I. Nyelv, nyelvészet és nyelvpedagógia
The predicative adverbial participle construction in Hungarian and in the teaching of Hungarian
This study investigates the predicative adverbial participle construction in Hungarian and its teachability in Hungarian as a foreign language. The [VM+BE+VADV] construction combines a verbal modifier, the copula van (‘be’), and an adverbial participle marked by the suffix -vA. Although widely used in everyday language, this linguistic expression has long been stigmatized due to prescriptive norms and is rarely addressed in Hungarian language teaching. Drawing on previous research and our own observations, we classify the construction into three groups based on verb argument structure and examine its morphosyntactic, semantic, and pragmatic properties. We argue for a construction-based approach that treats the phenomenon holistically rather than as a generative rule set. The paper also explores pedagogical implications: when, how, and to whom the construction should be taught. We propose two teaching strategies – analytical instruction for more regular forms and lexical treatment for idiomatic or less predictable expressions – and illustrate these with practical classroom tasks. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating this high-frequency construction into communicative language teaching while considering its sociolinguistic profile and learner readiness.
Language games in Hungarian classes for non-native speakers
This paper examines how language games —originally created for Hungarian native speakers—can be adapted for learners of Hungarian as a second language. After comparing definitions by Grétsy, Lee, and Kovács, the paper analyzes which games can be used and to what end with L2 learners at various proficiency levels. Four classic games and two contemporary digital word-games are evaluated in terms of vocabulary development, morphological awareness, and learner motivation. It is argued that, when appropriately modified, language games effectively promote language learning and language learning enjoyment.
II. Nyelvpedagógia
“What do Hungarians eat?” The methodology of reading aloud as a tool for improving pronunciation in teaching Hungarian as a foreign language
In this paper, I examine the extent to which the methodology (or methodologies) of reading aloud used in Hungarian mother-tongue education can be applied to the teaching of Hungarian as a foreign language (HFL), as well as the insights from HFL instruction that may be productively transferred to mother-tongue education. In mother-tongue education, reading aloud constitutes an important subdomain of reading development. Within the Hungarian education system, systematic instruction in reading aloud is provided from the first grade onwards, and a well-established methodological tradition has developed in this area. In the context of Hungarian as a foreign language, by contrast, the development of reading-aloud competence does not necessarily take place in childhood and typically builds on procedural knowledge and skills already acquired in learners’ first language. When reading in a foreign language, learners must acquire the pronunciation rules of the target language, while vocabulary knowledge and the ability to recognize word meanings are also essential. In HFL instruction, moreover, reading aloud does not usually appear as an independent area of competence development; rather, it is typically treated as a subcomponent of pronunciation teaching. It is therefore worth examining how the two methodological traditions can inform and enrich one another. In the study, I present initial findings from an ongoing data collection project. In April 2023, a large-scale project was conducted in cooperation between the PTE ISC and the KorSzak Corpus Linguistics and Subject Methodology Research Group. As part of this project, we compiled the Spoken Learner Subcorpus of the KorSzak Learner Corpus, which contains Hungarian-language oral productions—both read-aloud texts and spontaneous speech—produced by students enrolled in Hungarian as a foreign language courses at the PTE ISC. Drawing on phonetic and phonological analyses of the read-aloud texts in the corpus, conducted using Praat, I formulate methodological implications for the teaching of reading aloud and pronunciation in HFL instruction.
