Abstracts of Submitted Papers 2013

Reprising the Raoul Wallenberg Commemorative Year in Hungary: Generations Remember Moral Courage and Humanitarian Leadership in the Holocaust

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Presentation celebrates the moral courage and humanitarian leadership of Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat sent to Hungary in July 1994 under the auspices of the US War Refugee Board to save the Jews of Budapest, the center of the largest concentration of Jews left on the continent of Europe. In the waning days of Nazi tyranny, Wallenberg is credited with saving 100,000 Jewish lives in six months before he was taken in January 1945 by the Soviets to a fate not completely confirmed today.
The Wallenberg Commemorative Year was inaugurated in Hungary in 2012, the 100th anniversary of his birth. The website listed extensive materials on Wallenberg's life, his Holocaust actions in Budapest, and accomplishments in the crucible that was Hungary, thereby providing resources on his courage and leadership in 1944-1945 for past generations to inform and inspire future generations. Honors from Hungary, Israel, Sweden, USA, and other nations remember Wallenberg's mission to Budapest.
Wallenberg's worldview and humanitarian leadership skills were forged by experiences in his youth and adulthood (after Banks ethnic /cultural topology). Moral reasoning stages (after Lawrence Kohlberg's schemata) demonstrate Wallenberg's advanced stance of moral courage. Literature implications from theory and practice (literature web) signal the importance of curriculum programs and intergenerational reading. Study of the humanitarian mission of Raoul Wallenberg is significant for families, schools, universities, and democratic societies. Wallenberg's legacy is memorialized by those who experienced the Hungarian Holocaust, noted scholars, and monuments, stamps, awards, and other commemorations in Hungary, USA, and around the world.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Ruth G. Biro earned a B.A. in Political Science from Chatham College, a Master's in Library Science, and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Now retired from the Department of Instruction and Leadership in Education at Duquesne University, she taught courses in children's and adolescent literature, multicultural and international literature, cultural diversity, and intercultural dynamics, and advised dissertation students in the ILEAD doctoral program in instructional leadership. She directed two Fulbright-Hays Group Projects in Hungary for university professors and in-service teachers. Dr. Biro earned two certificates from the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel. She researches aspects of prosocial development and influences in the lives of Righteous Gentiles who rescued Jews in the Hungarian Holocaust. Her presentations and/or publications relating to Raoul Wallenberg have been in Hungary, Israel, Poland, Italy, the UK, and USA.

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Memories: A short play about the Hungarian Holocaust that preserves the past and connects to the future.

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
“Youth want to relate their learning to their everyday lives, rather than abstract thinking” (Choy and Delahaye 2005). A collection of five works of nonfiction literature by Hungarian Holocaust survivors about their experiences as teens transforms abstract history into relevant situations.

Elder, L. Tom Perry wrote: “The lessons of the past … prepare us to face the challenges of the future (2009). Combining literature and theatre, Memories is an original short play about the Hungarian Holocaust. It preserves truths from the past and connects to the present, so we find a positive future in these days of turmoil and uncertainty.

The play begins with the words of Livia Bitton Jackson and Isabella Leitner that sound familiar: “Did you go to the movies? Did you have a date? What did he say? That he loves you? And “In my daydreams I am a celebrated poet . . . beautiful, elegant and very talented.” History comes to life as audiences feel with the authors who share important historical memories.

As the 15 minute script of Memories is presented and made available, educators discover a tool to enhance history, the Holocaust, and literature. The play is a collection of excerpts from the diary of teenager Eva Heyman of Nagyvarad who did not survive the Holocaust, but perished in Auschwitz at age 13 along with books by Holocaust survivors Aranka Siegal raised in Beregszasz, Isabella Leitner born in Kisvarda, Judith Magyar Isaacson from Kaposvar, and Livia Bitton Jackson from Czechoslovakia. These works of literature and writers have made and are making a significant impact on young people who encounter this history. Through their memories, we hear them say – “One is one’s memories. One cannot exist without memories. Memories connect the past, present and future. They connect oneself with the world. Memories.”



