Hungarian Language Research Articles

This study explores whether and how linguistic resources foster digital engagement and digital inclusion in multilingual settings. We focus on Hungarians in Romania, a traditional ethnic and linguistic minority group, which live in a country where overall connectivity is high but average digital skills remain low, and which developed a strong native-language institutional system. Using representative survey data (N = 1688) and linear models, we estimate the separate contributions of demographic, socioeconomic, technological (digital skills, self-efficacy, time online, social support), and linguistic factors (frequency of online Hungarian use; proficiency in Romanian and English) to six domains of digital engagement: information seeking, work and services, learning, communication, entertainment, and e-commerce. Findings suggest that digital skills and digital self-efficacy are the strong, independent predictors of more beneficial online activities, while English is the most consistent linguistic predictor of advanced and socio-economically beneficial engagement (learning, working, and using digital services), while Hungarian language use supports only socio-economically less beneficial and complex activities, such as online communication, social media engagement, or entertainment. Romanian, the official state language, plays a limited role in predicting digital engagement across domains, most probably because Hungarian speakers rarely use Romanian online. Implications are twofold. First, and foremost, self-sufficient and extended minority-language ecosystems do not automatically translate into beneficial digital engagement; the effects of online native language use are domain-specific and are not effective enough if individuals do not possess digital skills and -self-efficacy. From a policy perspective, expanding minority-language content alone is insufficient to reduce digital inequalities, targeted interventions regarding digital skills are needed.

From 1935 onwards, students from the Netherlands regularly visited the Debrecen Summer University. Imre Tarnóczy, a member of the board of the International Students' Club in Utrecht, played an important role in recruiting the students and organizing the trip. Tarnóczy, and later Elly Hoekstra, also took the Hungarian language proficiency exam at the Summer University. Some of the students visiting here came from the Dutch Asian colonies. The students attended language and country studies courses, went to the open-air bath, and visited the Hortobágy and several cities in Northeastern Hungary. The local and national press reported on their stay, and interviews and photos were taken with them. The Dutch did not come to Debrecen during World War II, and we only see them at the Summer University in 1947 again.F

The paper analyses the representation of Lithuania in the five most visited Hungarian news websites (Index, Telex, Portfolio, 24, 444) in the period from 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2024 aiming to evaluate in which thematic contexts and in what ways Lithuania is being represented in the Hungarian language media in the light of the recent European security situation. The study revealed that the Hungarian news websites analysed in the research covered various issues related to Lithuania providing a broad panoramic view on topicalities of Lithuania. These news were divided into two parts: the security news, covering anything related to Russia‘s war against Ukraine and European security issues, and also all the other news. The study revealed that Lithuania during the researched period was mainly represented in the light of the Russian war against Ukraine and the European security situation, yet there were also many other regularly appearing references to Lithuania in the Hungarian media reflecting Liethuanian topicalities. The study aims to contribute to the discussions about the bilateral Lithuanian and Hungarian relations in the twenty first century also aspiring to focus on the European integration dimension in the media in the light of unity within NATO and EU.

This paper studies the framing of Russia’s war against Ukraine in Hungarian language online media in Romania. It considers the research of various authors and organizations who described the Hungarian language media system in Romania as subject to the Hungarian Government’s influence, due to the centralized media ownership and financing structure, but also as supporting ethnic parallelism. As recent surveys show the Hungarian ethnic minority in Romania is less critical towards Russia’s aggression of Ukraine, in contrast to the Romanian majority, our research objective is to study how the war in Ukraine was presented to the Hungarian minority. We conduct a content analysis of news published between May 2024 – January 2025, to problematize on the potential of the media to shape the public perceptions of its consumers.

This study presents the situation of social work graduates who were trained in a minority language and work in multicultural environments. Professional integration and perceptions of the ability to use the knowledge acquired during university studies were investigated by administering a questionnaire to 111 graduates trained in the North-West region of Romania. The results show that graduates' motivation plays an important role in their professional activity. Although most of them can use their mother tongue at work, language competence is important, but not the most important factor in professional integration.

