Abstracts of Submitted Papers 2012

Developing Students’ Critical Thinking in Hungarian Schools [withdrawn]

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Advanced thinking in general, and more specifically, advanced critical thinking appears to be one of the crucial competencies in the survival of the invididual among the paraphernalia of ideas, values and conceptions in our modern times.
Recent changes in the social, cultural and political environment within Hungary have triggered a boost in studies in foreign languages at all levels of the education system. Besides the obvious potentials of the foreign language classroom, which is the improvement of the students’ communicative competencies and the knowledge of the foreign culture, the presentation suggests that education in the foreign language is one of the domains providing excellent possibilities for the improvement of the critical thinking of learners.
First, the presentation intends to reveal some typical features of the educational contexts and practices with a special focus on the current situation of developing the critical thinking of students in Hungary. It will do so through presenting the results of a small scale research based on the distinctive features of individualist and collectivist cultures, a theory of an anthropological character developed by Hofstede (1986). Furthermore, the crucial features of educational environments facilitating beneficial changes in students’ thinking processes will be discussed.
In addition, an insight into the potentials of foreign language encounters in developing critical thinking will be provided through the portray of the ‘intercultural speaker’ (Byram 1997) in order to emphasize the new role and the responsiblities of education in the foreign language in Hungarian schools.
Finally, the short-term and long-term benefits of the above educational efforts will be highlighted.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Gyöngyi Fábián is EFL teacher and teacher trainer, lecturer at the University of Pannonia, Hungary. She holds a Ph.D. in Education (Foreign Language Teaching) from the University of Pannonia. Since 1990, she has been teaching English as a Foreign Language at all ages and levels at various higher education institutions in Hungary. Since 1995 she has been coordinating novice teachers’ teaching practices and conducting courses in various aspects of foreign language teaching methodology as well as of general education.
Her field of research is at the cross section of psychology, sociology and education; recently she has been engaged in exploring the social aspects of learning and teaching. Her publication accomplishments include EFL course materials, tests and research into teacher role. She has read papers at national and international conferences. Currently she is materials developer at Pannon Language Examination Center and the institutional head of the board coordinating the studies of disadvantaged students at Pannon University.

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Forced Assimilation and Language Shift Resistance through Education in Csángóland

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The Csángó Hungarians of Moldova in Eastern Romania are among the most economically, politically, and linguistically marginalized communities in the country. The Csángós were and continue to be denied at every turn the right to educate their children in their native Hungarian, even to worship in their native tongue. The process of language loss and assimilation is hastened not only by various coercive measures taken by the state, the leadership of the regional Roman Catholic diocese, local teachers’ groups and so on, but also by a more subtle process by which the local Csángó Hungarian is losing prestige among the younger generation in many villages. Currently, the Csángó Hungarians have, for the most part, little influence on the political forces controlling their economic, political and cultural fate. The Csángós have appealed to the European community for help, but their success at marshalling EU support has been limited. November 2011 marked the tenth anniversary of the largely ignored Recommendation 1521 of the Council of Europe regarding Csángó minority culture in Romania. Grassroots efforts to educate Csángó children in Hungarian have begun to bear fruit. In response to the repeated refusal by officials to institute Hungarian language teaching in schools, the Association of Csángó Hungarians in Moldavia organized an expanding extracurricular Hungarian language education program for Csángó children. The program, operating for about a dozen years now, provides Hungarian instruction to more than 2000 Csángó children in 25 villages as well as the opportunity for high school students to attend Hungarian boarding schools in Székelyland, which increasingly serves as a springboard for pursuing higher education in Hungarian. The successful program is financially supported by donations as well as the Hungarian Ministry of Culture. In recent months, a dispute over funds between the Hungarian government and the Association of Csángó Hungarians in Moldavia has placed the future of the program and thus Hungarian instruction in Moldova in jeopardy.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Angela K. Gazda (City University of New York) is an anthropologist specializing in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Her broad research interests include ethnicity and minority cultures, citizenship and transnationality, immigration and globalization, cities and modernity, sexuality and gender.

