HomeAbstract of 11th-aretlState language and identity at school: Attitude towards language learning of Hungarian students in Slovakia

State language and identity at school: Attitude towards language learning of Hungarian students in Slovakia

  • Jun 18, 2026
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Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2026

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State language and identity at school: Attitude towards language learning of Hungarian students in Slovakia

Dr. Kinga Horvath, Dr. Peter Toth

ABSTRACT:

There is a significant Hungarian national minority in Slovakia. Children can study in their native language in primary and secondary schools. The curriculum includes the acquisition of the state language. The Slovak state has recognized that the effectiveness of language learning, and in turn, the attitude towards the state language, can be influenced if it is taught as a foreign language. In the framework of this study, we would like to report on the survey we conducted among 9th-grade primary school students in Hungarian (772 participants). The aim of the research was to map the attitude towards learning the Slovak language. According to the results, the preferred language in family and friend communication is Hungarian, in official administration Hungarian and Slovak. Students consider that the confidence in the use of Slovak is most evident in text comprehension and receptive language use, while uncertainty is more typical in productive language use. They consider knowledge of the Slovak language important for employment in Slovakia and consider its development essential, but at the same time they think of it in school rather than at home. Using principal component analysis, four determining indicators of language learning at school were identified: supportive school learning environment; quality of language teaching methods; grammar teaching vs. practical language use; formal and informal dimensions of language learning support. Language use outside of school is influenced by two factors: social integration and natural language embeddedness, and the instrumental and integrative motivation of students.

Keywords: minority education; primary school students; principal component analysis; questionnaire research; Slovak language teaching methods