Abstract In our paper we explore the intricate relationship between language and identity within the Hungarian language minority residing in Slovakia, examining the patterns of identification among high school students in Western Slovakia. Focusing on upper-secondary Hungarian-medium high school students, we investigate the role of the Hungarian language in shaping identity patterns and cultural unity. Through a mixed-methods approach, combining a quantitative questionnaire survey with qualitative focus group discussions, we address research questions regarding the construction of community belonging and adolescents' attachments to their region and homeland. Our study, encompassing 414 students from five Hungarian-medium gymnasiums, sheds light on the identity formation of the Hungarian national minority and highlights divergent tendencies between different age groups. The findings are part of an ongoing state-level research project.

Abstract The process of language teaching is intricately entwined with the concepts of culture, language, and lifestyle, which collectively shape one's identity. Language textbooks, functioning as conduits for cultural transmission, inherently communicate the distinctive aspects of identity associated with a specific nation. While theoretical frameworks in foreign language education underscore the critical role of culture and identity, practical implementation often falls short (cf. Norton, 2013; Liddicoat and Scarino, 2013). Despite extensive research exploring the cultural dimensions of language teaching, there remains a shortage of studies focusing on cultural activities and intercultural competence among learners of Hungarian as a foreign language (Árvay, 2015; Holló, 2008).This research aims to scrutinize the cultural aspects embedded within the MagyarOK textbook series, tailored for beginners engaged in the language teaching process of Hungarian as a foreign language. The analysis involved predefined variables, evaluating the content in terms of chapters, with a specific focus on the incorporation of personal names related to Hungarian and foreign cultures. Additionally, the study examined the representation of Hungarian and foreign culture-related features, including languages, nationalities, cities, and countries throughout the textbooks. The findings shed light on how these elements within the textbook series provide valuable insights into Hungarian culture and facilitate language learners' cultural immersion, fostering the development of their language acquisition and intercultural communication skills.

Abstract This study presents the findings of a study of the use of the mother tongue by Hungarian-speaking secondary school students in Slovakia who are members of a minority group. In the course of our questionnaire survey, we investigated the use of two varieties of the Hungarian language, the standard Hungarian variety and the regional Hungarian varieties spoken in Slovakia. The results of the survey, conducted with the assistance of 13 educational institutions and 793 respondents, demonstrate whether Hungarian secondary school students in Slovakia perceive a distinction between the Hungarian varieties used in Hungary and Slovakia, in which communicative contexts they perceive themselves to employ them, and to what extent they self-report their familiarity and recognition of the varieties.

IntroductionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy and safety of healthcare interventions. For valid systematic reviews and evidence-based clinical guidelines, it is essential that results of all eligible RCTs are accessible. However, articles about trials published in languages other than English are often not listed in well-known and open trial databases like Medline and therefore scarcely findable. Handsearching national journals is an important approach to identify these articles and enhance their global visibility. Consequently, the results of trials conducted and published in non-English-speaking countries are not lost but rather integrated into the global body of evidence.The present study aims to evaluate the benefits of extensive handsearching in Hungary and to identify key medical fields for future efforts. We will also assess the extent of grey literature in Hungary. We will appraise the risk of bias in the identified RCTs and controlled clinical trials (CCTs; indicating quasi-randomised or possibly randomised controlled trials) and examine the reporting quality of articles in Hungarian medical journals. Additionally, we will explore whether the automation tool Paperfetcher, recommended by Cochrane for handsearching, can effectively support these efforts in a non-English language context.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a cover-to-cover handsearch of all Hungarian medical journals publishing content in the year 2023 to identify all controlled clinical trials, including RCTs, CCTs and non-RCTs, which are trials that use a clearly non-random method for allocating participants to groups. We will also search conference proceedings submitted to the Hungarian National Széchényi Library, abstract supplements from journals available via the Hungarian Medical Bibliography database, preprints available on medRxiv, Hungarian theses and dissertations, as well as Google Scholar to identify grey literature.Two independent researchers will screen the identified records, assess their eligibility, extract data and evaluate the risk of bias and reporting quality according to the CONSORT statement. To verify the availability of reports and publications derived from the identified trials in electronic databases, we will systematically search MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase and Scopus. All identified RCTs and CCTs not yet included in CENTRAL will be added to the database. Additionally, we will compare handsearching supported by the Paperfetcher tool with unsupported handsearching to evaluate the tool’s effectiveness in a Hungarian language context.Ethics and disseminationSince the publication resulting from the handsearching activity is a retrospective review of publicly available sources of evidence, ethical approval is not required. The study findings will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented at international conferences.

