[Péter Szaffkó]

Do you have any ideas how we at Debrecen Summer School can help? We would be open to any suggestions that best fit your life circumstances. Thank you for your replies in advance.

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[Lajos Kriso]

Szia Steve,
I was born in Cleveland, Buckeye utcan. Unfortunately, I lost my first language in ’56 when I started school. I learned english in 6 months from the TV and forgot magyarul. :((

But as you know, the kids raised on Buckeye have moved to the suburbs but the Magyar community is still alive. You have probably seen this video – The last Hungarian on Buckeye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSZo07Yhnfw It is so sad (szomoru)!

I know Bocskai radio and get their weekly email.

In DC there is the Kossuth Haz with frequent programs and we have a monthly Magyar Meet-Up at a kurtoskalacs bolt in Herndon VA. But it is not like where I grew up!

My wife and I have magyarora weekly Skype-on. You are very correct about time and discipline in learning. Soe people are natural polygots but I am not – I only have magyar ver! I have slowness in translating before I understand to speak or comprehend. Yes, there is a need to “think” in Hungarian rather than to translate from english to magyarul.

Lajos

[Steven Bondor]

Michelle,
There are various avenues of learning Hungarian at your rate of learning. See Veronica’s reply I sent her.

[Steven Bondor]

Veroniva, I don’t know where you live, but one avenue of learning Hungarian at any level and pace can be found on the internet, namely YouTube. There are several videos that teach and help you learn Hungarian. In Cleveland, Ohio you could listen to Hungarian spoken on the radio, they are also on Facebook, YouTube and their own website. If you are interested, let me know.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by Steven Bondor.

[Michelle Gnesda]

I take the language lessons. I did not grow up in a Hungarian area. I am the one in my family that knows the history and has photos. I have had some interest from family but not much. My interest in Hungarian/Hungary was from my grandmother. My mother was first generation US and at the time she grew up there was much discrimination against Hungarians. She wanted to be American as did her family. She was one of the youngest, and by that time my grandmother could speak English

[Steven Bondor]

Lajos,
My guess is that you were born and raised in Hungary? Did you speak Hungarian at home with your parents? What city do you live in? In Cleveland, Ohio we have a large Hungarian community, we even have a Hungarian radio program(the Bocskai rádio óra, 3-5ig), we have the Hungarian Scouts, we have several Hungarian Churches which use Hungarian Language in their services, including Sermons. But there is also the Internet, through YouTube, I found three native speakers from Hungarian teaching the language. They are on Patreon, small fee for the year, but worth it. Included in their podcast they provide Zoom sessions in Hungarian/Magyar nyelv. It also depends on your time and discipline in learning. I guess I am at A1/A2 to B2, but I don’t know for sure. It takes time to translate and/or interpret. This I did in Budapest for my two brothers that didn’t know the language, my older brother was very impressed. I am always learning, listening via audio is a great way of learning. Remember, Hungarians thought and understanding the world is much different than ours. They see the world from an Eastern European perspective. I don’t memorize dialogue. I was taught by a great Hungarian language instructor to slow down in my speech, to take my time collecting my thoughts in Hungarian.

Péter,
Does Debrecen School have any online classes, like Zoom to learn Hungarian. The Internet is great venue and doorway to reach students?

• This reply was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by Steven Bondor.

[Lajos Kriso]

Szia Peter,

Magyarora minden nap nem eleg nekunk! We have been studying every week for the past 5 years but are only at A1+ level. I do duolingo every day but it is only a very small supplement to learning.

I believe that immersion is the best way for me! Az anyanyelvem magyarul, but at 5 y/o I lost it all when I started school. So when I finally come to Magyarorszag I want to go to the felvidek to be immersed in the language and culture. If I go to Budapest then people will want to speak angolul.

Reading is the easiest for me, then writing; speaking and listening are more difficult because I am “translating in my head” what I want to say or hear. This interferes with conversational fluency because it slows down the pace. I must “think in Hungarian” to overcome that slowness.

A tanarnom keeps telling me to memorize dialogue but I resist that. However, she is wonderful and so patient.

Any thoughts for the “magic bullet” to learning?

Lajos

[Veroniva Horvath]

It is very difficult to keep up with The Hungarian language. All of our relatives are deceased now. But many years ago, our grandparents were trying to learn English. Hungarian was not offered in Grade School.

[Author]

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