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High School Entrepreneurship Education in Practice: What Makes a Hungarian Bill Gates, Steve Jobs?

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
How does a nation, a region become an economic powerhouse? What makes a young, talented student a successful entrepreneur, professional, leader?
The answer does not lie behind the GDP numbers, but mainly in the entrepreneurial spirit, knowledge and risk taking attitudes of the young generation. The presentation describes the subject of entrepreneurship education as a crucial factor in economic progress. It gives an overview of the entrepreneurship education landscape of the Carpathian Basin today. Using multiple perspectives it observes the common ways of entrepreneurial skill and competence development.
As a practical example of Central European entrepreneurship education, the presenter will talk about an independent, not-for-profit initiative, the Calasanctius Youth Business Program. The mission of this program is to educate the next generation of young leaders in the Hungarian communities throughout the Carpathian basin. The program aims at providing Hungarian-speaking high school students with knowledge of key ethical business principles, entrepreneurial skills and values that strengthen their ability not only to stay in their homelands, but to successfully develop their communities as well.
These objectives are realized through establishing a network of programs that tightens the personal relationships of our students across borders in the Carpathian basin, develops their Hungarian-American connections, and educates them on key business and professional areas such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, ethical decision making, volunteering, that are immensely valuable in their future success.





Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Education:
- Master of Business Administration, Niagara University, 2011, Major: Strategic Management
- Computer Engineering, BS, Budapest Polytechnic (Budapesti Műszaki Főiskola), 2009, Major: Software Technology
- Business Economics, MS, Corvinus University of Budapest (Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem), 2008,
Majors: Entrepreneurship, Organization Development
Professional Background:
Nokia Siemens Networks, Budapest, 2008-2010 - Developed the newest 4th generation mobile networks as a Software Engineer
Catholic Health System, from 2011 - IT Project Manager in ITIL best practices implementation projects
Volunteer Activity: CTP Youth Business Program, from 2003: Organizer, presenter, workshop leader in Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia
Main Interest: Hungarian and international high-growth high-tech companies, their opportunities and challenges

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Bridging Cultural Borders: American Students Cross-Cultural Teaching Experiences in Hungary

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Many cultures and languages populate contemporary classrooms in the United States of America which challenges educators to meet the needs of English language learners and overcome the cultural perceptions formed by the media and marginal textbook information. In exploring best practices for preparing new teachers to meet the challenges of the changing demographics present in contemporary classrooms, cross-cultural internship experiences emerge as an important component to teacher training curriculums (Dennis, 2003; Lane, 2003). According to Bruce, Podemski, and Anderson (1991), incorporating a global perspective into teacher education will ensure that educators have the knowledge and skills to promote the development of a global perspective in their students. In recent years the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University has initiated an international agreement for internship exchanges with Szent Istvan Egyetem in Hungary.
This presentation will highlight the international field experience of pre-service teachers from Florida and Hungary and their initiatives to meld cultural understanding and English Language Learning by using culture kits prepared by students in American and Hungarian early childhood and elementary classrooms.
The purpose of this presentation is to chronicle the journey of translating standards into practice by engaging pre-service teachers in experiences and environments that required them to utilize pedagogy to construct new knowledge for themselves and their students in the United States and Hungarian Laboratory Schools. It is also hoped that this presentation will motivate practicing professionals, at all levels, to explore trans-cultural opportunities within their own environments and abroad.

References:
Bruce, M. G., Podemski, R. S, & Anderson, C. M. (1991). Developing a global perspective: strategies for teacher education programs. Journal of Teacher Education, 42 (1), 21-27.

Dennis, M. (2003). Nine higher education megatrends, and how they affect you. Distance Education Report, 7 (24), 6.

Lane, K. (2003). Reports, educators call for more study-abroad programs. Black Issues in Higher Education, 20 (22), 11-12.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Elia Vázquez-Montilla, Ph.D., Professor.
Dr. Vázquez-Montilla completed her B.A. and master’s degree (M. Ed.) in Education, Administration and Supervision at the University of Puerto Rico. In 1991, she received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida with majors in curriculum and instruction, elementary education, and multicultural bilingual education. Dr Vázquez-Montilla has been working with linguistically and culturally diverse students and families in Florida since 1987 and is a founding faculty and professor of the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2003 she was the recipient of the University Senior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. She has published numerous articles and has presented at state, national, and international professional conferences.