Hungarian is apluricentriclanguage, which means that it is used inpublicadministration, education, culture, and other high-prestige linguistic domains in multiple countries. One of the main goals of the Termini Hungarian LanguageResearch Network is to document the distinctive lexical elements of the regional language varieties spoken by Hungarian minorities outside the borders of Hungary and to establish these mostly state-language loanwords as recognized elements of the Hungarian lexicon. The Termini Online Hungarian Dictionary and Database(TOHDD), available online since 2007, contains more than 5,570 lexical borrowings from the everyday speech of Hungarian minorities living in Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Promoting the content of the dictionary is a key task, as most people tend to have a negative attitude toward vocabulary elements that deviate from the standard variety of the Hungarian language. For this reason, adissemination project showcasing cross-border language use has been launched under the name The Word of the Week. In 2016, the editors of the TOHDD in Croatia first introduced itas acolumn in a local newspaper. Shortly afterward, TheWord of the Weekposts began to appearon the Termini Facebook page, expanding to all regions. Every week, a loanword relevant to thegiven timeperiod was shared via social media, allowing both Hungarians in Hungary and those living beyond the country’s borders to become familiar with the unique lexical elements of various regional language varieties.After a longpause, The Word of the Weekresumed in April 2024 on a weekly basis and has yielded numerous positive results within a year. The posts have reached tens of thousands of people, who have liked, shared, or commented on the images more than 4,000times, contributing to the greater acceptance of Hungarian language varieties spoken outside Hungary. The initiative has successfully ensured that discussions about different Hungarian language varieties are not confinedto sociolinguistic and contact linguistic studies published in scientificjournals but are also present in a widely accessibleand frequently used social media platform.

Abstract Since the end of the 18th century, when knowledge and awareness of the linguistically related Hungarian and Finnish language started to spread in both language speaking communities, several different forms of social, political and cultural relations have encouraged members of the two societies to learn each other's language. Knowing the language of the partner community has meant deeper insight into its cultural, social, and public life, and it has been a key to understanding each other better. This research aims at answering the question of what motivates adult language learners to study Hungarian as a foreign language in present day Finland. The study focusses on adult education and university education as study environments. The research methodology mixes qualitative and quantitative methods and is empirical in nature. The theoretical background is based on research on motivation for language learning, particularly on Zoltán Dörnyei's model about components of foreign language learning motivation, and on the context of the history of social and cultural relations between Finland and Hungary. The results show that elements of the Dörnyei model surface within the answers of the research participants and can be further grouped according to categories related to those of Dörnyei.

The content and methods used in schools to teach and develop first language competencies are of crucial importance. This has a significant influence on the usability, prestige, and value of the given language within the community. In Transcarpathia, a mother tongue education reform began in the mid-2000s, aiming to renew the content and methodology of language education by introducing an additive (inclusive) approach. Additivity – which must be both a method and a perspective in native language education – is based on the idea that learners’ sense of linguistic security and confidence can only be developed if we acknowledge that the language variety they bring from home is a dialectal and contact-influenced variety. Instead of eliminating this diversity, teachers should build upon it, teaching both the standard language and the appropriate use of different varieties and registers in schools. By using the additive method, a certain type of linguistic awareness can be developed that enables learners to adapt their oral and written language use to different communicative situations. For over two decades, the Department of Philology at the Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education and the Antal Hodinka Linguistic Research Centre have been studying Transcarpathian Hungarian language use, bilingualism, and linguistic or dialectal attitudes. These research findings have been incorporated into Hungarian teacher training and philology programs at the Rákóczi College and have also influenced school education. Speakers’ linguistic consciousness and attitudes towards languages and dialects are largely shaped by what they learn or hear at school and the attitudes they encounter from teachers. The additive approach has proven to be an effective way of fostering linguistic confidence and tolerance. In this study, we present the pedagogical research and theoretical foundations developed over the past twenty years in the context of mother tongue education in Transcarpathia, supported by empirical research findings. We also introduce tasks and methods that have been proven to contribute to effective mother tongue education. Keywords: mother tongue education, linguistic attitude, teacher training, tasks, additive method.

