Research projects

Title of the project: Ideologies, identities and self-representation in the context of linguistics and literary theory within multicultural space

Leader of the project: Doc. Zoltán Csehy, PhD.

Co-researchers:
Doc. Katarína Misadová, PhD.
Mgr. Ildikó Hisznyaiová, PhD.
PhDr. Anikó Dušíková, PhD.
Mgr. Boglárka Bilásová, Internal Ph.D student
Mgr. Szilárd Sebők, Internal Ph.D student
Mgr. Katalin Kuklis, Internal Ph.D student

Description of the project: Language ideologies affect all types of metalinguistic as well as linguistic activities – interlinguistic and intralinguistic translation among others. On the one side they can define the linguistic behaviour of the language user and by that affecting changes in the language itself simultaneously. On the other side they can define the concepts how we speak and think of the language.

Ideologies in a wider approach play a key role in the process of linguistic and literary self-representation of a minority. The objectives of the submitted project is formulating the theoretical and practical concept of the impacts of language ideologies on the ethnic, linguistic and national identity as well as the self-representation in the multicultural space of Slovakia. Based on these assumptions this project is also going to deal with questions from the fields of literary history, language theory, cultural history and philosophy which cover the basic issues of the given topic.

This project is going to be realized in the scope of the following topics:

1. Translation and language ideologies, language ideologies in the metalinguistic discourse, the analysis of the language of secondary literature from the aspect of language ideologies.

2. Linguistic and literary self-representation and the forming of identity in literature. Double ethnic identity and linguistic self-representation – examining Hungarian linguistic signal in the contemporary Slovak literature from the aspect of comparative translatology and theory of translation. Concepts of the status and ideologization of minority literature.

3. Examining the influences of language ideologies at school and in the learning process.

Title of the project: Reception particularities of Fries´s philosophy in the Slovak and Hungarian thinking in the 19th century

Leader of the project: prof. Ondrej Mészsáros, PhD.

Description of the project: Research of the history of national philosophies in former countries of the eastern bloc started in the 50s of the 20th century. At the beginning it was strongly determined by sociologizing and ideologizing view on the Marxist philosophy. Later on, at the beginning of the 1960s it could partially but successfully diversify from the strict ideologic control and the first monographs facing to source materials have been worked out in Slovakia. (...) This tendency followed on and has been presented in pieces of works in a methodologically more thought-out form. (...) There is a research team at the Philosophical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences that deals with the research of the history of thinking in Slovakia at the present. There are also some universities where similar ambitions can be documented (Comenius University in Bratislava, University of Prešov in Prešov).

It can be stated that there is an existing solid view on the history of philosophical thinking in todays Slovakia and this view has been contributed by the author of this project who has written a book about the philosophy of education in former Hungary (2008). On the other hand there is an absence of the comparison of particular national philosophies. It is a must mainly from the point of view of the relationship of the Hungarian and Slovak philosophy. The above philosophies have a common historical base and there were some correlative influences between them for a long period of time (especially during the “long“ 19th century). It is not enough to make a confrontative analysis using traditional methods of comparatistics but there is a need to examine categories and principles of postcultural theories that focus on the co-existence and correlative condicionality of cultures in hierarchically organized societies. Considering the presented project the author has made the first experiments by publishing in magazines Filozofia (1984, 1995) and Magyar Filozófiai Szemle (1995).

Title of the project: Language and literary management in a multicultural area

Leader of the project: Doc. Zoltán Csehy, PhD.

Co-researchers:
Prof. István Lanstyák, PhD.
Prof. Ondrej Mészáros, PhD.
Mgr. Zuzana Drábeková, PhD.
PhDr. Anikó Dušíková, PhD.
Mgr. Ildikó Hizsnyaiová, Phd.
Mgr. Zsolt Beke – Internal Ph.D student
Mgr. Boglárka Bilásová – Internal Ph.D student

Description of the project:

