The István Kótyuk Language Accessibility Courses are being held at 52 locations across Transcarpathia, organized by the University of Rakoczi

The Adult Education Centre of the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University implements Hungarian and Ukrainian as foreign language courses between September 2025 and May 2026 in 35 settlements of Transcarpathia, with the support of the Government of Hungary, the State Secretariat for National Policy of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Bethlen Gábor Fund Management Ltd. The aim of the programme is to strengthen communication between the Hungarian- and Ukrainian-speaking populations and to promote closer social cooperation.

Between 12 August and 6 September, 1,900 people registered for the language courses, and 1,885 participants are currently attending the classes.

The training programmes are conducted in an organised manner with the involvement of 83 instructors, across 52 locations, with 100 hours per group.

Within the framework of the programme, a total of 171 groups are operating:

In the Ukrainian language courses, a total of 712 participants are taking part in 65 groups across 14 locations in 8 settlements.

In the Hungarian language courses, 60 instructors develop the language skills of 1,173 participants across 32 settlements, at 42 locations, in 106 groups.

There are instructors who teach at more than one location: Natália Duda (2), Csilla Lesko (3), Enikő Palkó (2), Ildikó Reparuk (2), Mária Veresné Dikun (2), and Gizella Zán (2).

In Berehove, Mali Heivtsi, Vynohradiv, Vylok, and Vyshkovo, both Ukrainian and Hungarian language instruction is provided.

At those locations where it is possible, children and adults study in separate groups:

The proportion of children’s groups is exceptionally high, which also highlights the importance of starting language accessibility initiatives at an early age. Of the 54 children’s groups, 14 kindergarten groups operate in Hungarian. In the Hungarian language courses, the oldest participant is 79 years old and the youngest is 6. In the Ukrainian language courses, the oldest participant is 59 years old and the youngest is 7.

Based on the breakdown by group levels, the overwhelming majority of participants joined the programme at beginner level, which confirms the programme’s fundamental objective: reducing communication barriers by widely providing opportunities to acquire basic language skills. At the same time, the presence of advanced levels indicates that the training also offers a structured path of language development for participants, enabling progression and the attainment of higher levels of competence.

In both the children’s and adult groups, language acquisition is available at A1, A2, and B1 levels.

The exceptionally high number of children participating serves, in the long term, to strengthen the linguistic competencies of the region.

Throughout the program, strong emphasis is placed on developing functional language use and expanding vocabulary. Linguistic accessibility is an extremely important tool in promoting social equality, inclusion, and equal opportunities. It indicates that a society respects its members, acknowledges their differences, and takes their communication needs into account. Its primary goal is to ensure that everyone—regardless of their linguistic or cultural background—can access information of public interest across various areas of social life. Linguistic accessibility is of particular importance in Transcarpathia, where population groups of different nationalities and mother tongues live together. In such a social environment, linguistic diversity is both a value and a challenge that requires appropriate management in order to ensure equality and social cooperation. When communication between different ethnic groups is smooth, fewer misunderstandings and tensions arise, and mutual respect and trust can be strengthened.

The 100-hour teaching materials used for the Hungarian as a foreign language courses were developed in the summer of 2025 by Anikó Csurman-Puskás, Dr. Adél Gál, Dr. Katalin Hnatik, and Dr. habil. Natália Váradi, while for the Ukrainian language courses they were prepared by Dr. Andrea Molnár Csatlós and Éva Panykó-Lénárt. The materials contain expressions, vocabulary, and practical exercises necessary for everyday communication, ensuring a consistent standard and effectiveness of instruction.

The courses are taught by highly qualified native-speaker and bilingual educators, whose further training took place on August 12–13, 2025, under the leadership of Dr. Katalin Pelcz, Head of the Hungarian Language Programme at the International Education Center of the University of Pécs and co-author of the MagyarOK coursebook series.

On-site inspections accompanying the implementation of the courses confirmed that the educational environment is appropriate. Feedback from both instructors and participants has been positive: learners actively participate in the classes, the groups are well organized, and the teaching materials, worksheets, and test papers prepared by methodology specialists effectively support the practice of everyday communication.

The documentation review and financial settlement confirming the completion of 50 hours per group were successfully carried out in the second week of December.

The aim of the course is not only to develop language skills, but also to strengthen social inclusion and community cohesion. The removal of communication barriers promotes mutual understanding and trust, while harnessing the linguistic and cultural diversity of Transcarpathia to reinforce social stability and cooperation..

Natália Váradi,

Adult Education Centre of the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University

This article is also available in
• Українська
• Magyar