Background: There is a small number of questionnaires for children in the international literature that assess back care knowledge and spine disease prevention. A back care knowledge questionnaire in Hungarian for 14-17-year-old children is not yet available. This study aimed to translate and adapt the back care knowledge questionnaire published by Monfort et al. into the Hungarian language and to examine its reliability and validity in assessing the back care knowledge of 14-17-year-old children. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 253 (134 girls and 119 boys) adolescents, with a mean age of 14.84 (14-17) years. The questionnaire adaptation was performed according to Beaton's six-step principle. To test its internal consistency, the Kuder-Richardson 20 formula, containing binary variables, was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. The test-retest reliability was examined by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). SPSS 27.0 software was used for data analysis, and the results were considered significant at p < 0.05. Results: The internal consistency measured by the Kuder-Richardson 20 coefficient examining the reliability of the questionnaire was 0.514. The test-retest reliability measured by intraclass correlation coefficients was 0.992 (0.985-0.996) p < 0.001. According to the Health Questionnaire on Back Care Knowledge and Spine Disease Prevention for 14-17-year-old children, the level of back care knowledge was 57.2%. Conclusions: The back care knowledge of Hungarian children is around 57.2%, which is lower than the data published in the international literature (60-70%). The Hungarian version of the questionnaire assessing the back care knowledge of 14-17-year-old children, the "Health Questionnaire on Back Care Knowledge and Spine Disease Prevention for 14-17 years old children (HEQBACK-14-17)", was found to be a suitable back care knowledge measuring tool among 14-17-year-olds; however, the development or adaptation of more measurement tools is needed for better understanding and more precise examination.

This article considers the peculiarities of the language use of Transcarpathian Hungarian students, with a focus on the knowledge of the meanings of Ukrainian and Russian loanwords. In this research, a total of 63 students from local colleges, universities and vocational schools solved five different tasks during an online survey. They were asked to describe pictures in Hungarian, to replace Ukrainian and Russian borrowings with Hungarian standard equivalents, to solve multiple choice questions on the meaning of loanwords, to name concepts based on definitions, and to list additional loanwords from their everyday language use. The results show that the majority of the Transcarpathian Hungarian students are familiar with the meanings of Slavic lexical borrowings; however, they prefer the Hungarian language equivalents due to their mother tongue dominance. The only exceptions are culture-specific terms (xenisms), including the names of currencies, institutions, and food.

The present article examines the problem of the role and place of the major historical process called the Great Migration of Peoples, which took place in Europe in the 2nd-10th centuries, in the formation of the Hungarian language. The problem is very relevant and interesting due to the fact that, being on the territory of Eastern Europe, the Hungarian people created a state in the very heart of Western Europe, forming the so-called “language island” in the center of a huge territory inhabited by Indo-European peoples. The author analyzes this problem using the etymology of Hungarian words and comparing them with the material of ancient Turkic languages.

Due to risk and response-adapted treatment strategies, more than 80% of newly diagnosed adult classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients at any stage can be cured and become long-term survivors. A well-known side effect is cognitive dysfunction that appears in HL patients after chemotherapy (chemobrain). In the present longitudinal study, we measured cognitive function in our HL patients, in search of potential correlations between patient-related factors, the signs and symptoms of their diseases, and therapeutic factors. Patients underwent a computer-assisted assessment (CANTAB) of cognitive function (especially domains of visual memory, attention, working memory, and planning) and filled out psychological questionnaires (standardized, self-administered and validated for Hungarian language) before treatment (n=30, T1) and after the first-line treatment (n=25, T2), and 8.6 years after the end of chemotherapy (n=19, T3). The median age of 16 females and 14 males was 35 years (20-69), 35 years (21-63) after chemotherapy, and 43 years (29-70) at the end of the long-term follow-up, when the study was completed. 77% of all patients showed cognitive impairment before treatment. A close correlation was found between attention and unfavorable prognostic factors (III-IV. stage, age, bulky) baseline comorbidities (T2DM, psoriasis, HTN) and place of residence. Visual memory was affected by comorbidities and the place of residence. Working memory and planning was influenced by single marital status, and bulk disease. Post-treatment cognitive impairment was evaluated in 77% of the HL patients. In the working memory and planning domain, the Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) subtest significantly improved after treatment, while visual memory and attention remained unchanged. The cumulative dose of bleomycin associated with SOC. The study highlights the fact that cognitive functions of HL patients were already impaired before treatment, especially attention, working memory, and planning. Long-term improvement in cognitive function was observed post-treatment. Employment status, place of residence and unfavorable prognosis have an impact on cognitive domains. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential to maintain patients' quality of life throughout and after treatment.

