Past Abstracts
1,037 abstracts found
Hungarian Jewish Women: Rape and Liberation
History/Political ScienceThis paper will focus on two iconic moments, one is the moment of liberation in 1945 and the other Horthy marching into Cluj on his white horse in 1940. The newsreel footage for both are of a moment of jubilation. In 1940 young wholesome women are photographed waving flags and beaming in their national attire. Likewise, Hungarian Jews felt a patriotic fullness, recalling the “World of Yesterday” when Hungary acquitted Jews with civil rights, permitted them to flourish. They would speak their mother tongue on the streets again. My mother’s disillusionment and trauma began when soldiers in the entering army gang raped her on her way to work downtown. She contracted syphilis and in 1944 was deported to Auschwitz. Similarly, liberation is documented as a moment of jubilation in western newsreels and growingly as a time of rape and pillage in the East. Instead, for my mother and so many others who survived the last death marches, liberation happens on the road with the war raging around them. The Red Army was too busy to tend to them, either to feed them or to rape them. For these vulnerable women, it was a circuitous road home that took many, many months, very often in the wrong direction.
This paper will use testimonies from Transylvanian women including my mother, weaving her story into the larger picture. It relies on the work of Andrea Pető on rape, but even Andrea’s work seems to focus more on the Russian and German armies and the western literature on rape. I will, of course, do my own digging, but I also hope that presenting this topic at the AHEA will help me locate more information about the Hungarian army’s interactions with the public in Transylvania as they reoccupied the area.
This paper will use testimonies from Transylvanian women including my mother, weaving her story into the larger picture. It relies on the work of Andrea Pető on rape, but even Andrea’s work seems to focus more on the Russian and German armies and the western literature on rape. I will, of course, do my own digging, but I also hope that presenting this topic at the AHEA will help me locate more information about the Hungarian army’s interactions with the public in Transylvania as they reoccupied the area.
Hungarian Language and Culture in Delhi, India
Education/Social SciencesHungarian is taught in the capital of India, in Delhi, in a culturally sensitive, multilingual surrounding, to students with very different demands. Classes are held in two central locations in Delhi University and in the Triveni Art Center, that gives home for Hungarian classes twice a week for the time of the construction of the Hungarian Cultural Institute. The linguistic preparedness, gifts and demands of the students are varied, but they can be characterized by openness. The talk deals with the interpretation of a Hungarian play, Gandhi’s Death by László Németh, a film, One Day directed by Zsófia Szilágyi and a poem With Pure Heart by Attila József by Indian students. Though these pieces have a local, hindi, and English translation in each case the students also deal with the original Hungarian text, and evaluate the relationship and differences of the original and the Hindi version. The paper will show to what extent the students’ understanding of Hungarian language, literature and culture is structured around commonalities, differences and similarities and bring about a number of local historical and social associations, call forth new interpretation of classical and new literary works.
Hungarian Language Maintenance in Cleveland, Ohio
Education/Social SciencesThis paper focuses on the situation of Hungarian language maintenance in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to the history of Hungarian language instruction, I will give a detailed account of actual Hungarian language teaching based on interviews, a questionnaire and published materials as well as an outline of my own experience.
Cleveland is one of the most important centers of Hungarian Americans in the USA. The Hungarian population of this very significant American city is about 150,000. For the Hungarian Americans it is important to preserve their language, culture and traditions. In this question three major themes emerge: the value of speaking Hungarian as a sense of identity, the impact of parenting on language maintenance, and the influence of friends and peers through organized events in the Hungarian community, mostly through the scouting movement.
The first Hungarian schools were organized in the Roman Catholic, Reformed and Greek Catholic Churches built in the 1890s by the Cleveland Hungarian community on Buckeye Road. St. Emeric Parish in the near west side area, established in 1904, also provided Hungarian instruction. Presently this church is the home of the Hungarian School and scouting activities.
