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THE HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN NORTH CAROLINA Table 7: Statements on attitude to Hungarian scoring above average (the average score of the responses is 2.7) in descending order Ranking of Average means Statements statements scores of responses (S7): Knowing Hungarian is important to 3.8 relate to my relatives. ‘ (S1): Hungarian is a major part of my cul- 37 tural heritage. \ 3 (59): It is important for me to read and 3.6 write in Hungarian. \ (S15): Knowing English is important in 4 order for me to be involved in the com- 3.6 munity. 5 (S11): Hungarians in NC should try to 34 preserve their language. 6 (S14): Knowing English is more important 3.9 for socio-economic advancement. 7 (S10): It is important to be bilingual in 29 Hungarian and English. 3 (S6): Knowing Hungarian is important to 29 raise children. 9 (53): Knowing Hungarian makes me a more 2.8 intelligent person. Applying the distinction between the intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental vs. integrative functions oflanguage?”, Hungarian is more valued for its intrinsic value, as a means of affiliation on a larger scale with the Hungarian ethnic, cultural tradition, and on a smaller scale, with relatives, and close family members. However, English is valued for its extrinsic, instrumental function. As for the different recurring patterns prompted by generational affiliation, we can see that G2 speakers have evaluated Hungarian more positively than G1 speakers as a cultural advantage in North Carolina (S2: “Knowing Hungarian in North Carolina is a cultural advantage” — G2: 2.8 >G1: 1.5) as well as for other pragmatic reasons (S3: “Hungarian makes me a more intelligent person” - G2: 3.3 > G1: 2.7). 55 Zoltan Dérnyei — Richard Clément, Motivational characteristics of learning different target languages: Results of a nationwide survey, in: Zoltan Dérnyei — Richard Schmidt (eds.). Motivation and Second Language Acquisition, Manoa, University of Hawaii, 2001, 399-433 + 97 +
