The Use of the Hungarian Language in Public Administration: The Case of Minorities in Hungary’s Neighbouring Countries

Abstract

Studies indicate that the use of the minority mother tongue in dealings with administrative authorities plays a key role in preserving it and endows it with a higher status than its teaching in school. The use of the minority language on the local and regional level is the best indicator of whether minority language rights are implemented in a country. The lack of public administration personnel who speak minority languages and official forms in minority languages pose great difficulties in implementing language rights. The guarantee of the right to be educated in the mother tongue and use it in public helps ensure the cultural reproduction and survival of the community.