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Wayne Brinda, Ed.D. Wayne is Director of Teacher Education at The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He is also the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Prime Stage Theatre in Pittsburgh. A reviewer for Middle School Journal, Wayne is published in Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Journal of Aesthetic Education, Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, Australian Literacy Educators’ Association, National Middle School Journal, The ALAN Review, and Youth Theatre Journal. He delivers presentations for the American Hungarian Educators Association, National Council of Teachers of English, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, Association for Middle Level Education, and the International Reading Association. As a Museum Teaching Fellow at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, he delivers presentations and produces theatre using young adult literature to teach the Holocaust.

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The Role of Tales in Socialization

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Tales are strongly associated to humanity; they are as old as mankind, and they follow us through the whole life. Without tales, the childhood, the parent-child relationship, and the primary school years are unimaginable.
My presentation investigates the causes of the importance of different types of tales such as fairy tales, folk tales and modern tales. On the one hand, I explain how the tales work from a psychological point of view. In this regard, tales are full with symbols and archetypes. These elements provide a common humanity context, protagonist and events reflecting the psycho-emotional thoughts of the children. This way the audiences ¬can identify themselves with them. On the other hand, I explain the role of tales in socialization. First of all, tales play a specific role in the intrapersonal development of children; they help them to cope with their distress and solve emotional problems. Secondly, tales contribute to the socialization through the parent-child relationship, which is made stronger by bedtime stories, and through the behavioral pattern showed in tales.
This way the tales provide the heritage of a collective wise and follow a person through the life in personal relationships and challenges.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Ildikó Brockhauser received her MA in Psychology at the Károli Gáspár University, Budapest, in 2012, and worked as Psychologist at the Children's Hospital of Buda, Rehabilitation Department. Currently she is continuing her studies at Trocaire College, Buffalo, NY, through a scholarship with the Calasanctius Training Program.

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Eyewitness to History: Follow up on the Hungarian Scholar Program at Rutgers University

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Following up on their 2012 AHEA paper, the authors present their findings about the professional and personal history of a small group of Hungarian scholars and graduate students. All were selected to participate in an intensive language immersion program at Rutgers University upon the initiation of the National Academy of Sciences in January 1957. With the help of online and library resources, most of the refugee scientists have been located in the past year. Fascinating life stories unfolded from the pieces of the puzzle, drawn from official biographies, traditional archives, social media applications, or the personal memories of the handful survivors contacted. Setting a great example to new immigrants, these Hungarian refugees contributed greatly to science and culture in their new homeland. Chronicling their history utilized some best practices of information science in a multicultural setting, and will be of interest to broad audiences from a methodological perspective too.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Sylvia Csuros Clark is an Associate Professor of Marketing at St. John's Unversity's Tobin College of Business on Staten Island. She holds a Ph.D. in Consumer Behavior from CUNY, an M.B.A. in Quantitative Analysis from New York University, and a B.B.A. summa cum laude from Baruch College. She is also an alumna of the Hungarian Studies program at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, having fulfilled the requirements for a Hungarian minor and earned a certificate in Hungarian language. She passed the Hungarian State Proficiency Examination Advanced Level, certifying native proficiency of the educated speaker. Dr. Clark has taught a menu of courses in marketing over a thirty-year span, primarily at the upper-level undergraduate and master's levels. Her research interests cover such diverse areas as cognitive age, travel marketing, fashion marketing, teaching/learning style constructs, and aspects of Hungarian culture.

Judit Hajnal Ward is an information professional at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She holds a doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of Debrecen, Hungary, and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Rutgers. Her areas of specialization include library and information science. digital libraries, medical communication and informatics. She taught courses in linguistics, foreign languages and medical communication at the University of Debrecen before joining Rutgers as visiting professor of Hungarian Studies. Her research interests include human information behavior, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research methods, evaluation of information in the electronic environment, and Hungarian Studies in the United States. Currently she is the Director of Information Services of the Center of Alcohol Studies and Adjunct Faculty at the School of Communication and Information. She is also the North American Director of the European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages.

Molly Stewart is a part time reference librarian at the Center of Alcohol Studies Library, Rutgers University. Additionally, she works part time as an adult services librarian at Bridgewater Public Library. Prior to completing her MLIS at Rutgers University, she received a BA in Sociology from Douglass College, Rutgers University. During her time at CASL she has participated in several research projects and conference presentations including a longitudinal bibliometric study, profiling researchers, and creating user centered library applications for scholarly research.

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Preserving Hungarian Language and Culture among Young People of Hungarian Descent. The example of the Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris.