1. In minority language environment, i.e. in the context of minority bilingualism some linguistic disciplines play more important role than in monolingual communities. Of  the different areas of applied and theoretical linguistics language management (within it language planning and the culture of language), the science of translation, the study of bilingualism and contact linguistics have key roles. The study of bilingualism and contact linguistics not only contribute to a better knowledge of linguistic situation in the bilingual minority communities, but if the language and political conditions are favourable, it can assist to the stabilisation of the minority language and thus can help to preserve it. Language management is the field of applied linguistics, which is specifically aimed at solving a variety of language problems. Since in bilingual minority communities people face a considerably higher amount of problems than those living in monolingual communities which are usually more serious, the research in the field of language management can greatly affect the life of bilingual people and also contribute to the maintenance of thier minority language. The theory of language management has been known in Slovakia only for a few years. The approach, which was previously employed, was of the traditional culture of language and language planning discipline. In the last two decades, the Hungarian linguistics in Slovakia has seen a great expansion in the research of Hungarian-Slovak bilingualism and language contact. However, in order to the results of these studies  to have a positive impact on the language situation in bilingual and multilingual regions of Slovakia, they should be used as input in the process of language management.

References: Jernudd, Björn H. 1993. Language planning from a management perspective: An interpretation of findings. Jahr, Ernst Hakon red., Language conflict and language planning. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. 133–142. Jiří Nekvapil–Tamah Sherman red., Language Management in Contact Situations. Perspectives form Three Continents, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. (Prague Papers on Language, Society and Interaction. Ed. by Jiří Nekvapil, Tamah Sherman and Petr Kaderka. Vol. 1.) Neustupný, Jiří V. 2002. Sociolingvistika a jazykový management. Sociologický časopis 38/4, 429–442. Neustupný, Jiří V.–Nekvapil, Jiří 2003. Language Management in the Czech Republic. Current Issues in Language Planning 4, 181–366.

2. Literary management examines the role of rhetorical, semiotic, socio-cultural aspects of literary communication process with emphasis on the pragmatic aspects. This field of study  in Slovakia is currently underdeveloped, even though from the cultural and communicational point of view and in terms of national and minority identity it is an important component of communication activities. The broader notion of the literary management, however, includes the multimedia issues, socio-cultural and mass communicationm, too.

References: Griffin, Em 2000. A First Look at Communication Theory, The McGaw-Hill Companies, Inc. Bormann, Ernest 1989. Communication Theory, Salem:Sheffield Publishing. Samu Ágnes 2004. Kreatív írás, Budapest: Holnap. Smalzer, William R. 1996. Write to Be Read, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Shusterman, Richard, 2003. Pragmatista esztétika, Bratislava–Pozsony: Kalligram, 41–264.

3. Translation is the most effective way how to integrate the various nations in the multilingual European Union. In the Slovak and Hungarian cultural context it has a long tradition that the professional intermediaries between the two cultures are the representatives of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia, and this in spite of the absence of an institutional background and professional trainings of translators. 

References: Venuti, Lawrence (red.) 2004. The Trasnlation Studies Reader, New York–London: Routledge. Steiner, George 1998. After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation, London–Oxford–New York:Oxford University Press. Vajdová, Libuša (red.) 2007. Myslenie o preklade, Bratislava: Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV – Kalligram. Buffoni, Franco 2004. La traduzione del testo poetico, Milano: Marcos y Marcos. Albert Sándor 2003. Fordítás és filozófia. A fordításelméletek tudományfilozófiai problémái és filozófiai szövegek fordítási kérdései, Budapest: Tinta. 

Title of the project:  Hungarian Studies in the context of the Slovak Culture

Leader of the project:  Doc. István Lanstyák, PhD.

Co-researchers:
Mgr. Katarína Misadová, PhD.
Mgr. Zoltán Csehy, PhD.
Mgr. Ildikó Hizsnyaiová, PhD.
Mgr. Ľudovít Grendel, PhD.
PhDr. Anikó Dušíková, PhD.
Mgr. Zuzana Drábeková, PhD.
Prof. Ondrej Mészáros, PhD.

