I. A pécsi MID-nap előadásai
Szerint(ünk) – ‘according to (us)’
In the paper, we first introduce the several aspects of meaning and sentence-types in which szerint expressions (‘someone thinks’, ‘in someone’s opinion’, lit. ‘according to someone’) and their declined forms (with personal endings) can occur in. Second, we show how these three aspects (meaning, mood, person) can be combined almost freely, resulting in an intricate system of meanings, and how the form–meaning combinations can be systemati-cally characterized using the tools of theoretical linguistics. Third, we propose six further factors that can also be relevant to the discussion of the meanings and usages of szerint expressions in Hungarian Language Teaching (HLT). Finally, we consider how these theoretical findings can inform the practice of teaching and learning of szerint expressions in HLT.
The discourse marker hát – in several roles
The paper presents ten types of the discourse marker hát with syntactic and prosodic characterization – for learners of Hungarian and, in a first approximation, for their teachers. Specifically, we identify nine types of hát, and in one case, we argue that the relevant function (that of teasing) is in fact not the function of the discourse marker. For sentence-initial hát-types we make the generalization that they act as mind-synchronizing 'semaphores': on hearing the first word, the listener can be prepared to receive either more, or less easily ‘digestible’ information. As for end-of-sentence hát-types, we consider their uses and alternative short replies in a separate chapter. Beyond the novel aim of offering native speakers' grammatical judgments and their statistically evaluated speech productions for use in the field of Hungarian as a foreign/second language (HFL), our global aim is to dispel the misconception which can rear its head even among HFL professionals: that hát is nothing more than a superfluous filler word which should therefore be avoided. While we do not deny that hát can express "everything and its opposite" (merely by changing the intonation pattern and/or word order), we do offer explanation for the peculiar phe-nomenon.
The frequent collocations with the adverb nagyon (‘very’) in the light of a learner corpus and a pedagogical corpus
The corpus-based study focuses on frequently occurring collocations of the adverb nagyon (‘very’), which is the most frequent adverb in the KorSzak learner corpus. First, those collocations of nagyon are identified in the learner corpus that occur with the greatest statistical frequency, then, the findings are compared to similar collocations in the MagyarOK open pedagogical corpus. The aim is to answer the following three questions. Do learners of Hungarian as a foreign language use the same collocations with nagyon in their written output as those present in the written texts of native speakers and course materials? Do they under- or maybe overuse any of the collocations? Are there any collocations with nagyon that learners consider as safe options and apply as ’collocational teddy bears’? The study also examines, comparatively, the lexico-grammatical and semantic characteristics of two collocations of nagyon that were found the most frequent in both corpora: nagyonADV szeretV (‘like very much’) and nagyonADV szépA (‘very nice’).
“Actually, my family they live all the over the world…” Exploring the language development of a Hungarian learner in a preparatory university course from a thematic perspective, using two approaches
The paper explores the individual linguistic development of a Hungarian learner over a one-year-long intensive preparatory language course at the University of Pécs, focusing on two themes: family and human relationships. After outlining the significance and methodological background of longitudinal studies, the paper presents the Hungarian preparatory course and describes why students in this program are especially suitable subjects for longitudinal studies. The case study investigates the learner’s writing and examines her language development through her written texts, using two approaches: text analysis and corpus linguistic analysis.
What are these little things? Hungarian constructions with the discourse particles is and szintén (’also’), and their teaching
The paper discusses the various expressions that the Hungarian is ’also’ and szintén ’also’ can appear in with different pragma-semantic meanings. We argue that these elements should be taught in the Hungarian class as discourse particles, and as parts of extended expressions or constructions. The paper consists of two parts. In the theoretical part, we review the literature and present our own research findings related to the examined expressions – discussing not only their logical, but also their intentional profiles. In the practical part, using freely available sample tasks from language exams and graduation exams as a corpus, we point out which types of the examined expressions learners of Hungarian are expected to know at which proficiency levels. We also propose classroom exercises and tasks for each construction type.
The Hungarian particle csak (’only’)
In this paper, we discuss the Hungarian particle csak ‘only’, and its different types and uses. Csak can function as a logical particle, or as a discourse marker. These can be categorized into several subtypes based on four basic features: if the particle is emphasized, if the word order is straight or inverse, if the particle has an identify-ing-excluding meaning, and if the particle has a pragmatic contribution. We discuss seven different types with emphasis on the so called ‘metacognitive csak’, which is a discourse marker. We briefly mention the different word-constructions that can be made using the csak particle.
Frequent multiword expressions in children’s speech
The research presented in this study focuses on the frequency of the appearance of multi-word lexical units in children's spoken language. Several corpus-based studies have established that fluent language users use a great deal of more or less fixed prefabricated lexical units in most of their speech (cf. Altenberg 1998, O'Keefe és mtsai. 2007). Studies on first language acquisition show that children learn these formulaic elements holistically, without analysis (Tomasello 2003: 305–307). In the current research, the most common multi-word lexical units are identified in the KorSzak Children's Language Corpus, and then they are classified based on the speech acts they realize.