Founded in 1958, the Hungarian School or Magyar Iskola is attended by students in addition to their regular schooling. The origin of this school may be found in scouting by recognizing the need for a weekend-type school. Since 2002 the Hungarian School is also offering conversational Hungarian classes for adults in different levels.
The history of Hungarian studies in higher education reach back to Hungarian cultural courses at Western Reserve University. In 1960s the center of Hungarian studies has shifted to Cleveland State University and after a long pause it has recently been reestablished in the Department of Modern Languages.
Cleveland is one of the most important centers of Hungarian Americans in the USA. The Hungarian population of this very significant American city is about 150,000. For the Hungarian Americans it is important to preserve their language, culture and traditions. In this question three major themes emerge: the value of speaking Hungarian as a sense of identity, the impact of parenting on language maintenance, and the influence of friends and peers through organized events in the Hungarian community, mostly through the scouting movement.
The first Hungarian schools were organized in the Roman Catholic, Reformed and Greek Catholic Churches built in the 1890s by the Cleveland Hungarian community on Buckeye Road. St. Emeric Parish in the near west side area, established in 1904, also provided Hungarian instruction. Presently this church is the home of the Hungarian School and scouting activities.
Founded in 1958, the Hungarian School or Magyar Iskola is attended by students in addition to their regular schooling. The origin of this school may be found in scouting by recognizing the need for a weekend-type school. Since 2002 the Hungarian School is also offering conversational Hungarian classes for adults in different levels.
The history of Hungarian studies in higher education reach back to Hungarian cultural courses at Western Reserve University. In 1960s the center of Hungarian studies has shifted to Cleveland State University and after a long pause it has recently been reestablished in the Department of Modern Languages.
Hungarian Ministers in the United States during the Interwar Period—Count László Széchenyi and János Pelényi
History/Political ScienceOn August 29, 1921, official diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Hungary and the United States were established after World War I, and as the first representative of Hungary to the US, Count László Széchenyi was appointed Minister of Hungary to Washington, D.C. His successor, János Pelényi was accredited as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States in 1933. Both diplomats were commissioned to create favorable relations between the two countries, and within their means, to further Hungary’s interest in the US, “to strive to promote lasting peace and mutual understanding and to solve the pressing problems of the day with wisdom and courage.” Drawing on archival sources, including primarily Széchenyi’s and Pelényi’s personal papers, as well as the primary sources available in the Hungarian National Archives and the National Archives and Records Administration in the US, the presentation proposes to discuss some of the important tenets of the diplomats’ activities and efforts with view to some of the key issues including, among others, the question of treaty revision and its political and diplomatic repercussions—offering some insights into the challenges and the nature of American-Hungarian relations between the world wars.
Hungarian Minorities in Borlderlands: Transylvania and Ukraine
History/Political ScienceThe author wishes to investigate the situation of Hungarian minorities outside of the borders of Hungary, especially in Transylvania and Ukraine. The relations to the Hungarian Government after the collapse of the Cold War will be considered, including the status law and dual citizenship. Through important examples, the author investigates the life and happiness of minorities in borderlands, both under the socialist governments and the EU membership.
Hungarian Music Tradition in the Online Space; challenges, limits and possibilities
Music/FolkloreMarch 2020 meant the start of a new era in music education: the transposition from the "real" into the virtual environment. We had to overcome the challenge by finding new ways of music instruction/communication, , without sacrificing its main essence and definition. Even though the development of educational technology provided platforms for music courses to take place online, a transformation of pedagogical practice and approach was required. At first, it seemed music is not transferrable from traditional to online environment. Still, after three semesters of teaching all of our courses/classes/lessons online, we can say, that despite the inherent compromises, even traditional program structures can be enhanced with the aid of online teaching.
In Spring 2020, being still the head of the Music Department, I could get an overall view of the way our teaching staff transformed their approaches and strategies. Each of us had to constantly adapt ourselves either by molding the subject content to the digital environment, or by awakening and stimulating a continuous sense of interactivity between us and our students. from. Implications included also assisting music faculty in their endeavor of adapting their pedagogical approach on individual, departmental and institutional levels.
