Teaching methodological questions related to language-affinity attempts in layman´s term
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21030/anyp.2017.3.2Keywords:
language family, pseudoscience, critical thinking, national identity, interdisciplinarityAbstract
The Finno-Ugrian origin of Hungarian language is a frequent topic of everyday speaking today. Some non-professionals interested in language deny the findings of linguistics and propose new relations between languages; their aim is to reconstruct the history of Hungarian language and people that they believe to be wrong in order to strengthen the national consciousness. The first half of the study introduces the common features of pseudoscientific theories and discusses the possible reasons of this phenomenon. The second half discusses issues of laymen’s theories of language affinity related to teaching. The study aims to answer the question how to handle the discussed phenomenon in the classroom, how to prevent the spread of pseudoscientific beliefs, and for what kind of teaching aims they can serve as tools. A further aim of the study is to point out a social phenomenon in the handling of which education takes much responsibility.