Hungarian Language Textbooks in Transcarpathian Region about Local Language Variants

Abstract

Curriculums, textbooks, and the outlook of teachers play a decisive role in the shaping of confident language use, in the development of balanced language awareness. Purpose. To analyze the information the students of Transcarpathian schools with the Hungarian language of instruction get about the language of their immediate environment from the Hungarian language textbooks used since the 90s of the 20th century, and thus to find out what language awareness is formed by these educational and pedagogical manuals in schoolchildren. Methods. Study and analysis of the Hungarian language textbooks published since the 90s, investigation the ways of dialect phenomenon representation in the manuals created for students of Transcarpathian schools with the Hungarian language of instruction. Results. The manuals convey information to the students considering the characteristics of the local language variants. And the 2005 edition clearly emphasizes the need for a scientific approach, comparing the language variants learned at home and the literary Hungarian language, they work on the formation of situational bilingualism. The latest curriculum and textbooks, however, mean a step back on this long path that can be called successful. Conclusion. The manuals are not suitable for eliminating either the positive or the negative stereotypes and do not convey objective, scientifically founded information about the native language variant of the students. Taking into account the results obtained, it is important to develop curriculums and manuals introducing students of Transcarpathian schools with the Hungarian language of instruction to the peculiarities of local Hungarian and Ukrainian dialects.