In Fall 2020, our department became the consortium leader of the Erasmus+ project "A New Era of Digital Platforms in Music E-ducation", tender created to help overcome the COVID-crisis in music industry, both in its performative and educational aspect. The project is built upon a strategic partnership between 7 institutions, it aims to help the recovery from the pandemic, by:
1) defining the innovative methods for an efficient online teaching
2) creating a large spectrum audio database of parts and voices of vocal/instrumental/theoretical music subjects
3) implementing blended music teaching
4) developing a progressive, integrated digital curriculum for all music subjects
5) providing an E-platform for all participating partners, music creating collaborative discussion opportunities for musicians and promoting deeper music educational and interpretative understanding.
In Spring 2020, being still the head of the Music Department, I could get an overall view of the way our teaching staff transformed their approaches and strategies. Each of us had to constantly adapt ourselves either by molding the subject content to the digital environment, or by awakening and stimulating a continuous sense of interactivity between us and our students. from. Implications included also assisting music faculty in their endeavor of adapting their pedagogical approach on individual, departmental and institutional levels.
In Fall 2020, our department became the consortium leader of the Erasmus+ project "A New Era of Digital Platforms in Music E-ducation", tender created to help overcome the COVID-crisis in music industry, both in its performative and educational aspect. The project is built upon a strategic partnership between 7 institutions, it aims to help the recovery from the pandemic, by:
1) defining the innovative methods for an efficient online teaching
2) creating a large spectrum audio database of parts and voices of vocal/instrumental/theoretical music subjects
3) implementing blended music teaching
4) developing a progressive, integrated digital curriculum for all music subjects
5) providing an E-platform for all participating partners, music creating collaborative discussion opportunities for musicians and promoting deeper music educational and interpretative understanding.
Hungarian Parish Priests in the US during the 1930s and 1940s
History/Political ScienceA rather unique phenomenon revealed itself in Catholic ecclesiastical sources regarding the history of the parish priests of the Diocese of Szombathely, Hungary. From the early 20th Century onward, several records show that young parish priests were sent for two or four years to the USA for the purpose of „cura animarum”. After a few years they returned home to their diocese and continued their work as parish priests. Perth Amboy (New Jersey), Toledo (Ohio), and Woodbridge (Virginia) were amongst the destinations in the States. These priests were mostly born and raised in the above mentioned diocese at the western border of Hungary, most of them never left the county (Vas) afterwards. My hypothesis is that this practice is linked to the fact that huge amount of people migrated from Hungary to the US in the late 19th and early 20th century. They formed closed communities, and these communities articulated their need of pastoral care in their native language. It is remarkable that from such a distance those local communities managed to make their voices heard. And on the other side, the bishop of the Diocese of Szombathely not only received the message, but felt responsible for these communities and made arrangements to make it possible to send priests overseas regularly. We know of no other Hungarian diocese where this custom was practiced.
Hungarian Perceptions of the American ‘Indian’
History/Political ScienceStories of American ‘Indians’ representing the forces of good against evil were a typical element of Hungarian childhood throughout the 20th century. The lifestyle and the values presented in ‘Indian’ tales often captured the interest of adults as well, and in some cases, they also keenly participated in ‘Indian camps’, wearing ‘Indian’ clothes and names. Although the popularity and importance of ‘Indian’ tales and plays has been declining in the 21st century, ‘Indians’ and their culture still mean a significant point of reference in Hungary.
Nevertheless, Hungarian perceptions of the American ‘Indian’ are not uniform – they reveal a wide range of narratives. The aim of this paper is to analyze and differentiate these perceptions throughout the 20th century and identify the most important overarching narratives in order to answer two questions: Is there indeed a widespread willingness in the Hungarian society to identify with American ‘Indians’ based on perceived similarities in the different periods of the 20th century? What are the most important factors that explain the keen willingness of Hungarians to identify with the American ‘Indian’?