Jackie Greene, Ed.S., Student Teaching Coordinator.
Jackie Greene completed her B.A. and master’s degree (M.Ed.) in Early Childhood Education and Child Development at Kent State University. She completed her Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction and is currently completing her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Florida Gulf Coast University. Mrs. Greene has been working with pre-service teachers as Student Teaching Coordinator and as a member of the Literacy Faculty since 2005. Mrs. Greene is a National Board Certified Teacher and has worked with the faculty of Szent Istvan’s Egyetem since 2008 to facilitate multiple student teaching exchanges. She has been a Guest Lecturer at Szent Istvan Egyetem and presented at state, national and international professional conferences.

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Együtthaladó - Oktatási program a Magyarországon tanuló migráns gyermekek számára

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
A Miskolci Egyetemen kidolgozott Együtthaladó program fő célja a magyar közoktatásban tanuló migráns gyermekek magyar nyelvi kompetenciáinak fejlesztése annak érdekében, hogy integráltan oktathatóvá, az iskolai tananyagban osztálytársaikkal „együtthaladó”-vá váljanak, továbbá a migráns gyermekeket tanító pedagógusok szakmai felkészítése. A magyar közoktatásban jelenleg nincs olyan tankönyvcsalád, amely figyelembe venné a nem magyar anyanyelvű diákok eltérő magyar nyelvi kompetenciáit, s interkulturális pedagógiai programmal is csak kevés iskola rendelkezik. Ezért az Együtthaladó program keretében olyan magyarnyelv-oktatási segédanyagokat készítettünk a 11–14 éves korosztály számára és jelenleg készítünk a 9–10 éveseknek, amely három (A1–B1) nyelvtudási szinten használható, illeszkedik a Nemzeti Alaptantervhez, s a matematika, biológia-környezetismeret, magyar nyelvtan, magyar irodalom tantárgyak tartalmi alapját használja fel a magyar nyelvi fejlesztéshez. Előadásunkban bemutatjuk a program tartalomalapú, nyelvközpontú oktatási szemléletét, a segédanyagok társadalmi-nyelvi integrációt segítő feladattípusait és a migránsok kultúrájának, anyanyelvének megőrzését célzó feladattípusainkat. A programot eddig négy iskolában, különböző tanítási módszerekkel próbálták ki, ennek is köszönhetően 2011-ben elnyerte az Európai Nyelvi Díjat. Email:


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Kovács Mária, Ph.D. egyetemi docens (photo) 1996-ban diplomázott a debreceni Kossuth Lajos Tudományegyetemen, magyar nyelv és irodalom szakos középiskolai tanár, orosz nyelv és irodalom szakos általános iskolai tanárként. 1986-ban Ph.D. fokozatot szerzett az ELTE Nyelvtudományok Doktori Iskolájában. Főbb kutatási szakterülete a leíró grammatika, szaknyelvkutatás, alkalmazott nyelvészet. 1994-től a Miskolci Egyetem Magyar Nyelvészeti Tanszékének oktatója, 1998-tól tanszékvezetője. 2001-től a Miskolci Egyetem Bölcsészettudományi Karának dékán-helyettese, 2009-től dékán. Email: bolmari@uni-miskolc.hu

Kecskés Judit, Ph.D. egyetemi docens 1996-ban diplomázott a Miskolci Egyetemen magyar nyelv és irodalom szakos bölcsész és középiskolai tanárként. Ph.D. fokozatát a Debreceni Egyetem Nyelvtudományok Doktori Iskolájában szerezte 2005-ben. Főbb kutatási területei a magyar névtan, történeti grammatika, alkalmazott nyelvészet. 1996-tól a Miskolci Egyetem Magyar Nyelvészeti tanszékének oktatója, 2009-től egyetemi docens, az Együtthaladó program projektvezetője. Email: bolkecsi@uni-miskolc.hu