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Many parents of Hungarian descent wish their children to become good citizens of their adopted country, while at the same time cherishing and preserving their Hungarian heritage. Two organizations stand out as vehicles towards this objective: the local week-end “Hungarian Schools” and the Hungarian Scout Association is Exteris (HSAE). The schools operate independently, generally with individual curricula, and are united mostly in a loose bond with the other schools. The HSAE, on the other hand, is a structured legal entity, which has been operating outside of Hungary for 67 years on four continents: Western Europe, South America, North America and Australia.

In addition to its mission of developing young people within the spirit of international scouting, the HSAE has developed a palette of programs aimed at transmitting and preserving the knowledge of Hungarian language and culture among its scouts. The scout activities are held in Hungarian and many of the aspects of Hungarian culture – folklore, history, literature, etc. – are transmitted informally as part of typical scout activities: camping, excursions, competitions, campfires. Future leaders participate in more formal classes and sit exams at various levels. This is complemented with visits and training programs in Hungary and in the Hungarian-populated areas of the neighboring countries.

The presentation will provide an overview of the programs as well as of the results and experiences of the Scout Association.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Gábor Dömötör is an engineer by training, taught at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and was an executive of IBM both in Brazil and in the United States. He has been a member of the Hungarian Scout Association ever since early childhood and advanced through all levels of the organization. He is currently Chairman of the Board and Vice-Prersident of the Association and also holds the responsibility for the teaching and preservation of Hungarian language and culture.

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English Teaching Upside Down

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
„Translate these sentences and make these multiple choice tests” – this is what I mainly heard in my English lessons 20-25 years ago. Now being an English teacher in the same school, same classrooms – even the desks and the posters on the walls are exactly the same – I give completely different instructions to my students. Is the old method so out of date? Is there anything wrong with the old teachers, books or the reason for the drastic alteration of teaching attitude is due to the changing requirements of the 21st century? How can teachers adapt to these changes and what help do they get in case they have some problem? Can they apply the latest technology in the classroom considering there were even no computers in the schools 20 years ago and they have no idea what gadgets their students use on an everyday basis? What motivation do they have to improve taking their miserable salaries and the uncertain economic situation into consideration?
With its ups and downs, positive and nagative points I have seen teaching history in the making from the beginning of the 80s up till the present day. Also, being in the last place in terms of foreign languages Hungary has to face serious problems. What I’d like to focus on is what I can do for a better future working in a secondary school of a small town.

Some points I’d like to focus on:
- comparison of the grammar-translation method of the 80s and the present communicative one
- presentation of the text book of the past and the present
- presentation of an interview with a retiring teacher
- discussing changes in teacher training at Pannon University, Veszprém
- perspectives for a teacher in 2013 in Hungary
- differences between big citites and the countryside in terms of language teaching
- finding the reason why Hungarians are the worst in Europe at foreign language speaking



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Julianna Gaál is a teacher of English and tourism in Lóczy Lajos secondary school in Balatonfüred, a small town in the western part of Hungary. The secondary school where she teaches specializes in languages and tourism.
After graduating from Pannon University, Veszprém, Julianna started to work as a teacher in her old secondary school and meanwhile got a post-graduate degree in tourism at the University of Pécs. Four years later she decided to move away from her little town and she worked in Budapest for a couple of years as a private English teacher and at a private language school. From 2008 to 2011 she worked as a full-time journalist for the regional newspaper, where her field was culture and education. Now she is back in her old school teaching English and tourism. Beside teaching, she regularly writes articles for the regional and local newspapers and works as an examiner for state language exams. She has been to Washington as a journalist making reports about about the opening ceremony the Hungarian Cultural Year and has taken part in workshops about education in Oslo, Berlin and Vilnius.

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Becoming NET SMART – Dos and Don’ts in Teaching International Joint Courses