(The paper consistently uses the concept of the ‘Indian’, but this is by no means used as a reference to Native Americans, their Tribes, their societies or their cultures. It refers to the products of Hungarian imagination about Native Americans, which have been in constant interactions with the Hungarian reality, and only rarely with the authentic Native American one.)
Nevertheless, Hungarian perceptions of the American ‘Indian’ are not uniform – they reveal a wide range of narratives. The aim of this paper is to analyze and differentiate these perceptions throughout the 20th century and identify the most important overarching narratives in order to answer two questions: Is there indeed a widespread willingness in the Hungarian society to identify with American ‘Indians’ based on perceived similarities in the different periods of the 20th century? What are the most important factors that explain the keen willingness of Hungarians to identify with the American ‘Indian’?
(The paper consistently uses the concept of the ‘Indian’, but this is by no means used as a reference to Native Americans, their Tribes, their societies or their cultures. It refers to the products of Hungarian imagination about Native Americans, which have been in constant interactions with the Hungarian reality, and only rarely with the authentic Native American one.)
Hungarian Plays into American Films
Cultural Studies/ArtsIt is generally known that Hollywood in the interwar years boasted a large Hungarian colony, with émigrés working in all capacities, but they were especially prominent as playwrights and screenwriters. Some of the most popular movies were based on Hungarian plays. For various reasons the contributions of Hungarians has been downplayed. Ernst Lubitsch's writing collaborator Samson Raphaelson dismissed the plays, saying he did not even read them. Billy Wilder, first a screenwriter then a director in his own right, repeated the maxim that Hungarian plays have no third act. In this presentation I will examine three important films and how and why they were changed from stage to screen. Aladár László's A becsületes megtaláló was realized as Trouble in Paradise, Miklós László's Illatszertár became The Shop Around the Corner, and László Bús-Fekete's Születésnap was the basis for Heaven Can Wait, all directed by the legendary Ernst Lubitsch. To my knowledge, this is the first time that such a comparison of the Hungarian plays with their American film versions has been attempted.
Hungarian Poets: Using Historical Narrative to Prepare for a Better Future
Language/LiteratureHungarian literature has often looked to the past not with nostalgia but with an agenda. Zrinyi praised his ancestor for heroic deeds to encourage his country to throw off the Ottoman yoke through a united effort. The Romantic poets, notably Vörösmarty and Arany also reached into the past to revive pride in athe nation and to urge it to step forward into a country in livelly dialogue with its future. The vatic vision of Petőfi was less motivated by history than by folklore, yet even thisd reaches back to an earlier, presumably simpler and better times. The goal of all was to create a nation proud of its past and unified by a shared tradition. Their example can show us how the past can be a gateway to the future.
Hungarian Police Officers in the US Service
History/Political ScienceThe presentation's focal point is the trajectory of a distinct police unit and its members. Before World War II, the relevant civilian response work was carried out within the framework of the police in Hungary. The Political Police Department, operating under the auspices of the Budapest Police Headquarters, was entrusted with the conducting prevention work. By the end of the 1930s, it was evident that Germany, an ally in theory, was conducting covert operations activities within Hungary. Consequently, upon the Wehrmacht's occupation of Hungary on March 19, 1944, one of the initial actions by the SS and SD units was to apprehend police officers exhibiting opposition to the German forces. Concurrently, numerous police officers anticipated the continuation of their careers, and even expected advancements in their careers following the German occupation. The so-called State Security Police, which was established during this period, served the occupiers and participated in the Holocaust. In 1945, the group's activities centered on the resolution of an anti-state conspiracy. The German police officers were detained for several weeks and subsequently deported. In 1945, the prisoners were liberated by US troops and subsequently entered the Counter Intelligence Corps with the objective of identifying and apprehending Hungarian war criminals.
Hungarian Prospective Teacher’s Career and Mastery Motivation
Education/Social SciencesTeacher shortage as a problematic phenomenon has appeared all over the world during recent years; therefore international studies have turned towards mapping prospective teachers' career and mastery motivation. These are such multifactorial systems whose certain elements cannot be directly influenced by researchers – for example, teachers' salary or social esteem – while others, like students' professional self-perception, can be changed through teacher training. The consideration of prospective teachers' mastery and career motivation is critical in the formation and shaping of teacher preparation programs because by failing to do so we risk losing prospects' motivation and interest, which can lead to attrition.