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A Pragmatic Approach to Heritage Language and Its Relation to HSL

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
New roads in language teaching, new ways in cultural exchange: the continuous search for new possibilities characterizes every teacher eager to develop his or her craft. Yet a debate concerning new methods or approaches cannot be held in the case of how best to educate language students who are of Hungarian descent, yet still need to learn Hungarian. Even now, little attention has been paid to the unique requirements posed by heritage language learners. Indeed, at most we can consult a scattering of studies that—according to laymen—employ methods used in native language training while those working in the field interpret these studies as examples of Hungarian as a Second Language (HSL).
Students capable of producing correct utterances displaying proper vocabulary and grammar usage no longer receive the kind-hearted forbearance generally extended to foreigners trying to speak Hungarian; native speakers do not view them as being foreign, which is why natives rarely realize that the mistakes being made are not a negative aspect of the speaker’s personality, but rather the product of pragmalinguistic or sociopragmatic deficiencies.
It is time we use complex methods to map the interlanguage of heritage language learners to help them find their own way to develop their language ability and pragmatic competence to make them feel comfortable when using the language of their (grand)parents.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Orsolya Maróti (MA Hungarian Literature, Linguistics and Language Pedagogy, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest; MA Hungarian as a Second Language and Hungarian Studies, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest; MA Cultural Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest; working on her doctoral thesis on Pragmatics) is working as the Head of the Hungarian Language Department at the Balassi Institute. She has experience in teaching heritage students for 12 years in the Balassi Institute, at Eötvös Loránd University and at the Corvinus University in Budapest as well. She has worked with Hungarian language teachers as a teacher trainer in Canada, in the Netherlands, in Germany and in many other countries where there are Hungarian language courses for heritage students.

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The Role of the Mother Tongue in Foreign Language Teaching

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
A distinction has been made between the instinct way of language acquisition and the organized, partly conscious form of language learning. Mother tongue has an indispensable and inevitable role in foreign language teaching and learning. During this process foreign language teachers must always anticipate the effects of the native language as it has an impact on second language acquisition; in a positive and a negative way, as well. Knowing the scientific background of language acquisition significantly helps language teachers better understand students’ mistakes and hardships with receptive and productive skills.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
MOLNÁR, ERZSÉBET (b. 1953) is a Senior Lecturer at the University of
Miskolc, Hungary. She has degrees from Esterházy Károly Teacher Training College
(B.A.) in Eger, as well as from the University of Budapest (M.A.) and the
University of Szeged (M.A.). She received her Ph.D. from Pannon University in
Veszprém, based on a dissertation about the great Transylvanian-Hungarian
Polymath, Sámuel Brassai (1797-1897). After teaching on the secondary school
level, in 1999 Dr. Molnár was appointed to the Department of English
Linguistic and Literature at the University of Miskolc. Her specialty is language
pedagogy and the main issues of foreign language teaching. Her publications
include textbooks, related articles in English and Hungarian, as well as a book on the topic of her dissertation, Sámuel
Brassai. The Last Transylvanian Polymath (2008). She is a frequent participant at
various international conferences, including those in Great Britain,
Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Albania, Malta, Canada, and the United States.

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Softening the Edges of Hungary’s Borders: A Student-Centered Program for Hungarian Youth in Diasporas

