So, you want to learn Hungarian?
I don’t want to scare you away from this exciting challenge! Coming up in this episode of The Hungarian Living Podcast are some things you want to think about as you consider studying Hungarian.
Welcome to The Hungarian Living Podcast. Yep, it has been a bit since we have released a new episode. We added so many new things to our Hungarian world over the last several years – which has been amazing and fun. And, we have more Hungarian projects coming up this year. So, we are excited. And we are also trying to balance it all.
But, let’s get back to the topic of studying Hungarian.
For me, Hungarian is a beautiful and mysterious language. It was around me as I was growing up. Maybe not daily, but at least weekly. My mom had a lot of friends who spoke Hungarian and they liked to have private conversations away from young ears. I was busy playing and doing my own thing, so it never offended me. And I certainly picked a few things up.
Having the language in my brain from such a young age has been very beneficial though. I caught some pronunciation along the way. And I think the familiarity of the sounds of Hungarian have helped me not be quite as intimidated by the sounds the letters make. Some people hear Hungarian and they have a sense of trepidation. I think my feelings towards it are very warm and I approach my learning with a sense of wonder. I have been learning Hungarian at a snail’s pace over the last 12+ years. But that’s ok. I don’t have full time to devote to the project. I have little snippets of time. And I have had to find the ways that work best for me. And if you are learning Hungarian, you know what I mean.
So what is the point of studying Hungarian?
Or why do you want to study Hungarian? I challenge you to grab a piece of paper and write 5 or more reasons why you are playing around with this idea. I would love to read your answers if you are willing to share them! You can email them to me at [email protected]
One motivation might be if it is a part of your ancestral heritage. Maybe you have notes on the backs of old postcards in Hungarian and you would like to read them some day. Maybe you are planning a trip to Hungary and you just want to know a bit more as you travel. Whatever your reason, it is good to think it through. Your reasons today will keep you motivated as you push through the tricky parts. And, you may find your reasons will change. Honestly, I had absolutely no idea we had relatives living in Hungary when I started my adult journey with Hungarian. But, a few years into it, some relatives from Hungary reached out to us to re-establish a connection and it gave me new motivation. And, yes, some regret that I hadn’t started earlier! However, I am not a dweller. I am not bemoaning my past choices. I am moving forward and it really is fun.
Learning Hungarian takes time. For me, 10-15 minutes each day is better than a 75 minute power session once a week. So, I do some things to keep Hungarian fresh in my mind each day and then I have a 60 minute class once a week. Everyone needs to figure out their own best approach. But I will tell you, doing nothing about your desire to learn Hungarian does not move you forward. But, of course, you know that.
If you want to study Hungarian, you are in luck! We have a new online beginner class starting on January 23rd and it will meet from 6-7pm, Eastern time. We’d love to have you join us! And, if you have been studying Hungarian for a while and aren’t exactly sure where you might fit, send me an email at [email protected] and let’s see if we have a regular class or one of our LISTENING or SPEAKING classes that might be a good place for you to land.
Upcoming Beginner Hungarian Language Class
And if you are listening to this podcast after this class has already started, email me! We start beginner Hungarian classes at least twice a year, but, if you already have studied Hungarian a bit, we might have a class that can work for you.
We would love to support you in your journey to learn more Hungarian. If you have any questions of us, let us know. And, in the meantime, find ways to add Hungarian language into your daily life. The more you surround yourself with the language the more it will stick in your brain!
Looking for more tips and tricks for studying Hungarian? Check out these episodes:
Episode 17, Dialogue Sessions with Anna Hamp: In this episode, Liz visits with Anna Hamp, one of our instructors for online Hungarian lessons and our instructor for Hungarian Dialogue sessions.
Episode 38, Hungarian Language Learning Opportunities: We offer Hungarian language, history, and genealogy classes – but in this episode of the podcast we focus on our Hungarian language learning opportunities.
Part 1, Episode 58: In this episode, Liz encourages you to start your Hungarian learning journey by documenting your goals and considering a series of questions about what you might already know.
Part 2, Episode 59: In part 2, Liz explains that you need to ask yourself the questions “how, how often, and when” you’d like to study Hungarian, and provides some tips and tricks for immersing yourself in a new language.
Part 3, Episode 60: While the Hungarian alphabet looks intimidating, the best part about it is that it’s phonetic, which means the letters are pronounced the same every time, unlike in English. Listen to this episode for more information on the alphabet!
Part 4, Episode 61: There are so many resources for learning Hungarian. In this episode, Liz dives into a number of resources she has, and what has helped in her language-learning journey.
Part 5, Episode 62: Hungarian teacher Anna Hamp joins with Liz to give tips about how to pronounce Hungarian, which can be tricky at first.
Part 6, Episode 63: In this episode, again with guest Hungarian Teacher Anna Hamp, they talk about 1. the importance of vowel harmony 2. gender (or lack of it) in Hungarian and 3. how Hungarian has changed over the years.
Part 7, Episode 64: How do you pronounce common phrases in Hungarian, like “good morning,” “thank you,” and “cheers?” Hungarian teacher Anna Hamp demonstrates how to say these common phrases!
Part 8, Episode 65: In the last episode of this icipici series, Liz talks about some of her favorite resources for practicing Hungarian, such as listening to music or Duolingo.
Did you know we have a monthly e-newsletter? SIGN UP HERE!. And we have a variety of classes coming up that aren’t all about the language! UPCOMING CLASSES
Our upcoming episodes of The Hungarian Living Podcast will give you all the details!
Thank you for listening – it’s great to be back!