The presentation introduces the first large-scale assessment (N=454) conducted in Hungary that investigated first-year prospective teachers' career and mastery motivation. All students took a mandatory online mastery motivation (24 items) and a career choice questionnaire (28 items). Students who are satisfied with their career choice have shown a higher level of task persistence. The better self-perception students have, the higher level of mastery motivation is shown. Those students feel less task-related pleasure, who think of teaching as a fallback career. According to the results, we can suppose that one in five students may leave the teaching studies or profession at some point. In the case of early intervention (e.g., enhancing their professional self-perception through including research studies and active learning forms in the teacher training curricula), we can reduce the number of attrition.
The presentation introduces the first large-scale assessment (N=454) conducted in Hungary that investigated first-year prospective teachers' career and mastery motivation. All students took a mandatory online mastery motivation (24 items) and a career choice questionnaire (28 items). Students who are satisfied with their career choice have shown a higher level of task persistence. The better self-perception students have, the higher level of mastery motivation is shown. Those students feel less task-related pleasure, who think of teaching as a fallback career. According to the results, we can suppose that one in five students may leave the teaching studies or profession at some point. In the case of early intervention (e.g., enhancing their professional self-perception through including research studies and active learning forms in the teacher training curricula), we can reduce the number of attrition.
Hungarian Revival Folk DancersDuring the Coronavirus Epidemic Through the Meme #legényesézzotthon [‘ do legényes at home’]
Music/FolkloreThe 2020 coronavirus epidemic brought measures that affected our everyday life. The strict epidemical instructions not only influenced the economic system of the government but society and within that the socio-cultural activities of smaller communities. Due to the global pandemic, the Hungarian folk revival community also has been reorganized in digital space and online platforms, events, and programs were created that can be considered as reactions to the pandemic situation. The present case study investigates how the cultural life of the Hungarian revival folk dancer community has been changed due to such restrictions. I present what kind of initiatives were started in the civil and institutional sphere, how as a result dance groups maintain their community nature. The analysis done through digital fieldwork, as well as with the aid of online semi-structured interviews and surveys. Through my survey I was able to gain an insight into a part of the community’s online activity, their initiatives, and the memes they created after the lockdown. The conclusion is the examined community’s activity is based on their direct connection among themselves and personal contact through dance and music, which cannot be reproduced online. Their activities in the digital space cannot replace personal connections but yet it does maintain and safeguard their feeling of community.
Hungarian Scientists in the United States
Science/EconomicsHungarian scientists came to the United States in several waves over the last hundred years. Many of them became world-famous Nobel Prize winners in the twentieth century, others have been working in the United States for decades, while many came more recently. The combination of the knowledge provided by the Hungarian education system and the conditions offered by the US research and scientific community is a special characteristic of most of these scientists. Last year I started organizing conferences dedicated to the scientific heritage of the great Hungarian minds, but with a future-oriented perspective. We want to see what the future holds for science. Our starting point was John von Neumann, who had an immense impact on various fields such as computer science/artificial intelligence, mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics and even meteorology and climate change. But other Martians of the last century have also given a lot to the world, and the new generation of young scientists is also on the rise. In November 2023, probably the largest multidisciplinary conference ever dedicated to Hungarian science was held at New York University. In April this year, Philadelphia became the venue for the next major scientific event, a city where Katalin Kariko spent several decades to achieve her outstanding scientific results, that earned her the Nobel Prize. This year is also memorable because two outstanding scientists, Gyorgy Olah and John Harasnyi, received the Nobel Prize exactly 30 years ago. In addition, 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the invention of Erno Rubik's famous cube, which has enchanted hundreds of millions of people over the past decades. These events and anniversaries give us further opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Hungarian and American scientists and educators through innovative ideas and events.