II. A MID-nap műhelyei
Teaching discourse markers to adult learners of Hungarian
Contrary to the general opinion that discourse markers (DMs) are lazy expressions and mere fillers, linguists claim that they are an integral part of everyday communication; their role in spontaneous language is undeniable and manifold. In agreement with this, we believe that the learning of DMs is essential in a foreign language context – especially in a target language environment. However, we have limited information about Hungarian discourse markers – both linguistically and methodologically. Therefore, our current study focuses on the teachability of discourse markers in Hungarian as a foreign language, primarily from the perspective of adult learners. Following a theoretical introduction, we present our workshop held at the University of Pécs, where we addressed key issues surrounding the teaching of DMs and, through cooperative collaboration, formulated answers to the following questions, in the form of methodological recommendations: What is the role of context in the teaching of DMs? To what extent is noticing and awareness-raising important in the learning of DMs? What learning opportunities facilitate best the learning of DMs? The appendix to the paper presents practical ideas for the teaching of hát, the most frequent (colloquial) Hungarian discourse marker.
Teaching discourse markers for children learning Hungarian
This paper is an exploration into the teaching of discourse markers (DMs) for young learners of Hungarian, specifically focusing on three highly frequent DMs in colloquial speech: hát ‘well’, így ‘so, therefore, like’, and ilyen ‘like, kind of’. First, we review the findings of earlier studies – both as regards the overall use of discourse markers, and the use of those studied here, in different age groups. Then we describe the dilemmas that emerge with the teaching of DMs to young learners. Finally, we propose ideas that could be implemented in the teaching of hát, így and ilyen in specific discourse functions to children of different ages at different proficiency-levels.
III. Nyelvészet, nyelvpedagógia
A szórend pragmatikai elvei német–magyar összehasonlításban nyelvészeti és nyelvpedagógiai szempontokból
A tanulmány a magyar nyelv szórendjének pragmatikai aspektusait vizsgálja a német nyelvvel történő összeha-sonlításban. A tanulmány a címben jelzett tematikát nyelvészeti, valamint a magyart mint idegen nyelvet elsajá-títók szemszögéből vizsgálja. A tanulmány azt állítja, hogy az információs struktúra pragmatikai dimenziói mindkét nyelvben hierarchikus rendnek vannak alávetve. Ezek a hierarchiák azonban egymással összevetve fordított mintát mutatnak. A magyar nyelvben a domináns elv a fókusz–háttér struktúra, beágyazott téma–réma progresszióval. Ezzel szemben a német nyelvben az elsődleges pragmatikai elv a téma–réma sorrend, beágyazott, másodlagos elvként a fókusz–háttér progresszióval. A nyelvészeti elemzés mellett a tanulmány hasznos eszközt kíván nyújtani a nyelvtanárok és nyelvtanulók számára a magyar szórend megértéséhez és elsajátításához. A tanulmány az elméleti aspektusokat magyar nyelvórák gyakorlóanyagaival illusztrálja.
’I think I have a question’ – A study of two verbal constructions used in Hungarian to express opinion: AZT/ÚGY HISZ… (HOGY) and AZT/ÚGY GONDOL… (HOGY) (’I think (that)’)
Expressing opinion is an important and frequent language function; and learners of Hungarian are presented with several ways of expressing it from the beginning of their studies (e.g., szerintem, azt hiszem, úgy gondolom; ‘I think’). It is argued in this paper, however, that there are several kinds of opinion, and the respective expressions of opinion are not always interchangeable with each other. If learners are only given lists of undifferentiated items to express ‘opinion’, they do not receive sufficient guidance to adequately use the given phrases. The paper presents a cognitive taxonomy of opinion based on research on the discourse particle SZERINT (‘in sy’s opinion’) and examines two of the most frequent Hungarian verbal expressions for ‘I think’ (cf. title) in the light of the earlier findings, using introspective and intersubjective analysis. It is demonstrated that while SZERINT is the prototypical expression of opinion in general in today’s spoken Hungarian, the two verbal expressions show a more intricate distribution across the four subcategories of opinion: personal values, evidence and inference, advice, and citation – especially in regard to conjugation, mood and tense. It is argued that learners of Hungarian need to be gradually presented with a more analytical approach to expressing opinion, whereby they learn about the different sorts of opinion and the respective language items (constructions, prefabs etc.) that represent each sort in different con-texts.
The particle csak (’only’) in the A1 and A2 volumes of the coursebook called MagyarOK
The occurrences of the Hungarian particle csak (‘only’) can be divided into two main groups: logical and discourse marker types. This paper investigates whether csak and its various constructions (e.g. csak nem, lit. ‘only not’, e.g. Are you lost or something?) occur and if yes, how they occur in one of today’s most popular coursebooks of Hungarian at the beginner levels. Although the textbooks systematize the level-appropriate rules and patterns of the Hungarian language in a transparent way, the A1 and A2 volumes only mention logical types of csak, and even those types are not explained for their formal and functional differences (e.g. stress, word order). Discourse marker types of csak do not appear at all in the A1 and A2 volumes, neither the unstressed type in imperatives nor the stressed type with a specific pragmatic meaning. Likewise, csak-constructions are only tangentially discussed in the context of stand-alone example sentences. Consideration should be given to whether – to be better able to express pragma-semantic content at higher levels (from B1 on) – A2 learners should learn to distinguish between the various logical types of csak and should also be familiarized with its basic discourse marker type(s).