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Knowing how to make use of online tools without being overloaded with too much information is an essential ingredient to personal and professional success in the 21st Century. Delivering different class contents to our students online has increased dramatically during the last decade. Universities have entered the online education market in order to satisfy the growing demand of their students as well as to face their existing and growing financial and facility constraints. In pursue of happiness for both consumers (students) and employers (universities), educators jumped worldwide willingly on an intriguing new method of teaching: joint courses. This teaching method does not only incorporate the latest (video)technology into our teaching – highly appreciated by universities – but also ‘brings the world into the classroom’ by connecting students from different countries to work together on projects, case studies, or discuss current issues in any field. The joint course method can be very beneficial for teaching a wide variety of subject matters: Hungarian language, history, management, or sports. Knowledge as well as classrooms turned borderless at the beginning of the 21st Century!
But the question remained the same: how to use the new social and digital media tools intelligently, humanely, mindfully, and above all ethically? Several books and academic articles discuss the advantages of distance learning and online education but none of them addresses the legal and ethical issues of this method of academic collaboration between professors and universities. These issues are growing in number namely, related to intellectual property and copyright, right to participation and access to materials, or ethics of academic online/distance learning collaborations just name a few. After teaching joint courses between the US and Hungary for a couple of years this presentation overviews our experiences and addresses questions such as: What should be asked (contracted) clearly before we enter into a commitment to teach an international joint course? What are our expectations as educators? What is there in for our students? How should future international joint course development benefit for past practices?



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Dr Emese Ivan is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at St John’s University (New York). Her teaching and research focuses on sport sociology, management, and role that sport plays in building a more just society worldwide. She has been teaching online and has participated in international joint course development since 2007. She is also the President of Hungarian Studies Association. Contact info: emese.ivan@gmail.com

Edit Nagy is Lecturer in Hungarian Language Program in the Center for European Studies at University of Florida. She will complete her Ph.D. in History at the University of Pécs, Hungary where she has got her M.A.'s in History (1999) and Hungarian Language and Literature (2001).
Her current research focuses on the Hungarian Economic History between 1945 and 1956. Previously she has worked on the Indebtedness of Hungary in 1970-80's and the Structural Changes of the Hungarian Economy during Communism.
She's been teaching at the University of Florida since 2004. Her language classes are Beginning/Elementary/Intermediate Hungarian 1-2, and her area studies classes are Secret Police under Communism; Socialist Control and Resistance (Eastern-Europe After 1945) and Socialist Economy behind the Iron Curtain. Contact info: nagyedit@yahoo.com

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Educating in an International Environment: The Role of the Fulbright Commission in Budapest

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Effective November 1, 2012, I have been appointed the Executive Director of the Hungarian-American Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange.As the Director of the Fulbright Commission in Hungary, I expect to build on the heritage of excellence initiated by Dr. Huba Brückner during the first twenty years of the Commission. I plan to expand Fulbright's reach to traditionally underrepresented scholars from rural areas, the Roma community as well as to people with different disabilities. Furthermore, strengthening ties with private sector donors as well as establishing new relationships with American universities are both important objectives for me.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Károly Jókay was born in Chicago and moved to Hungary in 1994. During the past years he gained experience in educating in an international environment at the Central European University in Budapest, and earned intensive consulting experience in Central and Eastern European countries in the municipal services sector and municipal debt regulation.

Jókay received his PhD in Political Science (minor in International Economics), from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1990. He is active in several civil society organizations, established a family foundation (www.jokay.hu) to support the education of talented children with disadvantageous backgrounds in the High School of the Reformed Church in Pápa.

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Cultural Components of Successful Communication: about Pragmatic Competence Regarding Polite Refusals

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
How can we refuse something or someone in a polite way in Hungary? What are the rules? How can we be successful in refusing a request and still remain polite? How can we refuse another person without insulting him/her? Are there different politeness rules in diaspora language communities? Linguistic politeness is a part of our social image, our cultural tradition, although it rarely becomes conscious knowledge. While communicating in everyday life, we are not necessarily aware of following certain pragmatic rules about the proper way of language usage. We communicate with each other without keeping the pragmatic rules in mind, only become aware of them if our partner deviates from the norms and conventions.
Our concepts about correct/successful use of language forms are being determined by our cultural background: the culture of developed industrial societies; of Europe; of Hungary, of the diaspora community (in continuous interaction with the culture of the country), as well as the cultural standards of the social group we are part of. Therefore researching the manifestations of politeness in language usage actually means the research of those social elements that can be detected in communication although not being expressed intentionally. Familiarity with the various theories about expressing politeness helps us to know more about our language usage that can lead us to communicate consciously and successfully. For example differences in social status can be a determining factor in chosing the proper way for refusing someone politely. However, there are other cultural elements as well that can affect our evaluation about politeness/impoliteness in a certain community. We should be aware of the results of researches in the subject so they can be part of our practical knowledge.


