The impact of modern society
expectations on the Hungarians in
Vojvodina (Serbia)
Interconnection between educational
problems, languages, culture and the
feeling of national identity
Anna Bajtai
ELTE, Hungary
Aim
• problems of the challenges of the modern society
and the ‘survival’ of the new generations of
Hungarians (as a national minority) in Vojvodina
• between two fires: are supposed to comply with
expectations of the state policy and traditional
values of older generations
(state policy ideological expectations: to be adaptable
and successful citizens who are able to enjoy the
guaranteed minority rights and same possibilities in
every field of life as the members of the national
majority of Serbia)
Minority rights
The most important needs for the ‘survival’ of a minority:
usage of mother tongue + tradition nursing + education
• can establish cultural, artistic and scientific institutions
to preserve ethnic traditions (financially not supported
by the state)
• can have mother tongue education (preschool, primary
and secondary school level) if there are more than 15
students interested
• university level: train future teachers (+economists,
some engineers and agronomists at universities
supported by Hungary, but none in medical or legal
fields)
• official status if the population is over 15%
Historical background
• the second largest ethnic group in Vojvodina
• settlements: northern parts -10th century
southeastern parts – 18th century
• Population:
- 1890: 24,4%
- 1910: 28,1% (Serbs 33.8%, Germans 21,4%)
- 2002: 14,3% (290.207)
• last 100 years: population halved
• reasons:
-low birth rate (23% decrease from 2002 to 2009)
-assimilation
-migration: Hungary, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
Canada
-high number of mixed marriages (22.8%)
Education data (2002 census)
14.28% of the population in Vojvodina was Hungarian
(290.207)
• 29.84% had a primary school degree
• 37.29% had a secondary school degree
• 3.23% had a college degree
• 2.91% had a university degree
(14.28% and 6%: disproportionate!)
2004 survey:
• 3437 Hungarians at different universities and high
schools in Serbia
(→2035 in L1, 1402 in L2)
• approximately 1000 students studying Hungary
Between two fires:
expectations and traditional values
• Expectation of the state policy: adaptable and
successful citizens
-speak the state language (L2) with high proficiency
-high education level (?)
-knowledge , respect and acceptance of the history,
literature, culture and traditions of the majority
Between two fires:
expectations and traditional values
• Expectation of the older generation: to maintain the
minority tradition
-speak L1 with high proficiency
-high education level
-knowledge, respect and acceptance of the history,
literature, culture and traditions of their own
national (minority) group
-to ‘remain’ Hungarian
-to pass over the same tradition to the next
generations (to raise their children as Hungarians)
Why a dilemma?
Childhood:
• Early ages: focus on language acquirement (to learn
to speak)
• not ‘nationality specific’ knowledge acquirement
(same steps of the process for every children in
every country, from sounds to meaningful
communication, only fairy tales and nursery rhymes
refer to ethnic content)
• free choice of language(s) by the family and
immediate environment– one or both (without real
consequences)
• age 7: start of education
• no bilingual schools (just parallel classes)
• parents have to choose the language of instruction
(L1 or L2)
• it is not ‘just language’
• language of instruction determines the contents
(national history, literature, cultural and tradition
elements)
• dilemma:
- to preserve national identity emphasised by the
elder generations (assured by L1)
-or a smooth and quick assimilation into the
‘successful’ majority
Arrays and diasporas: different
characteristics and possibilities
Characteristics
Arrays:
• live in Hungarian majority towns/villages
• contact with L2: school (2-3 lessons/week)
• television, music (receptive skills, passive knowledge)
• mainly Hungarian dominant bilinguals
Diasporas:
• live in ethnically mixed towns/villages
• an everyday contact with L2 +school
• receptive & productive skills
• mainly Serbian dominant bilinguals in towns
(neighborhood + everyday life)
• Hungarian dominant bilinguals in villages
Possibilities and problems
Arrays:
• children can complete their studies in their mother
tongue (primary and secondary school level)
(→ parents and children are not ‘forced’ to choose
between Hungarian and Serbian as the language of
instruction)
• in most settlements: L1 has official status and high
prestige (high number of linguistic domains: private,
social and official communication →can use L1
everywhere)
• no natural input of L2
Possibilities and problems
• children with L1 as the language of instruction
cannot obtain appropriate language proficiency in
state language because it is not taught as a foreign
language
→outdated teaching material and methodology:
focus not on developing skills and competences, but
on descriptive grammar and literature
+ no group differentiation (it is assumed children
have the same level of proficiency in L2 in every
part of Serbia);
+ the contents of the books can not be transposed
to everyday communication
Possibilities and problems
Diasporas:
• the variety of secondary school education in
Hungarian language is limited
(→ many parents decide to choose Serbian as the
language of instruction for children when starting
primary education in order to make their further
education and assimilation easier)
• in some settlements: no official status and lowering
prestige
→limited number of linguistic domains (at home)→
lower potential for survival
Conclusions
Arrays:
• inappropriate language proficiency in L2
→ inability to adapt and become a successful citizen
→ prevents social mobility
→ some (limited) number of college or university
programs in L1
→can not compete with the native speakers if they
choose other majors in L2
• choose to study and settle down in Hungary→ loss of
the skilled university graduates
Conclusions
Diasporas:
• limited number of secondary school programs in L1
• children often do not choose what they wish to study,
because they can not study that in L1
→ choose L2 as the language of instruction
→ loss of L1 →loss of cultural elements
→ change in the feeling of national identity
(→ alerting for the older generations→ try to attract
children to different tradition nursing groups)
Bilingual schools: possible solution?
• Aim: development of additive bilingualism (both
languages of the same value, importance and
prestige vs. subtractive bilingualism where the
learning of L2 interferes with the learning of L1 and
replaces it)
→language retention and language enrichment
→improve cross-cultural sensitivity
→ensure the linguistic and ethnic equality between
majority and minority students
Conclusions: possible solution?
• Can both phenomena (inappropriate level of
proficiency in L2 and loss of L1) be stopped and
diverted by the introduction of bilingual education?
→ would exempt parents from the pressure of forced
choice
→ be able to acquire both languages and national
contents attached to them simultaneously
(preserve their mother tongue and culture
+ obtain higher competence in the state language)
Possible failure of bilingual education?
Arrays:
• neither the majority nor the minority group would
be interested enough
→majority group: why should they?
→minority group: L1 high prestige + possibilities in
Hungary
Diasporas:
• fear of even faster assimilation
• no professionals to carry out bilingual education
Conclusions: a strange triangle of generations
with intersects
– problems still not solved
Older generations:
mostly concerned
about the overall
effect of language
choice
Parents:
responsible for
making the
decision
Children and the
coming
generations: bear
the consequences
of the decision
Thank you for your attention!