Mongolian–Hungarian conversation book

Dēlgērmörön, D. & Dalaīdorǰ, U.: Монгол–Унгар ярианы ном. Magánkiadás, DalaiSoftLLC, Budapest, 2020. 160 pp.

Abstract

Now that in recent years relations between Mongolia and Hungary have been revived and more and more Mongolian speakers are coming to study or work in Hungary, there is a growing need for publications that would familiarize Mongols with the local language. This need was recognized by the editors of the Mongol–Ungar Yarianī nom (Mongolian–Hungarian Conversation Handbook), D. Dēlgērmörön and U. Dalaīdorǰ. The handbook that aims to teach basic Hungarian conversation to Mongolian speakers was published in 2020, Budapest. While there had been a couple of publications that introduced Mongolian to Hungarians, this was the first time that we had seen an inverse solution. This review points out that although the handbook does not qualify as a language teaching textbook by today’s standards, it is a significant step forward. It offers useful and up-to-date words, phrases and sentences (in the form of bilingual lists and conversations) which adult learners will surely find useful and of which they can learn to say (with better or worse pronunciation) as many as they are capable of – depending on their motivation and memory. However, in the absence of professional curriculum design and skill developing learning materials (such as audio, explanations, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary exercises, comprehension and production tasks etc.), this phrasebook-approach can only, at best, open a window on the Hungarian language, but it cannot provide a sufficient basis for learning it. Nevertheless, the handbook could be a good starting point for the development of a bilingual textbook specifically for Mongolians. The demand is clearly there; it would be great to respond to it.