Hungarian Language and Culture Teaching for Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Students and International HE Students in Hungary (Accepted)

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Providing Hungarian language and culture courses for incoming higher education students is a way of supporting integration. Attending these courses is a compulsory requirement in more scholarship programs coordinated by Tempus Public Foundation (TPF), the Hungarian national agency managing international scholarship, grant, and cooperation programs. As institutional course management and teaching methods differ, there was a growing need to create a space for development and networking. For this reason, since 2020, TPF has provided virtual training for language teachers to connect practices.
In the case of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Programme, the Hungarian language and culture courses are important tools to connect with the students’ Hungarian roots – regardless of the level of language skills when entering the program. Diaspora scholarship holders are required to attend the course during the whole study period and to pass a language exam. For these reasons, a different set of teaching methods and skills are required.
The session aims to outline the Hungarian language and culture teaching experiences of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Programme presenting relevant statistical data and findings based on the surveying of language teachers and students. It also provides a general insight into how the quality assurance system of the scholarship programs managed by TPF supports the institutional management of language teaching and how the content of such courses is shifting to meet student expectations.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Lilla Lakatos is a higher education professional with 10 years of experience in the field of the internationalization of Hungarian higher education. She joined Tempus Public Foundation 8 years ago and has been coordinating various international scholarship programs for more than 5 years. She has also contributed to projects that aimed to strengthen international cooperation between universities and assist the internationalization process of Hungarian universities. Previously, she was a colleague of the Centre for International Relations of Eszterházy Károly University. As an international relations expert, she holds an MA degree in Global Politics, earned in Sweden.