Phraseological units in the teaching of Hungarian
This paper argues that broadly understood phraseological units have a place in language learning from the very beginning. After an introduction to the concept of phraseological units (or phrasemes) and the so-called phrase-ological spectrum, I examine various teaching aids and assessment frameworks for their expectations, aims and procedures in relation to phraseological units. Coursebooks, exercise books and grammar manuals include a large number of phrasemes, in line with the external regulators: at the more basic levels, they mainly teach communi-cative formulas, collocations, and function-verb relations, while more idiomatic proverbs and sayings only come into their own after level B2. The teaching of phrasemes is mainly linked to the teaching of lexis and is carried out using the procedures common in that field (grammar works use phraseological units to illustrate grammatical phenomena). At the end of the study, I propose additional procedures for the teaching of various types of phrasemes (at the level of perception, attention, memorization, visualization, and recall). (This paper is part of my research for my doctoral thesis. In my research, I investigate the use of phrasemes in the written language of B2 and C1 Hungarian learners. I am interested to find out whether and, if so, which phraseological units are used, to what extent and how they are used by these language learners in their written texts, and I would also like to know if there is a difference or what the differences are between the phraseological units used by speakers at the two levels of proficiency. To answer these questions, I use texts written in the Origo language exam at the B2 and the C1 level.)
IV. Ismertetők
Mongolian–Hungarian conversation book
Now that in recent years relations between Mongolia and Hungary have been revived and more and more Mon-golian speakers are coming to study or work in Hungary, there is a growing need for publications that would familiarize Mongols with the local language. This need was recognized by the editors of the Mongol–Ungar Yarianī nom (Mongolian–Hungarian Conversation Handbook), D. Dēlgērmörön and U. Dalaīdorǰ. The handbook that aims to teach basic Hungarian conversation to Mongolian speakers was published in 2020, Budapest. While there had been a couple of publications that introduced Mongolian to Hungarians, this was the first time that we had seen an inverse solution. This review points out that although the handbook does not qualify as a language teaching textbook by today’s standards, it is a significant step forward. It offers useful and up-to-date words, phrases and sentences (in the form of bilingual lists and conversations) which adult learners will surely find useful and of which they can learn to say (with better or worse pronunciation) as many as they are capable of – depending on their motivation and memory. However, in the absence of professional curriculum design and skill developing learning materials (such as audio, explanations, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary exercises, comprehension and production tasks etc.), this phrasebook-approach can only, at best, open a window on the Hungarian language, but it cannot provide a sufficient basis for learning it. Nevertheless, the handbook could be a good starting point for the development of a bilingual textbook specifically for Mongolians. The demand is clearly there; it would be great to respond to it.
A Hungarian coursebook in Japan
The review introduces a Hungarian coursebook called Hangarīgo no nyūmon (Introduction to Hungarian) which was published in Japan – first in 2001, then in 2019. The original publication is the work of Mika Waseda, former head of the Hungarian Department at Osaka University; the revised edition was published almost two decades later, co-authored by Renáta Kovács, visiting lecturer in the same institution. While keeping the main structure of the book, the aim of the revised edition is to better correspond with the overall goals of the CEFR. The book delivers thorough explanations of Hungarian grammar in Japanese, from a Japanese perspective, making the book a useful resource for both Japanese learners of Hungarian, and for Hungarian language teachers who understand Japanese. For a wider audience, it might be useful as a supplementary teaching material, especially when searching for additional texts and audio materials for their Japanese students.
Magyarozó – a practice book for not complete beginners
This is a review of Peter Durst’s latest Hungarian textbook called Magyarozó, published in 2023, Szeged. The attractive-looking grammar practice book is aimed primarily at those who have already learned some Hungarian but are not yet at a more advanced level. The author’s aim is to offer learners an opportunity to review and practice the grammatical structures encountered at the CEFR A1–A2 levels, and to help them expand their vocabulary and develop their speaking skills. The six chapters of the book are centered around core grammar points, and each chapter contains the following four sections: Grammar (tables, explanations, exercises), Use (contextualized texts and exercises), Speech functions and situations (comics and exercises), and Verbs with verbal particles and their arguments (exercises). The freely available open access Magyarozó website offers a rich repertoire of further supporting learning materials: audio materials, grammar explanations, grammar exercises, and vocabulary lists. Durst’s Magyarozó is a blessing to both false beginners who would like to do some self-practice at home and also to teachers with heterogenous groups in terms of the learners’ language skills.
Using a picture-book to teach Hungarian
This review offers my personal insight into teaching Hungarian to preschoolers using a picture book originally designed for Hungarian-speaking children and used primarily in speech and language therapy. The book is called I can speak; and it was published in Budapest in 2021 by Tiborné Bittera and Ágnes Juhász Bittera, PhD. The 120 page-long picture book is supplemented by a handbook with lots of great ideas, tips and playful exercises – to-gether, they provide an excellent guideline for teaching preschool children Hungarian.