Hungarian Spectrum
History/Political ScienceÉva Balogh's Hungarian Spectrum, reflections on politics, economics, and culture blog has been selected for archiving by the Library of Congress. hungarianspectrum.wordpress.com
Hungarian Teacher and Cultural Ambassador in American High School
Education/Social Sciences“Increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills” is the main goal of the Fulbright Programs.
As a grantee of the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange program teaching English Literature at an American high school this academic year, it is also my mission to be a cultural ambassador of Hungary. Meeting rigorous high school curriculum requirements, raising teenagers’ interests to the “world out there”, and discovering the best ways to share my home culture present me with a real, but rewarding challenge. It involves leaving room for questions, finding the right times and venues to tell about national holidays, celebrations, and cultural treasures; discovering parallels between Greek mythology, Shakespeare, contemporary American writers and Hungarian literature, and presenting all these in ways that add to the learning experience, and ultimately to the life of American teenagers. My goal is to show students that the world is far bigger than they know it, and they have a chance to get to know more of it. I wish to do this through the culture and literature of my home country, in ways that are relevant to the students, and could last longer than preparing for a test. Being an exchange teacher, I have the outstanding opportunity to do all these in a setting that allows American students and teachers to connect with Hungarian students and teachers, both on- and off-line.
Equipment needed: projector (power point)
As a grantee of the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange program teaching English Literature at an American high school this academic year, it is also my mission to be a cultural ambassador of Hungary. Meeting rigorous high school curriculum requirements, raising teenagers’ interests to the “world out there”, and discovering the best ways to share my home culture present me with a real, but rewarding challenge. It involves leaving room for questions, finding the right times and venues to tell about national holidays, celebrations, and cultural treasures; discovering parallels between Greek mythology, Shakespeare, contemporary American writers and Hungarian literature, and presenting all these in ways that add to the learning experience, and ultimately to the life of American teenagers. My goal is to show students that the world is far bigger than they know it, and they have a chance to get to know more of it. I wish to do this through the culture and literature of my home country, in ways that are relevant to the students, and could last longer than preparing for a test. Being an exchange teacher, I have the outstanding opportunity to do all these in a setting that allows American students and teachers to connect with Hungarian students and teachers, both on- and off-line.
Equipment needed: projector (power point)
Hungarian Women and Alcohol Use: A Systematic Review
Cultural Studies/ArtsHungary has one of the highest rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and mortality from liver cirrhosis in the world. While the field of addiction research has assessed the impact of AUD in Hungary, researchers have predominately assessed AUD in Hungarian men. Furthermore, the literature demonstrates a correlation between AUD and intergenerational trauma yet there is a dearth in research assessing the relationship between AUD and intergenerational trauma in Hungarians. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the relationship between Hungarian women and alcohol use and the impact of intergenerational trauma on Hungarian women’s alcohol use. There were 526 articles initially identified; 17 articles were assessed for full-text review, and 10 were excluded due to lack of rigor or falling outside of the scope. The remaining seven articles demonstrated moderate evidence that Hungarian women consume less alcohol than Hungarian men. Furthermore, the studies showed that women with co-occurring mental health disorders may experience higher rates of AUD. While a history of trauma may correlate with increased alcohol use, there is insufficient evidence regarding intergenerational trauma’s impact on Hungarian women’s consumption of alcohol. Future research should focus on changing patterns of alcohol consumption in Hungarian women, particularly those with a history of intergenerational trauma.
