Programme title: Teaching the State Language in Countries Neighbouring Hungary (Slovakia, Ukraine): A Comparative Analysis
Year: 2017
Brief description: The joint programme, launched in 2017, aimed, on the basis of previous research and an analysis of current political and educational policy measures, to compare the theoretical and methodological foundations of state-language education in Slovak and Ukrainian, its linguistic and language-use aspects, and indicators of language-learning effectiveness among Hungarian minority communities.
Several studies have already been conducted on the state-language proficiency of Hungarians in Transcarpathia, including its effectiveness and the problems associated with it.
For example, István Csernicskó’s book Megtanulunk-e ukránul? A kárpátaljai magyarok és az ukrán nyelv [Will We Learn Ukrainian? Hungarians in Transcarpathia and the Ukrainian Language] (PoliPrint, Uzhhorod, 2012, 152 pp.) provides a synthesis of this research.
Previous studies have primarily sought to answer the question of why the majority of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia are unable to acquire Ukrainian at an adequate level at school. This is not merely a linguistic or language-pedagogical issue, but also a serious social problem. In recent years, the teaching of Ukrainian has become one of the most frequently discussed issues in public discourse among Transcarpathian Hungarians. The question has been addressed in the print and electronic media, political statements, parent meetings at kindergartens and schools, professional meetings of teachers, and forums on online social networking sites.
The first study visit and professional meeting with colleagues from Nitra and other members of the research group took place at the University of Vaasa in Finland from 12 to 17 February 2017. https://hodinkaintezet.uz.ua/hu/kollegaink-finnorszagi-svedeknel/
Studies by members of the research group were published in a thematic section entitled A határon túliak államnyelvoktatásáról [On State-Language Education among Hungarians Beyond Hungary’s Borders] in issue 3 of the 2017 volume of Magyar Nyelvőr (http://nyelvor.c3.hu/period/1413/).
Partner institution: Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
Publications:
Beregszászi Anikó – Csernicskó István 2017. Kidobott pénz vagy megtérülő befektetés?Az ukrán nyelv oktatása Kárpátalja magyar iskoláiban. Magyar Nyelvőr 141(3): 292–309.