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THE NC HUNGARIAN CLUB
Similarly to the previous data when guestioned about motivation for attending
the Hungarian Club (Table 38), the ranking of motives for both G1 and G2
subjects manifests the same pattern. Motivation of affective nature (Statement
E “Their life is richer if they can speak Hungarian as well." — 2896 and 42%
respectively) is the most dominant, while the instrumental / pragmatic value
(Statement A “We might move back to Hungary.” — G1: 10%; G2: 0) associated
to passing on the Hungarian language is the least relevant. Understandably, the
instrumental, pragmatic value of a heritage language is of less significance when
not used as a tool for social mobility in the country of the majority language”™.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that both Gl and G2 groups have
a predominantly affective motive in cherishing Hungarian language and
traditions, therefore, primarily a genuine interest in the heritage language
and culture?#,.
It is interesting to note that in the Gl group language as identity ranks
(Statement B “I think to be truly Hungarian one has to speak Hungarian.”)
the last but one (16%) among the motives in cherishing Hungarian language.
It reinforces the notion that this Hungarian-American immigrant community
is in the phase of redefining the concept that language is essentially important
for the expression of identity”. It seems that language is seen rather as a
means of expressing and cherishing Hungarian culture than communicating
in that language.
However, in the G2 group, language as identity (Statement B), slightly
though, ranks (21%) before the language as culture motive (Statement C ¬
16%). Therefore, for them, the Hungarian language is slightly more important
as a means of expressing their identity than expressing their culture.
The lack of motivation for cherishing the Hungarian language and passing
on Hungarian traditions
Question 31b examines the lack of motivation in teaching Hungarian to
children. It also covertly reflects why subjects are not interested in passing on
284 Shana Poplack, Language status and language accommodation along a linguistic border,
in: Peter H. Lowenberg (ed.), Language spread and language policy, Georgetown University
Round Table, 1988, 90; Yagmur — Akinci, Language use, choice, maintenance, International
Journal of the Sociology of Language, 118; Kutlay Yagmur, Language maintenance patterns
of Turkish immigrant communities in Australia and western Europe: the impact of majority
attitudes on ethnolinguistic vitality perceptions, International Journal of the Sociology of
Language 165 (2004), 134
285 Andreas Papapavlou — Pavlos Pavlou, The interplay of language use and language maintenance
and the cultural identity of Greek Cypriots in the UK, International Journal of Applied
Linguistics, 11 (1) (2001), 99
286 Suresh A. Canagarajah, Language shift and the family: Questions from the Sri Lankan Tamil
diaspora, Journal of Sociolinguistics, 12 (2) (2008), 169
* 139 ¢