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Purpose: This is an observational study of a program, Students without Borders, that brings together ethnic Hungarian students who live in minority status in four different countries: in Transylvania and Moldova in Romania, Slovakia, Transcarpathia in Ukraine and Voivodina, part of Serbia. The program began in 18 years ago when the importance of borders were lessening with the expansion of the European Union. The purpose of the program is to strengthen ethnic ties and build relationships and connections between young people within the Carpathian Basin. Method: The program is of two weeks’ duration held annually since 1994 for young men and women between the ages of 13-17. Students who participated in the last two years completed a 20-item questionnaire that includes 11 structured questions asking them to rate [on a 6-pt scale where 1=strongly disagree to 6=strongly agree] their opinion of statements being made; 8 demographic items; and 10 open-ended questions. Results: In all, students agreed or strongly agreed that, “I’ll gladly come to visit Hungary again.” and “I formed strong friendships while on this trip.” Many indicated a desire to travel more often to Hungary. When asked whether they experienced human rights violations because of their ethnicity, several indicated that they had and that this first-hand experience of Hungary strengthened their self-esteem and enabled them to connect with others in different countries in Europe and share common background and experiences.
Conclusions The program provides students first hand experiences of Hungary as well as opportunities to form bonds of friendship with students who live in minority status in other countries in Central Europe. Several years’ data provide solid framework for the strength and meaning that participation in such activities have in identify formation. The experiences gained by students during the program have the effect of “softening the edges” of Hungary’s borders.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Susan M. Papp (photo), MA earned a Master of Arts in North American Social History at York University in Toronto in 1985. Since 2009, she is teaching in the Hungarian Studies Program in the Munk School of International Studies at the University of Toronto. Ms. Papp has published widely in the field of Hungarian immigration to and settlement in North America. Her publications include the history of Hungarians in Cleveland. Susan Papp is also a producer/director of documentary films. She is recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Michener Award. Ms. Papp most recently authored a book titled Outcasts: A Love Story. This book has been translated into Hungarian (2010) and Hebrew (2011), and has been made into a documentary film. Susan Papp, along with her husband, initiated the Students without Boundaries program in 1994. They have both been actively involved in leading and organizing it every year since its inception.


Klara Papp, PhD is an Educational Psychologist and works currently as Associate Dean for Student Assessment at the College of Medicine at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Klara has been the chair of the research committee for the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine and received its Charles H. Griffith III Educational Research Award. She has numerous peer-reviewed publications. She is on the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society and is president of the United Hungarian Fund. For the last several years, she participated in Students without Boundaries Program and has been an avid supporter since it began.

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Value Systems and Role Models Among Hungarian High School Students

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Role models are essential in the socialization of adolescents. Do the examples and values of parents count for the teenagers? What are the important values for high school students? Who are their role models?
My research answer these questions. This research was conducted in Szent Margit High School, Budapest in 2011, with more than 330 student participants between the ages of 12 and 18. Results are interesting and valuable for both educators and parents.
This research generates further studies in Hungary as well as in the U.S. My presentation’s goal is to discuss results that are also useful in a cross cultural context especially for American educators.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Currently, Máté Révay is a graduate student in the Psychology MA program at Medaille College, Buffalo, NY. He was awarded a scholarship from the Hungarian-American Calasanctius Training Program (CTP). He earned his Masters in Psychology at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Piliscsaba, Hungary and his Educational Psychologist degree at Eötvös Lóránd University, Budapest. He works in Budapest as a school psychologist in Szent Margit High School.

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Community Development and Civil Society - The Work of Project Harvest Hope in Transylvania

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
In our interconnected and interdependent world, the framework of civil society -- trust, respect, honesty, transparency, self-determination, collaboration and a sense of human agency -- is necessary for healthy and sustainable community life. Our world has become a global village in which the close proximity of differences -- racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and economic -- is magnified by rapid changes in technology and communication.

Since 1993, Project Harvest Hope has partnered with Unitarian communities in Transylvania seeking to renew their economic, civil and religious base in a post-Communist, early-stage capitalist environment. We capitalized a mill, a bakery and a ninety cow dairy farm in the Homorod Valley. We have established a donor-advised fund with the Szekelyudvarhely Community Foundation (szka.org) to support local initiatives in Unitarian communities. This paper explores the history, successes and challenges of Project Harvest Hope.





Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Will Saunders is President of Project Harvest Hope. Raised a Unitarian Universalist in Ithaca, New York, he holds degrees from Oberlin College, Union Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Church History from Columbia University. From 1976 to 2005, he served congregations in Brunswick, Maine, Urbana, Illinois and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which elected him Minister Emeritus. He lives in Portland, Maine. Will has long-standing friendships and connections in Romania beginning with his 1968 trip to the celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the Diet of Torda.

