Itt-Ott, 1974 (7. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1974 / 4. szám
Hungarian heritage is being kept alive with Saturday classes NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., SUNDAY. MAY !f. 1374 By SANDRA LANMAN Home News staff writer NEW BRUNSWICK - Reading the funnies is serious business for five youngsters in Dr. Karoly Nagy's Saturday literature workshop. If no one laughs when the witticisms of “Dennis the Menace” or ‘'Peanuts'’ are pronounced in Hungarian, it means someone hasn’t done their homework correctly. But when the translation is fluent, the heartiest laughter of all comes from the teacher. As one of six instructors in the Hungarian Saturday Classes Program, Nagy has the responsibility of making the children's cultural heritage meaningful to them. His laughter shows he is succeeding. About 50 students, mainly from the Twin County area, now attend the 14-yearoid program, founded by the Hungarian Alumni Association of this city. Six classes in language, literature and folk arts are conducted in Frelinghuysen Hall on the Rutgers campus, while a kindergarten class meets in the Washington School on French Street, Saturday mornings. In Nagy's class, composed of more advanced students from 10 to 12 years old. translations of both "Angol” (English) and "Magyar" (Hungarian) cartoons serve a more intricate purpose than their simplicity might indicate. "We are striving tó take the chore out of learning. That is why I use jokes in literature class. It’s very serious work but the children don't realize it,” he explains. "These children are basically fluent,” Nagy continues, "but we are trying. to achieve bilingual efficiency iso they can communicate well in both languages.” In the younger groups of beginners and intermediate students, the teachers have the task of preparing the children for this efficiency. Although their parents’ mother tongue may be Hungarian, many of the 7- through 11-year-olds do not speak it proficiently. Using a Hungarian filmstrip of, a fairy tale, Mrs. Ivan Vansertima guides her class of beginners through the translation and interpretation of the story. The pronunciations are sometimes difficult yet the youngsters seem to adapt to the language with more eaße and enthusiasm than a conventional language class. In the intermediate class, the children are more proficient so their teacher, Mrs. Denes Bakos, combines history with reading. She claims, however, that the best way for them to develop their language skill is to visit Hungary. “When they go to visit their grandparents in Hungary, they return speaking the language much better,” she said. But the school serves a much broa<?er purpose than merely teaching its students Hungarian. The instructors, who Are ell native Hungarians with teaching experience, are striving to keep alive a culture that is rich in folk art, history and literature. Mrs. József Orvos is an artist in her own right when it comes to Hungarian embroidery. Her work has been displayed to the public and the delicate florals, geometries and cross-stitches are seen on many ot her female students’ blouses. An expert, Mrs. Orvos teaches the embroidery of 10 Hungarian regions to her students — both girls and boys. Although the art was created centuries ago by peasants, Mrs. Orvos usesut as a modern display of national pride. She points out how a simple embroidered shawl or belt can let others know the wearer is Hungarian. Not all of Mrs. Orvos’ students are Hungarian. Her work attracted the attention of Mrs. Paula Mosher of Trenton, who is Irish. "It’s really interesting,” says Mrs. Mosher, as she struggles with a recently learned stitch. In folk-singing class, led by Nagy, the children recreate their heritage through song. There is no pressure for grades or exams in the Hungarian Saturday Classes, Nagy explains. When the term ends on June 15, parents are invited to view the children’s progress. "Parents report that their children get better grades in regular classes. Their attention span and reading rate are better because they are fluent in two languages and two cultures,” Nagy says proudly.' As one of the founders of the school, Nagy has seen it progress from an experiment to an established educational institution. "We have reached the point where this is done in a professional way. Stcp-bystep. we have to create a science of teaching culture and language only one day a week, which is difficult to do,” explains Nagy, who is also chairman of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services at Middlesex County College and a teacher at Rutgers. The school’s success directly relates to the Hungarian community's feeling for its culture. "They love the Hungarian culture, its folk art, literature and history and they want their children to also be able to love it. "It is a piece of them — a piece of their soul, heart and past. The culture is like a treasure which they pass on to their children,” relates Nagy. Judging by the children’s enthusiasm to learn and their instructors’ desire to teach, the Saturday classes are a labor of love, keeping a rich heritage alive thousands of miles from its homeland. Foto: Home News Nyomda: Standard Press
