Education paper by Maróti, Orsolya
A Turning Point in Heritage Language Teaching?
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
Bilingualism, language acquisition, language learning, language attrition – we could analyze the language usage of Hungarian language speakers living outside of Hungary from each perspective. From methodological perspective - discovering their interlanguage (Selinker 1972) and finding effective teaching methods for the new generations - it is worth considering the introduction of the concept of heritage language that involves the specific circumstances of their life and their relationship with the Hungarian language community.
What are the advantages of describing the typical aspects of heritage language in language teaching? How can we make use of its universal characteristics? What can we gain from discovering the features specific to the Hungarian heritage language? Would viewing Hungarian language from a heritage language point of view influence the method of teaching it?
Language teaching in Hungarian afternoon/weekend schools outside of Hungary is very similar to that of being used in primary schools in Hungary. The books they use were actually made for schools in Hungary. How can this influence the way students consider their language knowledge and their language identity? Is it possible to create course materials, language books that reflect this kind of view on heritage language and if so, does it worth it at all? Could a different approach change the education of future generations?
In the lecture I am attempting to lay out the possible answers and to show the changes in the teaching methods in certain Hungarian communities.
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 in 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.