Abstract:

In the case of the Hungarian language, colloquial language has a higher prestige compared to dialects, and non-colloquial forms are perceived more negatively. In minority speaking communities, in many cases the dialect is the only language variant that the students know. The purpose of the research is to assess how Hungarian secondary school students in Slovakia feel about Hungarian dialects in Slovakia. During the survey, the students listened to six audio recordings from the three Hungarian dialect regions of Slovakia. One audio recording from each dialect region, made in a formal and an informal speaking situation, was played. 793 informants from 13 Hungarian-language secondary schools from all regions of Slovakia inhabited by Hungarians participated in the research. Based on the answers of the interviewed students, we obtain primary data about which regional language variant in each region of Slovakia is the most acceptable in formal and informal speech situations, which regional language variant is the least accepted, as well as to what extent the students in each region recognize it in their wider environment used regional language variant.

Keywords:

Attitude, Hungarian language, Slovakia, dialect.