In the international literature, several questionnaires measuring everyday activities are known with the aim of examining patients' quality of life. In the Hungarian language, few validated questionnaires focus on daily activities, examining both basic and moderately difficult physical activity, as well as mental health. Our goal was to translate the Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ) into Hungarian and examine its reliability and validity.The validation of the questionnaire into Hungarian followed the six-step principle formulated in 2000. In our cross-sectional study, 376 participants took part. For convergent validity, we used the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) questionnaires. The examination of internal consistency was performed through Cronbach's alpha calculations. Test-retest reliability within the class was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). We conducted discriminant validity for pain and general health. Internal consistency values demonstrated reliability. Participants' demographic data showed that the majority live in cities and have secondary education. The individuals included in the study exhibited unusually high levels of sports activity compared to the Hungarian average. Convergent validity examinations revealed significant relationships between dimensions of health-related quality of life of the different measurement tools. The validated Hungarian questionnaire is valid and reliable. Similar to the original questionnaire, it is quickly and easily completed, allowing healthcare professionals in clinical settings to assess the patient's functional status before initiating examinations.

This action research examines the transition from audio- to video-based tasks in the final Medical Hungarian exam for international medical students, aiming to better align assessment with real-life language needs and enhance student motivation. Conducted at a Hungarian medical university with 61 second-year students, the study uses a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data from a questionnaire and qualitative insights from focus group interviews reveal students’ experiences with the video-based exam tasks and preparatory materials. The results indicate a positive reception of the Practice Test Book and the new video exam format, with visual cues like body language aiding in comprehension and engagement. Students found that the video-based tasks closely mirrored clinical interactions, strengthening the relevance of language skills in professional contexts. Preparatory materials, including lead-in exercises, were well-received by students and seen as effective in improving readiness for the exam. The study suggests that the shift from audio- to video-based assessment can bridge classroom learning with real-world application, potentially serving as a model for other non-traditional study abroad settings in Languages Other Than English (LOTEs), especially as purely audio-based communication has become less prevalent in today’s world.

The integration of Ukraine into the European Union is a very complex process which can be facilitated with the development of terminological dictionaries that make the translation of Ukrainian-specific educational, administrative and legal terms much easier. In the spring of 2024, a new terminological research program began within the framework of the Science for the Hungarian Language National Program – Hungarian Terminology Strategy Subprogram. An international research group consisting of members from the Termini Hungarian Language Research Network set out to translate nearly a thousand Hungarian terms from Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education of Hungary into the state languages of the neighbouring countries, including German, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, and Ukrainian, respectively. The Antal Hodinka Linguistic Research Centre joined the initiative to find the Ukrainian equivalents of Hungarian educational terms, and to develop new terminologies in case of any semantic gaps. The aim of this study is to shed light on the most important semantic differences between the educational and administrative terms connected to the Hungarian and the Ukrainian public education systems. The main problems during the translation process include the development of new terms, the translation of compound expressions, the search for functional equivalents, the grammatical and word-building differences between the Hungarian and the Ukrainian languages, the integration of regional equivalents into the dictionary, the explanation of country-specific educational terms, and the differences between the public education systems of the two countries. The current study is based on the translation of the first 450 terms from the terminological corpus. At the end of the research and the terminological work, a comprehensive online dictionary is going to be developed which will open the door for Hungarian–Ukrainian and Ukrainian–Hungarian translators to create bilingual versions of the countries’ educational laws, and semantic gaps will be filled in relation to the translation of specific terms of the Ukrainian public education system.

Abstract The present study aims to determine the role of the Hungarian language in European polyglot dictionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries and thus to establish its position within the group of European languages. The study is based on earlier findings by Gabriele Stein (1989) concerning the role of English in 16th-century multilingual wordlists, and it addresses two questions: 1) How often was the Hungarian language included in polyglots compared to other European languages? 2) Did Hungarian hold a similar position to other vernaculars in the dictionaries considered?It was examined which languages were included in the polyglots published during the period under discussion and how many times each vernacular appeared in a dictionary. Moreover, the contents of selected dictionaries were analysed. Results indicate that Hungarian played an important, though not key role in European polyglot dictionaries of the 16th and 17th centuries and that its position among other European languages was not marginal at the time.