Cultural Components of Successful Communication: about Pragmatic Competence Regarding Polite Refusals
Melyek az udvarias visszautasítás szabályai a mai Magyarországon? Hogyan utasíthatunk vissza egy kérést úgy, hogy ne sértsük meg beszédpartnerünket? Hogyan befolyásolhatja mindez a diaszpórában élők nyelvhasználatát?
A nyelvi udvariasság része társadalmi önképünknek, kulturális hagyományainknak, ritkán válik azonban mindez tudatossá számunkra. A hétköznapokban nem érzékeljük, hogy bizonyos nyelvhasználati szabályokat követünk, amikor mondanivalónkat formába öntjük. A zökkenőmentes kommunikációban a felek együttműködése nem tudatos, hiszen csak akkor válik számukra is érzékelhetővé saját normarendszerük, ha beszédpartnerünk eltér a beszélgetés általuk helyesnek tartott menetétől. Elképzeléseinket a helyénvaló és/vagy sikeres nyelvi érintkezésről a kultúránk, azaz – a tágabban értelmezettől a kisebb közösségek felé tartva – a fejlett ipari társadalmak kultúrája, az európai, a magyarországi, a diaszpóra magyar közösségének (az adott ország többségi kultúrájával kölcsönhatásban álló) kulturális háttere és annak a társadalmi csoportnak a kultúrája határozza meg, amelynek tagjai vagyunk. A nyelvi udvariasság kutatása ebből következően azoknak a társadalmi tényezőknek a vizsgálatát jelenti, amelyek akkor is megjelennek a nyelvhasználatban, ha nem törekszünk tudatosan kifejezésükre. A különböző udvariassági elméletek biztosította fogalmi keret megismerésével többet tudhatunk meg saját nyelvhasználatunkról, ami elvezethet a tudatos és eredményes kommunikációhoz. Visszautasításaink megfelelő nyelvi formába öntésekor például fontos tényező a beszédpartnerek közötti hatalmi és társadalmi távolság, de ezek mellett egyéb kulturális elemek is befolyásolják annak eldöntését, mi számít egy adott közösségben udvariasnak, mi udvariatlannak. A témához kapcsolódó kutatási eredmények megismerése egyben a gyakorlatban is hasznosítható tudást is jelent.



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 foreign (HSL) and heritage students (HHL) for 15 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 (HSL and HHL) in Canada, in the Netherlands, in Germany and in many other countries where there are Hungarian language courses for heritage and HSL students.

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The Role of the Mother Tongue in Foreign Language Teaching

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Mother tongue has an indispensable and inevitable role in foreign language teaching. However this role changes continuously in its intensity, character, methods, and in its strategies. There are subjective and objective differences between mother tongue acquisition (L1) and foreign language learning (L2) and we should take into consideration the effects of mother tongue in FLT. We talk about positive and negative transfers. Postivie transfer is if mother tongue is similar to foreign language in some aspects but if mother tongue is different this effect will have negative transfer. The main reasons why students make mistakes (errors) are partly because of negative transfer and partly because of mother tongue interference.
Students use mother tongue in order to fulfil their needs and mother tongue becomes their tool in order to express themselves. In the case of L2 students are aware of the fact that they can use their mother tongue when they want. We can distinguish four fields in terms of similarities and differences in the language: phonetic-phonological, grammatical, lexical, conversational routines The usage of mother tongue is unavoidable in some cases: in the exploration of the meaning of the foreign word, clarifying grammatical rules, comparing the mother tongue and the target language, explaining new structures, in translations, etc. The discussion of the role of the mother tongue has arisen lots of very interesting responses from around the world. The formerly strict dogma that there is no room for the mother tongue in the EFL classroom (a product of acquisition-based teaching methods), has been replaced by a more differentiated approach which may depend heavily on the cultural and educational situation where each individual teacher is working.



