Regional Minority Languages: German in Hungary

A language blog would not be complete without talking about minority languages. They present a unique policy challenge to many European states and to the European Union. The extent to which they are represented and promoted in the educational system, the state bureaucracy and in cultural events, can vary from country to country.

I am going focus on the role German plays in the Hungarian educational system. I choose this topic because of my personal relationship with it. After living several years in Germany (Stuttgart), I attended a German nationality school in Hungary. The school is located in a town where German is an actively used minority language. 

WHAT ABOUT MINORITY LANGUAGES?

One is not able to properly discuss minority languages without talking about the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML). It is a European Union treaty ratified by 25 states. ECRML aims to protect and actively promote the use of regional minority language across Europe. The application of the Charter is supervised by the Council of Europe.

According to Part I Article 1 of the Charter, regional minority languages (RML) can be defined as follows: “used within a given territory of a State by nationals of that State who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the State’s population; and different from the official language(s) of that State;”. The article also states that dialects of the official languages and migrant languages are not part of it.

Regional minority language rights are complex. Firstly, they depend on the way somebody understands language. Wright (2007) argues that language can be seen as an ideal system (structured & remains the same) or as a practice (socially constructed, keeps changing). In addition, to make it more complex, minority language policies can be shaped from top-down (government) or bottom-up (citizens). Therefore, there is no handbook on how to do them correctly.

Not taking care of a language can lead to language death. The opinions on whether is worth keeping very small languages alive varies. In an interview conducted by BBC News, people shared their opinions. Most readers argued that language death is a normal part of linguistic evolution and having less languages will make the world more united. Others stated that every time a language dies, we lose a part of our culture and history.

FACTS: SPEAKING GERMAN IN HUNGARY

There are many domains (education, public life, cultural events) where the preservation of regional minority languages can be promoted. In my opinion, one of the most important one is education. Therefore, I am going to look at the role German plays in the Hungarian education system. I will provide a short factual and historical overview, assess its vitality and the impact of the Charter.

In this small table you find the data about nationalities collected in the 2011 Hungarian census. Most people with German nationality affiliation live in Central Hungary, in Southern Transdanubia and in Central Transdanubia. (For a map visit this link.) While some minority languages are a result of migration, the spread of German was mainly influenced by history (Kenesi, 2009). At one time Hungary belonged to the Habsburg Empire and was later part of Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy. Therefore, the spread of the German language was unavoidable due to historical events.

According to the ECRML, Part II (Article 7) and Part III (Articles 8-14) have to be applied in Hungary to the German minority language. Part III (Article 8) is concerned with education. Accordingly, the Hungarian state has to ensure that all levels of education are fully or partially available in German.

This table reflects the number of students enrolled in different elementary (1st-8th grade) school language teaching programs. The numbers show the amount of students enrolled in (from left to right) nationality education, bilingual education, regular language teaching. Based on the data, a slight increase is visible. This is also reflected in the fact that numerous elementary schools, high schools and universities offer bilingual or nationality education in German.

Although English is the most popular language in Hungary, education in German also receives a lot of attention. The fact that minority students have the possibilities to study in German on all educational levels, increases the vitality of German as a RML.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Attending a German nationality school eased my transition from the German to the Hungarian education system immensely. Also, it helped me to make friends with similar backgrounds and interests. Most importantly, it helped me to preserve and improve my already acquired language skills.

For students with minority background, nationality schools provide an opportunity to practice language skills and help to preserve culture and traditions. For students who do not have a minority background, it is an opportunity to learn new languages and become more culturally aware. Thus, nationality schools are a great way to keep minority languages and cultures alive.

Nonetheless, it is easier said than done. As argued by Wright, “language rights are linked to standardisation” (p. 15). Languages which are more developed (German) have better chances to reach official recognition and support. How fair is this? Also, nationality school programs come with extra costs. Who pays for those?

Ideally, everybody should have the right to use their own language in all walks of life. In practice, this is not that simple. To put it in a nutshell: minority language rights are complex.

Let me know what you think about minority languages in the comments below. What are minority languages in your country? 

Best,

Monika 

A Little Extra: Hungarian Lesson 4

In this Hungarian lesson we will go back to the basics. Let us have a look at numbers.

• 1 – egy
• 2 – kettő
• 3 – három
• 4 – négy
• 5 – öt
• 6 – hat
• 7 – hét
• 8 – nyolc
• 9 – kilenc
• 10 – tíz