Dr. Tódor Erika Mária

ContentsMinorites in the Romanian education system Data from Hungarian language schoolsTypes of bilingualismDevelopments in teaching Romanian as a non-

native languageSignificant principles of non-native teaching

philosophyThe profile of the Hungarian-Romanian speaker –

features of verbal behaviour

Minorites in the Romanian education system (source: Murvai L., 2013)

Hungarian population and school population

County The percentage of the adult Hungarian

population Harghita 84.6%

Covasna 73.8%

Mures 39.9%

Satu Mare 35.2%

Bihor 25.9%

Hungarian population as a percentage of the total: 6.5 %, according to the 2011 census

Percentage of Hungarian school children in Romania (source: Murvai, L., 2011)

Level of education Percentage of Hungarian population in schools compared to the entire population (data from 2011)

On a national level

5.12%

Pre-school level 6.4%

Elementery school 5.5%

Middle school 5.15%

Secondary school 4.1%

Types of bilingualism (Horváth, I., 2005 )

Nr. Types of bilingualism Percentage

1. Monolingualism 7.6%

2. Asymmetric bilingualism 58.8%

3. Balanced bilingualism 28.8%

4. Subtractive bilingualism 1.8%

5. Semilingualism 1.4%

Educational failure, learning difficulty?“We were at the seaside,

and we had to point to the things

we wanted to buy…” (pupil, 5th grade)

“…if I travel by train, andRomanians ask me something, I

do not speak, I tell them, I don’t know, I don’t speak Romanian… I would not speak.” (pupil, 5th grade)

(focus group discussions with pupils in 2013 March-April)

School achievement

2014. Results of the mock test in Romanian language: (source: www.edu.ro)

Exam passed: Harghita county: 36.7% of the students Covasna county: 49.1% of the students

Obstacles to Romanian language learning

Neither the educational policy, nor the content of the curriculum offers the opportunity for functional–pragmatic language acquisition.

While designing the educational process, neither the linguistic, nor the cultural characteristics of students are taken into account.

The features of different language groups are not observed: compact/mass, diaspora, minority

Obstacles to Romanian language learning Lack of interdisciplinary approach

Knowledge competences gained through education in their native language are not used (cultural and meta-cultural competences, language competences)

Lack of contrastive-comparative approach

Curriculum development is based on monolingual and monocultural logic.

Changes - major stepsLevels of education

Until the 197Os Law valid since 2000 (art. 12O)

Law valid since 2011(art. 46)

Primary education

Specific curriculum-specific textbooks

Specific curriculum-specific textbooks

Specific curriculum-specific textbooks

Middle school

Specific curriculum-specific textbooks

Specific curriculum-specific textbooks

Specific curriculum-specific textbooks

Secondary school

Same curriculum -Same textbooks(L1, NNL)

Same curriculum -Same textbooks(L1, NNL)

Same curriculum -Same textbooks(L1, NNL)

Assessmentexamination

Identical assessment Identical assessment Specific assessment

Illuminating experiencesThe outlines of Romanian as

non-native language (second language, environmental language): tailored methods for language teaching

Introduction and making the concept behind the idea accepted: a specific teaching methodology

Redefining scientific terminology in both languages

Illuminating experiences

Research in the domain

Conferences and publications

Interdisciplinary networking

Drafting curriculum based on the new approach (2006, 2012)

Illuminating experiences

Organizing teacher’s training

Research in bilingual/multilingual behaviour, desciption of their specific situations

Profile of the Hungarian-Romanian speaker – features of verbal behaviour

Textbook

Profile of the Hungarian-Romanian speaker – features of verbal behaviour

Linguistic pseudo-creativity e.g. Through analogy: nouător for inovator (for innovator)

Adoption/ adapting words from the native tonguee.g. Give me a canal, instead of ‘spoon’ (see Hun. kanál)

Socio-affective dimension of verbal behaviour

Communicational anguishFear of talking, fear of making mistakes

Suppression of communicational intentionWithdrawal into silence

Displacement of communicational intention

Code switching

Thank you for your attention!

todor.erika@yahoo.com