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 half dozen textbooks, three dozen 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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Planning for the Future: the István Deák Visiting Professorship at Columbia University

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
The István Deák Visiting Professorship in East central European Studies at Columbia University pays tribute to the eminent historian István Deák and his distinguished legacy of scholarship, teaching and cultural engagement. The Deák Chair brings distinguished scholars and teachers from East Central Europe to Columbia. Normally the stay is one semester; visiting scholars are selected through the joint collaboration of the Blinken European Institute, the East Central European center, and the Harriman Institute who host the Chair. At Columbia, the visitors teach, share their research and more generally, dedicate themselves to raising awareness about the history and society of Hungary and East central Europe.
For a few of years now I have been making efforts to stabilize the financial foundations of the István Deák Visiting Professorship. Currently we are trying to widen the scope of activities supported by the István Deák Endowment. In addition to the visiting professors we also would like to offer scholarships and prizes to students and would like to have more public events: film shows, conferences, book launches etc. In this work we receive help from the Hungarian Consulate General and our Cultural Center New York. I suggest that we organize a fund raising session for the activities connected to the endowment named after him. My point is to call the attention to the István Deák Endowment.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Attila Pók is deputy director of the Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. His publications and courses cover three major fields: 19th-20th century European political and intellectual history, history of modern European historiography, theory and methodology of history. Currently he is István Deák Visiting Professor of East Central European Studies at Columbia University, NY.

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Only 10% of Hungarian-Americans speak Hungarian at home. Why?

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Of more than a million Americans who listed Hungarian ancestry in their census questionnaires, only about 8% speak Hungarian in the family. In Ohio, that ratio is about 10%, and in Cleveland, about 11%. Why? What are the factors that allow some second and even third generation Hungarian-Americans to maintain their Hungarian language despite these overwhelming odds? Nine in-depth interviews were conducted with a variety of second and third generation members of Cleveland’s Hungarian community, most of whom were born in the Cleveland area and all of whom grew up in Cleveland’s Hungarian community, to ascertain the factors impacting their language use in the family and in the community, as well as to analyze the formation of their cultural identities. Using their own insights garnered from the interviews, the presentation will show the importance of consistent parenting and peer friendships, and illuminate the role that involvement in scouting and other community events can play. It will show the value the interviewees placed on speaking a second language, as well as the importance of strictness. The presentation will also share linguistic insights, reasons for assimilation, and the role of American spouses. Odds are that 89-92% of those with Hungarian ancestry will assimilate into American culture. These case studies, examples of Cleveland Hungarians who maintain their language and culture even late into the 2nd and 3rd generations, will show how to beat those odds. By preserving the past of their parents and grandparents, these interviewees show how to find a way to the future.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Endre Szentkirályi studied English and German at Cleveland State University and earned an MA in English at the University of Akron. He has edited several books of oral histories including 56 Stories (assistant editor and website content manager) and Clevelandben még élnek magyarok? He published a study of the émigré writer Áron Gábor in Hungarian Quarterly, and consulted for the 56Films documentaries Inkubátor and Hazatérés. Material from this presentation will appear in the forthcoming issue of Hungarian Studies Review. He currently teaches English and German at Nordonia High School near Cleveland.

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Olvasófüzetek - szöveg- és feladatgyűjtemény nyelvi készségek fejlesztésére

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Az Olvasófüzeteket olyan idegen nyelvi környezetben élő, magyar nyelvi gyökerekkel rendelkező felnőttek számára állítottuk össze, akik a magyar alapszókincs birtokában magyar kommunikációs, valamint alapfokú olvasási készséggel rendelkeznek. A nyelv ismeretének ezen a szintjén legtöbbjük már motivált, hogy a tankönyvek mesterséges szövegein túl élő magyar nyelvi szövegeket olvassanak. Ám szembesülnek azzal a ténnyel, hogy a szépirodalmi szövegek komoly - nemvárt - nehézséget jelentenek számukra.
A magyar irodalom néhány célszerűen választott alkotását - a kiválasztott részleteket hallgatóink nyelvi ismereti szintjéhez igazítva – használjuk a tanítás során. Célunk, hogy az irodalmi művel való ismerkedés illúziója megmaradjon, de az írások számukra nyelvileg érthetőek legyenek.
A 2012-2013-es tanévben 2 csoportban, csoportonként 5 hallgató használta az Olvasófüzeteket (1. és 2. füzet). Tanári vezetés mellett, tizenkét, alkalmanként kétórás foglalkozásokon dolgozták fel a tanítási egységeket:
- Olvasmány, mely féloldalnyi, minimális mértékben változtatott irodalmi szöveg;
- Szómagyarázat, a „nehéz” szavak megbeszélése;
- A szókincs bővítése, szólások, szóláshasonlatok és közmondások segítségével;
- Szövegértelmezés, irányított kérdésekkel;
- Írásbeli feladatok, a részlet mondanivalójának megerősítésére;
- Nyelvtani gyakorlatok, a szöveg nyelvtani struktúrájának tudatosítására;
- Kiejtési feladatok, az élő magyar beszéd fejlesztésére.

