“Why and how shall I learn Hungarian?” Motivational factors and strategies in learning a less frequently chosen language

Abstract

The paper enumerates the most important general L2 motivational theories developed in the last few decades and
examines their relevance in the case of learning Hungarian as a foreign language or as a minority mother tongue.
Learners of Hungarian confess in YouTube videos about questions such as why they started to learn Hungarian;
how they maintain their motivation in the long run; what the most challenging features of the Hungarian language
are for them; what methods they use in acquiring the language; what advantages they have from speaking Hungarian. Their answers confirm that having positive attitudes towards and deep knowledge of the target culture,
desiring to talk to native speakers, experiencing tangible benefits and getting positive reactions when using the
target language, being patient in learning the basics, being surrounded by the target language in one’s daily life,
taking the opportunity to switch to different methods of language learning, using the language to gain subject
specific knowledge of one’s own professional or recreational interests, and – most importantly – enjoying learning the language are crucial motivational factors in the acquisition of the Hungarian language.