Description of the project:
1. The position of Hungarian Studies in Slovakia is determined by the thousand-year-old contacts between Hungarian and Slovak people in the territory of the present-day Slovakia on the one hand, and by the presence of a Hungarian minority in Slovakia (more than a half million people) on the other hand. In the description of Hungarian and in making it accessible to non-native speakers new research findings and trends are used in Hungarian Studies and the theory of communication as well as the principles of inter-cultural communications are adapted (cf. B. Giay A magyar mint idegen nyelv/hungarológia oktatásának módszertani alapkérdései. Modern Nyelvoktatás 3/1–2 [1997], 20–44; B. Giay red. A hungarológiaoktatás elmélete és gyakorlata. Budapest: Nemzetközi Hungarológiai Központ, 1989). However, there is a problem: the specific demands of archivists and historians learning Hungarian as a foreign language are not met by the present day textbooks (E. Hlavacska et al. Hungarolingua 3. Debreceni Nyári Egyetem, 1999).
2. The investigation of the reception of Hungarian literature in Slovakian cultural environment as one aspect of the exploration of Hungarian-Slovak literary contacts is an utmost important part of Hungarian Studies. The questions of the contact of these two literatures were and are dealt with by P. Bujnák, A. Göllnerová, R. Chmel (Literatúra v kontaktoch, Paralely a konfrontácie, Literárne vzťahy slovensko-maďarské), K. Tomiš (Maďarská literatúra v slovenskej kultúre), Jaroslava Pašiaková (Irodalmi hármaskötésben – V literárnej trojväzbe), J. Görözdi. – Hungarian Studies are closely connected with the study of languages and cultures of other Finno-Ugrian languages. Research on the reception of the Finnish literature in the Middle-European context has been realized by L. Szopori Nagy a Y. Varpio (Suomen ja Unkarin kirjalliset suhteet vuosina 1920-1986. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1990). With the exception of some papers of the Scandinavist M. Žitný the reception of the Finnish literature in Slovakia is an unknown terrain.
3. The questions of philosophies and ideologies which have had an impact on the interactants in the culture of the former Hungary and present-day Slovakia are part of the Hungarian Studies in the broader sense of the word.
The history of Hungarian and Slovak philosophy has been so far dealt with in most cases separately and without the identification of mutual influences. The papers of O. Mészáros can be interpreted as an attempt to eliminate this isolation. – As far as the present-day ideologies and myths having effect on the speakers of Hungarian and Slovak in South-Slovakia are concerned, their research is a new field within Hungarian linguistics cultivated recently by I. Lanstyák (A nyelvi tévhitekről – röviden. Fórum Társadalomtudományi Szemle 7/4 [2005], 55–66; A nyelvi tévhitekről. – Általános nyelvi mítoszok. Á. Domonkosi–I. Lanstyák–I. Posgay red. Műhelytanulmányok a nyelvművelésről. Budapest–Dunaszerdahely: Tinta Könyvkiadó–Gramma Nyelvi Iroda. In press). Language ideologies and myths have been so far investigated with the help of questionnaires filled in by a relatively small sample of a specific group of respondents. In international context the question of folk linguistics are – among others – dealt by D. Preston (The uses of folk linguistics. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 3 [1993], 181–259; Whaddayaknow?: The modes of folklinguistic awareness. Language Awareness 5 [1996], 41–74), the question of language ideologies by K. Woolard and B. Schieffelin (Language Ideology. Annual Review of Anthropology 23 [1994], 55–82) and language myths by a volume edited by L. Bauer a P. Trudgill (Language Myths. London etc.: Penguin, 1998).
4. The investigation of the questions of Hungarian literature as such is a sort of “hinterland” for Hungarian Studies in Slovakia. Understanding the specific features of Hungarian-Slovak literary contacts is possible only at the background of the Hungarian literature as such. – The problems of a literary circle of István Radéczy have not yet been dealt with, although they are highly relevant not only from the aspect of literary history, but also from the aspect of intercultural relations (Á. Szalay Ritoókné „Nympha super ripam Danubii“, Bp., Balassi, 2002; Ö. Sz. Barlay Radéczy püspök híres hársfája. Egy négyszáz évvel ezelőtti irodalmi kör, Vigilia, 41 [1976], 744–748; Z. Csehy A szöveg hermaphroditusi teste, Kalligram, Pozsony, 2002.). – As a contrast, the questions of the Hungarian lyrics and epics in the 20th century are well-known (see e.g. A magyar irodalom története; E. Kulcsár Szabó A magyar irodalom története 1945–1991; monografie: E. Vezér Ady Endre, Gy. Rába Babits Mihály, P. Nagy Móricz Zsigmond a ďalšie), however, there is a lack of more recent, modern approaches.
b) Particular contribution expected:
1. Within the first area the output is to be a study dealing with grammatical features which create difficulties for the students – non-native speakers of Hungarian. The study would be based on empirical material coming from Printed: 30. 11. 2009 10:34:47 VEGA/A - 2010/3 (item - continued) students of Hungarian as a foreign language (Misadová). These (and other) findings would be utilized in elaborating the methodology of teaching Hungarian language for archivists and students of history, with the emphasis on the understanding of written texts (Hizsnyaiová). With the help of this methodology a reader is planned which would contain essays and other short prose genres, which would take into consideration the intercultural character of the project (Hizsnyaiová). The final output is to be a textbook called Učebnica a čítanka maďarského jazyka pre poslucháčov archívnictva a pomocných vied historických, destined for the Departments of Archivistics and Auxiliary Historical Sciences (in Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia etc.) as a basic textbook and as an auxiliary book for the Departments of Hungarian Studies (Hizsnyaiová).