A hallgatók az Olvasófüzeteket nagy örömmel fogadták. Tapasztalataink szerint a csoportok igen különböző tudásszintű tanulóival is lehetett együtt dolgozni a strukturált, következetesen felépített olvasmány-egységek segítségével.
A 3. és a 4. Olvasófüzet a 2013 őszi szemeszterében kerül kipróbálásra.
Az Olvasófüzeteket ajánljuk egyéni és tanár vezette tanuláshoz.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Éva M. Tömöri, graduated from Nagy Lajos High School in Pécs, Hungary. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto and her master's degree from York University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of Pécs, expecting to receive her degree in 2013. Since 2009 Eva M. Tomory has been teaching Hungarian language at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. Éva M. Tömöri has been published in the Hungarian Studies Review and has presented papers at the annual conferences of the Hungarian Studies Association of Canada held by the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences and at academic conferences in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Lithuania, the United States and Hungary.
eva.tomory@zing-net.ca

Velki Magdolna magyar-orosz szakos tanár, az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetemen (ELTE) végzett. Végzése után budapesti középiskolákban tanított. Bekapcsolódott az ELTE Szlavisztikai Tanszékének munkájába. Disszertációjában a szovjet-orosz irodalmat kutatta, egyetemi doktori címet szerzett. A felnőttoktatásban kanadai tartózkodása során szerzett tapasztalatokat. Tanított a Université du Québec à Chicoutimi megbízott oktatójaként. Segédanyagot dolgozott ki a diákok tudászintjének megfelelően.
Kanadában a magyar nyelv tanításának lehetőségeit 2000 óta kutatja. Szakterülete: A magyar mint idegen nyelv oktatása idegen nyelvi környezetben, különös tekintettel ä másod-, harmad-generációs magyarokra. E témáról szerzett ismereteit, kutatásainak eredményeit, valamint gyakorló tanári tapasztalatait cikkekben (Nyelvünk és Kultúránk) és előadásokon Hungarian Studies Association in Canada) mutatja be, valamint magyarországi felsőoktatási intézményekben tett látogatásai alkalmával (Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Balassi Bálint Intézet, Veszprémi Egyetem, Eger Tanárképző). Az ELTE Idegennyelvi Továbbképzö Központ (ITK) Origó nyelvvizsgájának hivatalos vizsgáztatója. Az államilag elismert, magyar egynyelvű vizsgának meghonosítója Kanadában. mvelki@videotron.ca

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Special Challenges of Teaching Hungarian Language in the American Higher Education

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
In order to create effective syllabi, class lesson plans, and offer the best help we can to our students, we need not only to be aware of the needs of our institutions, programs and departments, but also of a much bigger context of Hungarian language teaching. Hungarian language faces special challenges as part of the LCTL (Less Commonly Taught Languages) in the context of American university language programs.
What features should we take into consideration when we teach Hungarian at an American university? How can the ACTFL guidelines, the ILR and the OPI testing systems help us in our everyday teaching? How can a Standards-based Hungarian curriculum or syllabus contribute to the quality of our language programs? But first of all, how can the Hungarian Standards be created? How can Standards assist us, language teachers, in developing our Standards-based curricula? The basic document, “Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century” (1996) reflects a progression in our understanding of how language is used and also gives a basic concept of what we currently think about foreign language teaching in the USA.
The goal of my presentation would be not only to draw our attention to the existing contexts of teaching Hungarian language in the USA or how to be part of a Standards-based system, but also to explore what Standards are and what they are not. I would also like to invite my colleagues, teaching Hungarian at other American universities to cooperate developing the Hungarian Standards, the model of which could be the existing documents of other LCTL Standards.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Valeria Varga has been a visiting lecturer, later a lecturer of Hungarian language since 2005 at Indiana University, Bloomington. She graduated from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest in Hungarian, English and Russian language and literature. She received her Professional Teacher's Degree in 2005, with specialization in mentoring, teacher training, testing and test developing. She first taught Hungarian at IU between 1995 and 1998 as a visiting lecturer.

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