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Forty Years in the Wilderness: Teaching Hungarian in the UK and the US, 1972-2012

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The paper draws on my experience of teaching Hungarian in universities in the Anglo-Saxon world, indicating some of the lessons of the past and offering some ideas for the future.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Peter Sherwood taught Hungarian in the University of London before being appointed the first László Birinyi, Sr., Distinguished Professor of Hungarian Language and Culture in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008.

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The Importance of Cultural Competence in Teaching Hungarian as a Foreign Language

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Cultural competence generally refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. Although cultural competence has been widely analyzed in the professional world (e.g. in the works of NGOs, government agencies, policy making institutions, HR offices, health care practitioners, etc.), it has also attracted considerable academic interest in the field of education. Within education, however, the discussion has concentrated on the training and the education of teachers and school staff and the developing of their cultural competence, especially with the growing diversiy of students in the classrooms both in the US and worldwide. Being a culturally competent educator means valuing diversity and respecting differences of students who come from very different backgrounds in order to understand them and communicate with them efficiently.

As a sociolinguist, an educator and a foreign language instructor, I find it important to expand the question of “Who is a culturally competent educator?” to the following inquiry: “Who is a culturally competent second/foreign language teacher?” As Kramsch puts it, “despite the advances made by research in the spheres of the intercultural and the multicultural, language teaching is still operating on a relatively narrow conception of both language and culture. Language continues to be taught as a fixed system of formal structures and universal speech functions, a neutral conduit for the transmission of cultural knowledge.” She concludes that in the future the language teacher has to be defined “not only as the impresario of a certain linguistic performance but as the catalyst for an ever-widening critical cultural competence.”

In my present talk, I will shed light on how Hungarian culture is incorporated in our Colloquial Hungarian course book, providing particular examples from various dialogoues and cultural notes of the book. With the specific examples, I will underline the fact that “beyond knowing words and grammar, learning a language involves acquiring a role, and knowing how to act according to that social definition.” I firmly believe that linguistic competence, communicative competence, cultural competence are equally important parts of foreign language teaching and foreign language learning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_competence
http://www.opb.org/education/minisites/culturalcompetence/teachers.html
Kramsch, Claire. "The Cultural Component of Language.” In Language, Culture and Curriculum. London: Routledge. 2010, Volume 24.
Rounds, Carol H. & Erika Sólyom. Colloquial Hungarian. London: Routledge. 2011. 3rd edition.
Ogulnick, Karen. “Learning Language/Learning Self.” In Intercultural Discourse and Communication. Eds. Scott F. Kiesling & Christina Bratt Paulston. Oxford: Blackwell. 2005: 250-54.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Erika Sólyom earned a B.A. degree in Russian and English Studies (EKTF, Eger) and received her first M.A. in English Language and Literature (ELTE, Budapest) in Hungary. In 2003 and 2005, respectively, she earned an M.A. and an M.Phil. in Linguistics at New York University. Her research interests are in intercultural communication, minority language education, linguistic human rights, language and gender as well as language change and globalization. Since 2004, she has been teaching Hungarian as a Foreign Language for US study abroad students of ELTE and Corvinus University of Budapest, where she is also the director of the American Corner Budapest cultural center. In 2002, she published with Carol H. Rounds Colloquial Hungarian, Routledge’s well-known language learning series. In 2003, she was awarded a US Fulbright-Hays fellowship and conducted research on Hungarian language change. Her sociolinguistic findings appeared in Comparative Hungarian Cultural Studies edited by Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek and Louise O. Vasvári in 2011.

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Hungarian-American Immigrant Children’s Use of Media Technologies to Maintain Their Heritage Language and Culture

