Itt-Ott, 1990 (23. évfolyam, 114-117. szám)
1990 / 115. szám
MELYEK A LEGNÉPSZERŰBB NYELVEK? Az AUDIO-FORUM (Jeffrey Norton Publishers, Guilford, CT), a felnőtt magántanulók részére készült idegennyelv-tankönyvek, audióanyagok legnagyobb amerikai forgalmazója publikálta a 80-as években az alábbi a statisztikát: ilyen arányban oszlanak meg a megrendelései, százalékban. Az adatokban csak az ún. „less commonly taught languages”, a ritkábban oktatott nyelvek szerepelnek, azaz nincs benne a három nagy, népszerű nyelv: a spanyol, a francia és a német. Ezeken kívül megjegyezte a cég, hogy 0,1%-nál kevesebb az érdeklődés az albán, az amarák, baszk, breton, burmai, kreol, flamand, hopi, makedón, nepáli, tahitiai, tamil, tibeti, valamint a twi iránt. A felmérés nem tudományos, de érdekes. A magyar iránti érdeklődés kb. akkora, amekkorára más adatok alapján is számíthatnánk. A fentiekben csak egy adat szúrja a szememet: a görögé (újgörögé). Az olasz könnyű a sok spanyolul-tudónak; a japánhoz, arabhoz, angolhoz anyagi érdekek is vonzzák az embereket, stb. A görögöt azonban, a rajongó turistákat leszámítva, csak a görög származásúak tanulják.—éji Olasz 11.7 Hindu 0.7 Japán 11.3 Török 0.7 Arab 10.7 Finn 0.5 Görög 7.6 ír (gaelic) 0.5 Angol * 7.0 Vietnami 0.5 Orosz 7.0 Izlandi 0.4 Mandarin 6.9 Jiddis 0.3 Héber 4.7 Litván 0.3 Portugál 3.5 Ukrán 0.2 Szvahili 3.5 Kantoni 0.2 Lengyel 3.1 Vélszi 0.2 Svéd 3.1 Szlovák 0.2 Koreai 1.8 Román 0.2 Holland 1.6 Maláj/Bahasza 0.2 Perzsa 1.4 Lao 0.2 Tagalog 1.2 Szamóai 0.1 Latin 1.2 Afrikaans 0.1 Thai 1.1 Urdu 0.1 Norvég 1.1 Skót 0.1 Cseh 1.0 Eszperantó 0.1 Dán 0.9 Malajalam 0.1 Szerb-Horvát 0.8 Guzsaráti 0.1 Magyar 0.8 Khmer 0.1 *Mint idegen nyelv A Letter Regarding Democracy and Minority Rights in East Central Europe The April 1-3, 1990 conference on “National Identity and Culture: Hungarians in North America,” held at Indiana University, has brought together scholars from many parts of the U.S., Canada, and Europe. As specialists on Hungarian culture, society and history, we want to raise our voices against the intimidation and abuse that has been imposed on the Hungarian population of Transylvania. We feel that American foreign policy and public opinion should vigorously support the peoples of East Central Europe in their democracy-building efforts. We should also be firm about some well-defined conditions for our support. One of these must be that governments of those states demonstrate proof that they have not only discontinued discrimination against their minorities, but that they have instituted affirmative action policies and practices for the fulfillment of their minorities’ equal human rights. They will have to implement long-term efforts to dissolve their prejudices about each other, which were fomented by various authoritarian and dictatorial powers for long decades. But the actual discrimination against the minorities must stop immediately. Anti-Hungarianism is a case in point. Like anti- Semitism and racism, it consists of hostile attitudes and discriminatory practices. There are approximately four million Hungarians living as national minorities in Rumania, Czechoslovakia, the Carpatho-Ukraine region of the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia. They have been annexed to these countries without their consent, after World Wars I and II. They, along with other minorities, have been subjected to varying degrees and various forms of discrimination ever since. Their universities and colleges have been expropriated, most of their schools and many of their churches have been forcefully [forcibly] closed, their book publishers, theaters, newspapers, radio and TV programs have been banned, they were prohibited from using their Hungarian names and language in public. Thousands of them suffered deportations, hundreds were jailed, tortured and executed. The Christmas Revolution in Rumania was sparked by the Hungarian Rev. László Tőkés’ heroic stance against these atrocities. He was supported by the Hungarian and Rumanian population of Timisoara. Bishop Tőkés recently visited President Bush amidst reports of anti-Hungarian pogrom-like riots in Rumania, claiming six lives and hundreds of injuries. András Sütő, one of the greatest contemporary Hungarian writers, was also attacked and severely injured. Now, when these countries have freed themselves, hopefully, from the last of their dictators, they should free themselves from the anti-minority policies and practices of these dictators as well. Dr.%ároíy ‘Nagy and37 other signatories 10 ITT-OTT 23. évf. (1990), nyári (115.) szám