2. Within the second area the main contribution is to be the research of the reflections of recipients (authors of papers, reviews, critiques or epilogues) on the works of K. Mikszáth and on the contextual relationships stemming from them (e. g. determining the extent or depth of the eventual impact, searching for the reasons for the possible communication problems between the literature from the historical aspect as well as from the aspect of present-day trends). The reflections on Mikszáth’s works (either in the forms of direct reflections or an analysis of the criteria with the help of which his works were selected to be translated into Slovak) are interesting most of all because they are so strongly anchored into the Slovak (or rather: bilingual) environment (Dušíková) – As far as the reception of the Finnish literature by the Slovak readers is concerned the main contribution is to be the identification of the main factors contributing to the different reception of particular works in the source culture and in the culture of the recipients of the translation (Drábeková).
3. In the field of the research of the 19th century philosophy the contribution is to be the manifestation (on the basis of concrete material) of the fact that the Hungarian and Slovak philosophy was in the context of the evangelical schools in Upper Hungary determined by the identical theoretical, ecclesiastical and political background. It means that the separation of the so called national philosophies did not mean different philosophical orientation (Mészáros). – As far as the language ideologies and myths are concerned, a brand-new aspect here would be the investigation of language ideologies and myths as they are present in the literature on language cultivation.
4. By publishing documents and poems from the age of humanism which have so far not been published (e. g. some of the Latin poems from the Oláh-codex, poetic works of M. Ebeczky etc.) the author intends to contribute
to better understanding of the structures of the supranational literary circles in this period (Csehy). – In the field of 20th century Hungarian literature the aim is to summarize and re-interpret the results of the research on the modern Hungarian literature (Grendel).
c) Proposal of the ways to reach the project goals, including timetable for each individual year of research:
1. year
a) If our project succeeds in the first year literature study would be needed in libraries and archives in our country
and abroad as well as consultations with co-operating partners in Slovakia as well as in Hungary.
b) Coordinative meetings of the research team have to be organized in order to unify the methodological approaches and clarify the categorical relationships within the project.
2. year
In the second year a symposium will have to be organized about the partial results and their possible applications, where the critical and scholar opponency of the proposed solutions and their publication is to be accomplished. The materials of the symposium are to be published.
3. year
The overall results of the research are to be presented at a conference. The papers held at the conference are to be published in a separate volume which could also contain works of the participants in the project which have not been presented at the conference but their topic fits into the project.
d) Working group (comment on the choice of the research group):
The research team consist of the members of the Department of Hungarian Language and Literature of the Philosophical Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava. The experts working with the topics in question are on the one hand constantly invited lecturers at international conferences on Hungarian Studies (i. e. acknoqledged experts in their disciplines), on the other hand they co-operate with Slovak and Hungarian academic and research institutions dealing with the topics belonging to Hungarian Studies in general or with particular topics.
e) Description of applied methods and their explanation:
Collecting the empirical material or corpus will be going on in the case of some of the topics in libraries and archives, in the case of other topics authentic linguistic material will be gathered from the respondents by field workers.
One of the main methods of processing the gathered data is a general philological analysis of the text, investigating the critical aspects of the documents (utilizing among others the method of the so called close reading). The characteristic features of some of the topics make it necessary to apply contrastive approach to the analysis of literary, philosophical and other types of texts, and in the case of linguistics also of concrete language features. As far as the topic of applied linguistics is concerned, an important method is the analysis of the methods of teaching Hungarian as a foreign language, the adaptation and didactization of the texts using language for special purposes.
Another method which would be applied is a survey conducted with the help of questionnaires, as well as investigation of the attitudes of readers conducted in Finnish and Slovakian libraries with the aim of identification of the main factors contributing to the different reception of certain literary works (in the case of the reception of Finnish literature in Slovakia).