Katalin Misad: The Situation of Slovak Language Teaching at our Elementary and Secondary Schools

The teaching of the majority language at educational institutions with Hungarian teaching language requires a specific attitude from the student and the teacher as well. Although, the successful teaching of the Slovak language except for the above-mentioned has more essential conditions: appropriate curricula, well-developed syllabus, adequate textbooks, application of methods based on communication, multilayer mediation of language content, development of basic skills and – last but not least – well-structured class.

The results of the analysis outlined in the study confirm what we all know: the teaching of the Slovak language at our educational institutions is not effective enough, i.e. it does not meet the requirements of communicative competence. As one of the factors causing the reason can be surely the viewpoints of education organization (communication trouble on the layers between institutions), didactical aspects (we have been helpless for decades on how and in what number of classes we should teach in order to enable students to communicate in Slovak in consideration of their age characteristics, and the viewpoint of educational documents (curricula, syllabus, and textbooks are not in harmony with each other; in the last two decades there have been barely published methodological instructions, methodological manuals and handbooks). It is important to admit: speaking is the original, primary form of the language, more broadly contains understanding of speaking. Despite of this, the teaching Slovak language at educational institutions with Hungarian teaching language – except for a few exceptions – today, in the 21st century verbal skills play a subordinate role, and the emphasis is set more on the teaching of history of Slovak literature and tradition descriptive character grammar. But there is surely a way – that is needed – to be found that leads from the present situation.