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Despite the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse immigrants in the USA, more than 90 % of the population uses solely English for communication. Research also indicates that within three generations the heritage language is completely lost (Fishman, 1991). The consequences of such language loss are often devastating (Wong Fillmore, 2000), because it impacts immigrant children’s identities, their relationship with parents and grandparents, and their academic accomplishments in the second language.
This presentation reports on the findings of a study that delved deep into the media-related perceptions of dispersed Hungarian immigrant professionals who have been successful at raising bilingual and bicultural children in the United States. Open-ended interviewing and autoethnography was used to explore perceptions of three Hungarian immigrant families about the role of new media technologies in their children's successful development and maintenance of heritage language skills, relationships with relatives in the heritage country, and cultural identity. Participating bilingual families found new media technologies beneficial in all three areas: the development and maintenance of heritage language and heritage culture, and relationships with Hungarian speaking relatives. Parents and grandparents also repeatedly pointed out the significance of adults’ active involvement in the process, and their responsibility in selecting appropriate resources and in being available to support children in their optimal use of new media technologies while children are improving their skills in the heritage language and culture.
The presentation will offer recommendations for families and educators for nurturing children’s heritage language, culture, and for the development of well founded social-emotional well-being of bilingual children through using new media technologies.

References
Fishman, J.A. (1991). Reversing language shift: Theoretical and empirical foundations of assistance to threatened languages. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Wong Fillmore, L. (2000). Loss of family languages: Should educators be concerned? Theory into Practice, 39(4), 203-210.




Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Dr. Janka Szilágyi (photo) is an Assistant Professor at the College at Brockport, State University of New York. . She obtained her master’s degrees in Mathematics and English Language and Literature in Hungary in 1999. She earned her Ph.D. in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education from the University at Buffalo, in 2007. She has published articles on multicultural education, best practices, and culturally responsive teacher preparation, both in Hungarian and English. During the past ten years, she has presented at national and international conferences in Hungary and the United States. She has served on the ACEI Intercultural Publication and Awards committees. jszilagy@brockport.edu

Dr. Tünde Szécsi is an Associate Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, USA. She earned her Master’s degrees in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Teaching Russian and Hungarian Languages in Hungary. In 2003, she obtained her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education at University at Buffalo, USA. Over the last decade she has made numerous presentations in Hungary, Denmark, Bolivia, Russia, Italy, France, Greece and USA. She has contributed over thirty articles in child development, multicultural education, foreign and second language leaning, and culturally responsive teacher preparation. Currently, she is also the coeditor of the Teaching Strategies column of the Childhood Education journal.

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Language Without Borders – Heritage Languages and Language Education in Cultural Identity Formation: The Case of Hungarian

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
My paper contrasts the processes of learning and acquiring, as well as the motives of transmission, of Hungarian, in two contexts: Hungarian, as a heritage language in the United Kingdom v. Hungarian as a minority language in Romania. Evidence is based on my experience as a teacher working with heritage speakers of Hungarian from a variety of backgrounds at UCL, and on fieldwork in various minority communities Eastern Europe.
Languages, and even small contrasts between dialects, are powerful markers of one’s cultural affiliation, identity, and status. Heritage and minority Hungarian speakers acquire Hungarian outside of Hungary, thus, they form a social and cultural identity inclusive of Hungarian in a different way from speakers of Hungarian in Hungary. It is instructive to explore the differences between the two groups in terms of perceived linguistic vitality, other H speakers’ expectations towards them, processes of Othering, and how these factors are influenced by, or impinge on, their actual use of Hungarian. This contributes to a better understanding of how languages are interwoven with the thought, custom, and culture of their speakers.
The model ‘one language – one nation’, which underlies ‘foreign’ language learning, and which has been recently reiterated in the new Constitution of Hungary, is dismissive towards heritage and minority speakers’ language competence, and towards contact varieties of a language. I discuss how purist tendencies in the case of a language which is imagined as monocentric jeopardise the sustainability of multilingualism and multiculturalism involving the language, in this case Hungarian, in question.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Eszter Tarsoly (BA/MA in Hungarian Literature, Linguistics, and Language Pedagogy, 2004, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest; MA in Central and South-East European Studies, 2005; MPhil/PhD, 2006 to present; both at University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies; hereafter: UCL/SSEES) is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Hungarian at UCL/SSEES. She started her employment as a Teaching Fellow in 2007, while also working on her doctoral thesis on linguistic purism and attitudes towards language. Research interests: bilingualism, language contact, minority and endangered languages, language typology, ideas on language correctness, and language teaching methodology, in particular teaching reading and translation.

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