, 2012], and Anglofonní svět a Češi [The English-speaking World and the Czechs, 2016]. His works for the general public include the history book Británie a USA: Ilustrované reálie [Great Britain and the United States: Illustrated Facts, 2004] and an anthology of short texts from The Times of London, called Journalistic English (2005). After 1990, he devoted great efforts to the revision of English passages in Oldřich Švarný’s textbook Hovorová čínština v příkladech [Conversational Chinese via Examples] and a revision of Velký česko-anglický slovník [Large Czech-English Dictionary] by Josef Fronek. In 2021, UP Press published his memoirs Vzpomínky anglisty [Memoirs of an English Studies Scholar].

Jaroslav Peprník is the holder of several awards. In 2003 he received the City of Olomouc Award, and in 2023 he received the highest ministerial award, the first-degree medal, which was granted to him by the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sports at Palacký University.