How do we learn a language, and how can language learning be facilitated? Task-based language teaching and what lies behind it
This paper presents the theoretical background of task-based language teaching (TBLT) and argues that this approach also offers a relevant, theoretically grounded, and promising framework for the teaching of Hungarian as an additional language. The point of departure is that, although TBLT is supported by an extensive body of research and pedagogical practice worldwide, it remains relatively little known in the context of Hungarian language teaching. The paper first outlines the main characteristics of TBLT, and then, drawing on current research in language acquisition, reviews what is known today about the internal and external mechanisms of language learning, with particular reference to second language acquisition. It discusses the roles of input, implicit processing, interaction, and attention to form, and delineates how these factors contribute to the development of linguistic competence. The study highlights that explicit rule instruction on its own does not lead to genuine language proficiency, whereas meaning-focused learning grounded in input and interaction may effectively support implicit learning mechanisms. The author argues that TBLT can also facilitate natural language learning processes in the case of Hungarian and calls on the professional community involved in teaching Hungarian as an additional language to engage in further research in order to strengthen the scientific legitimacy of this approach
Motivational Fluctuations in Hungarian as a Foreign Language Classrooms: An Empirical Investigation of Short-Term Changes
This study investigates short-term motivational dynamics in Hungarian as a foreign language (HFL) classrooms through the lens of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST). Using an adapted version of the Motometer, learners (N=66 across seven beginner-level university classes) rated their momentary motivation at five pre-determined points during 90-minute lessons. Quantitative data were complemented by brief written justifications to contextualize fluctuations. Results indicate that motivation varied significantly within single lessons, yet not randomly. Instead, motivational trajectories displayed patterned variability characterized by temporary stabilization phases and context-sensitive shifts. Interactive, collaborative, and creative tasks frequently functioned as positive perturbations, leading to short-term motivational increases, whereas cognitive overload, fatigue, and perceived task difficulty were associated with declines. Importantly, identical classroom events elicited divergent responses across learners, underscoring the heterogeneous and individualized nature of motivational systems. Across lessons, two recurring tendencies emerged: a motivational rise following initial warm-up activities and, in several cases, elevated end-of-lesson ratings. These patterns suggest that lesson structure itself may operate as a recurrent attractor within classroom motivational dynamics. The findings support a dynamic, non-linear understanding of L2 motivation and contribute empirical evidence from a less commonly taught language context. Pedagogically, the results highlight the importance of varied task design, differentiation, and dramaturgical awareness in lesson planning to accommodate diverse motivational configurations within the classroom.
II. Műhelyek, színterek, taneszközök
Sequence and spirality. Basic concepts of model-based language teaching in the light of cognitive load theory
1. Background A recurring challenge in language pedagogy is that learners may successfully complete classroom tasks without developing flexible and transferable language competence. This discrepancy raises questions not only about what content is taught, but also about how the learning process itself is structured. Model-based language teaching addresses this challenge by organizing instruction around linguistic models that support pattern recognition, systematic variation, and productive use. Two key organizing principles of this approach are sequence and spirality, which structure learning at different levels of instructional design. 2. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to interpret the concepts of sequence and spirality within a broader theoretical framework that integrates Cognitive Load Theory and usage-based linguistics. The study aims to demonstrate how these principles contribute to the development of stable and transferable linguistic knowledge by organizing input, directing learner attention, and supporting the repeated activation of language patterns. 3. Approach The analysis is conceptual and pedagogical in nature. It brings together insights from cognitive learning theory—particularly research on working memory limitations and schema construction—with findings from usage-based and corpus-informed linguistics, which emphasize the role of frequency, repetition, and contextual variation in language acquisition. The theoretical discussion is illustrated through a detailed analysis of a teaching sequence from the MagyarOK A2+ textbook, demonstrating how carefully structured tasks guide learners from the observation of linguistic models to increasingly independent language use. 4. Results The analysis shows that sequence functions as a micro-level organizing principle of the learning process, structuring progression from comprehension and noticing through pattern recognition and variation to productive application. Spirality, in turn, operates at the macro level, ensuring that linguistic models recur over time and across contexts, thereby allowing learners to reorganize and strengthen their emerging mental representations. Taken together, these principles help manage cognitive load while supporting core usage-based learning mechanisms such as pattern abstraction and frequency effects. 5. Implications The study suggests that effective language instruction requires pedagogical designs that combine carefully structured sequencing with the spiral revisiting of linguistic models. Such an approach aligns instructional practice with current insights from cognitive science and usage-based linguistics and supports the gradual development of flexible, durable, and transferable language competence.
IV. Tankönyvek a változó világban
József Machik: Grammatica Hungarica Theoretico-Practica. A Contribution to the History of Hungarian Grammars in Croatia
This paper situates József Machik’s Grammatica Hungarica Theoretico-Practica within the history of Hungarian grammars published in Zagreb in the nineteenth century. Written during a period of strained Croatian–Hungarian relations, the work contributes to the relatively small body of publications devoted to the description of the Hungarian language in this context. Focusing on the grammar published in 1847, the paper examines those aspects of the work that are particularly relevant from the perspective of language pedagogy, with special attention to the teaching of Hungarian as a foreign language.
V. Ismertetők