Hungarian Women’s Traumatic Embodied Narratives of the Holocaust
Cultural Studies/ArtsI will examine how women of different cultural backgrounds narrate their Holocaust experiences pertaining particularly to [the loss of] their gender identity, and, more broadly, to female-centered “politics of the body.” I will discuss how gendered bodily experience is foregrounded in their recording of events about their physically and psychologically traumatized war experiences, illustrating that the human body is itself a politically enscribed entity. I will discuss, among others, the memoirs of two women from Transylvania, Gisella Perl, an Orthodox Jew and noted gynecologist, who with her bare hands aborted 1,500 fetuses in Auschwitz, and that of Olga Lengyel, who, in contrast, tried to deny her origins, but did write at length about sexual activity in the camp. I will also discuss the work of Edith Bruck, who unlike Perl and Lengyel, came from an impoverished shtetl background, and whose whole oeuvre is suffused with issues of women’s bodily experiences, beginning with her recounting of undergoing menarche at age twelve while enclosed in the cattle cars on the way to Auschwitz, to her postwar life ,where she willfully aborted numerous times. Bruck’s work also illustrates that bodily trauma, particularly that related to rape and to motherhood, did not end with the liberation, where many women had to struggle to restructure their gender identity.
Hungarian-American Families’ Perception on Heritage Language Literacy Practices through Media Technologies
Education/Social SciencesDespite the increasing number of 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 (HL) is completely lost, often causing devastating consequences on immigrant children’s identities, family relationship, and academic accomplishments. Besides numerous well-researched factors, little attention was given to the effects of the use of media-technologies in families’ HL practices.
During the past decade technology has transformed our lives. The advancement and the availability of various media technologies has changed the way people live, work and communicate. Media sources have also been found beneficial for HL development. Among those are television programs in the HL, cartoons on video or DVD from the heritage culture, pop songs and audiobooks in the HL, video tapes for educational purposes, and the Internet (Cho & Krashen, 2000), DeCapua and Wintergerst, 2009, Park & Sarkar, 2007). In addition, media technologies such as email, social networking websites and Skype, a telephone and video calling service over the World Wide Web, carry new opportunities to connect immigrants with their families in the heritage country (Şenyürekli & Detzner, 2009). As a result, through becoming a part of each other’s virtual lives, immigrant families have enjoyed a day-to-day relationship with relatives and friends in the heritage country.
A study was conducted to delve deep into Hungarian – American families ' perceptions regarding the role media technologies play in their children's literacy development and maintenance of the Hungarian language in the United States. One hundred families participated in the on-line survey. Our analysis focused on the parents’ perception on the importance of HL maintenance, the barriers in this process and their perception on the use of media in HL maintenance. This presentation will report on the perceptions of Hungarian – American families on the use of media technologies in the maintenance of the Hungarian language and culture. For educators and families, regardless of their country of residence, this presentation will provide new insights into strategies and practices for maintenance of the Hungarian language and culture through the family members’ eyes.
During the past decade technology has transformed our lives. The advancement and the availability of various media technologies has changed the way people live, work and communicate. Media sources have also been found beneficial for HL development. Among those are television programs in the HL, cartoons on video or DVD from the heritage culture, pop songs and audiobooks in the HL, video tapes for educational purposes, and the Internet (Cho & Krashen, 2000), DeCapua and Wintergerst, 2009, Park & Sarkar, 2007). In addition, media technologies such as email, social networking websites and Skype, a telephone and video calling service over the World Wide Web, carry new opportunities to connect immigrants with their families in the heritage country (Şenyürekli & Detzner, 2009). As a result, through becoming a part of each other’s virtual lives, immigrant families have enjoyed a day-to-day relationship with relatives and friends in the heritage country.
A study was conducted to delve deep into Hungarian – American families ' perceptions regarding the role media technologies play in their children's literacy development and maintenance of the Hungarian language in the United States. One hundred families participated in the on-line survey. Our analysis focused on the parents’ perception on the importance of HL maintenance, the barriers in this process and their perception on the use of media in HL maintenance. This presentation will report on the perceptions of Hungarian – American families on the use of media technologies in the maintenance of the Hungarian language and culture. For educators and families, regardless of their country of residence, this presentation will provide new insights into strategies and practices for maintenance of the Hungarian language and culture through the family members’ eyes.
Hungarian-American Immigrant Children’s Use of Media Technologies to Maintain Their Heritage Language and Culture
Education/Social SciencesDespite 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.
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.
