Department of Foreign Languages and Literature

2025.06.12.
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature

The Department’s Main Professional Activities

Teaching activities:

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literature comprises four sections: English, German, Serbian and Slovak. The main educational programmes include specialisations in primary English and German language teaching and English- Hungarian bilingual preschool education and minority language teacher education. The department played a key role in establishing and maintaining the Faculty’s first English-language BA programme in pre-school education.

Special programmes are dedicated to training primary teachers and preschool educators for education in German, Serbian and Slovak minority schools and preschools. Other courses include special language courses in English/German and language acquisition for early childhood education students.

Hungarian as a Foreign Language and Studies in Romani Language and Culture are also part of our range of courses on offer.

Courses are offered in the following fields:

  • General Language Development in English, German and Serbian
  • Courses in the fields of German as a minority language
  • Methodology of Primary Foreign Language Teaching,
  • Cultural Studies and Civilisation
  • Grammar
  • Phonetics and Pronunciation
  • Studies in Bilingualism: Theory and Practice of Bilingualism
  • CLIL courses (Music, P.E., Arts and Science) for bilingual primary and preschool education
  • English, German, Serbian and Slovak Literature
  • English, German, Serbian and Slovak Children’s Literature
  • Foreign Language (English/German for Special Purposes) in Infant and Early Childhood Education.
  • School/Kindergarten Practice
  • Hungarian as a Foreign Language.
  • Romani Language and Culture

In addition, we offer general language development courses and optional courses in various topics, such as cultural studies, literature, academic skills, intercultural communication, pedagogy etc.

English:

BA programme:

Specialisation:

School type and age group:

Focus:

BA in Primary Education

Primary teacher of English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

Primary school, age 6-12

Primary EFL

 

Primary English-Hungarian bilingual (CLIL) teacher

Primary school, age 6-12

English-Hungarian bilingual education

BA in Pre-school Education

English-Hungarian bilingual (CLIL) pre-school teacher

Pre-school,

age 3-6

English-Hungarian bilingual education

BA in Pre-School Education, English language programme

English (CLIL) pre-school teacher

Pre-school,

age 3-6

English-language education (CLIL)

BA in Infant and Early Childhood Care

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and Early Childhood Language Acquisition

Nursery,

age 0-3

ESP

All BA programmes

 

 

General language development, language education and ESP

German:

BA programme:

Specialisation:

School type and age group:

Focus:

BA in Primary Teacher Training

Primary German teacher (German/English as a Foreign Language)

Primary school, age 6-12

German as a foreign language

 

Primary teacher of German as a minority language (CLIL included)

Primary school, age 6-12

German-Hungarian bilingual education, German minority studies

BA in Pre-school Teacher Training - German as a minority language

Pre-school teacher of German as a minority language

Pre-school,

age 3-6

German-Hungarian bilingual education

BA in Infant and Early Childhood Care

German for Specific Purposes and Early Childhood Language Acquisition

Nursery,

age 0-3

German for special purposes

BA in Infant and Early Childhood Care

Infant and Early Childhood Educator of German as a minority language

Nursery,

age 0-3

German-Hungarian bilingual education

All BA programmes

 

 

General language development and German for specific purposes

The Serbian section offers courses based within the framework for minority language education. Studies in Serbian culture include day-trips to important centres of Serbian culture located in Hungary.

BA programme:

Specialisation:

School type and age group:

Focus:

BA in Primary Serbian Teacher Training

Primary teacher of Serbian as a minority language (CLIL included)

Primary school, age 6-12

Serbian-Hungarian bilingual education, Serbian minority studies

BA in Pre-school Teacher Training – Serbian as a minority language

Pre-school teacher of Serbian as a minority language

Primary school, age 6-12

Serbian-Hungarian bilingual education

The Slovak section offers courses based within the framework for minority language education. Studies in Slovak culture include day-trips to important centres of Slovak culture located in Hungary.

BA programme:

Specialisation:

School type and age group:

Focus:

BA in Primary Slovak Teacher Training

Primary teacher of Slovak as a minority language (CLIL included)

Primary school, age 6-12

Slovak-Hungarian bilingual education, Slovak minority studies

BA in Pre-school Teacher Training – Slovak as a minority language

Pre-school teacher of Slovak as a minority language

Primary school, age 6-12

Slovak-Hungarian bilingual education

Research areas:

  • Bilingual studies, bilingualism in early childhood, CLIL teaching methods
  • English as a Foreign Language, English grammar, English literature (adult, young adult and children’s), methodology
  • German as a Foreign Language, German as a minority language, German-Hungarian bilingual education, German children’s literature, German grammar, methodology
  • Serbian as a Foreign Language, Serbian as a minority language, Serbian culture and literature, methodology
  • Hungarian as a Foreign Language
  • Teachers’ beliefs and mentalities, moral reasoning in childhood
  • English/German for Infant and Early Childhood Care
  • Digital story creation for inclusion
  • Applying digital methods in post-covid primary education
  • Teachers’ professional development

MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECTS

  • Research Programme for Public Education Development of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences: Primary Digital Foreign Language Education Research Team, 2021-2025

International Projects:

  • Partners in Mobility, Europa Universität, Flensburg, Germany. A two-year project aiming to increase student mobility in teacher education. Participants from ELTE TÓK, University College Syd Denmark, Linköpings Universitet and the University of Jyväskylä, 2019-2024
  • KA2O1 Strategic Partnership for School Education: Writing for Inclusion, Universitat de Vic, Spain, University of Firenze, Italy and Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, Ukraine, 2O2O-2023
  • Erasmus+ KA International Credit Mobility Project between ELTE TÓK and Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, Poltava 2024-2026
  • Erasmus+ KA International Credit Mobility Project between ELTE TÓK and International Black Sea University, Tbilisi, Georgia 2021-23, 2024-2025, 2025-2027
  • Erasmus + International Credit Mobility Project between ELTE TÓK and Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia 2019-2020

BLENDED MOBILITY PROGRAMME (BIP)

  • Bildung und Erziehung im internationalen Kontext:  ELTE TÓK, Pädagogische Hochschule Oberösterreich, Austria, Katholische Stiftungsfachhochschule München, Germany (2021- ongoing) (working language: German)                       
  • Über Grenzen hinweg. Sprachen, Geschichte, Kultur und Gesellschaft in den Augen junger Leute aus Polen, Ungarn und Deutschland: ELTE TÓK, Uniwersytet Warszawski, PolandEuropa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Germany (2024) (working language: German)
  • Minderheiten als Fenster zur Welt. Pädagogik im Zeichen kultureller Identitäten und Vielfalt: ELTE TÓK, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Poland, Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Germany (2025) (working language: German)
  • Pädagogik im Zeichen kultureller Identitäten und Vielfalt: ELTE TÓK, University College Syddanmark, Denmark, Europa Universität Flensburg, Germany (2025) (working language: German)

Additional activities:

  • Active participation in the formation of the training in accordance with the Bologna process
  • Active participation in national and international application programmes; Erasmus  programmes
  • Active participation in national programmes: development and research projects in connection with minority education and training
  • Active participation in the supervision of student research activities (Student Scholarly Circles (TDK), seminar research papers and presentations for primary teachers’ trainees, BA theses)

International Research and Development Projects:

Our Department’s mission is to maintain professional contact with universities throughout the world. As a part of various international mobility programmes, we often host professors, instructors and students from the following institutions:

  • Pädagogische Hochschule Oberösterreich /Linz/
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Steiermark /Graz/
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Wien
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Tirol /Innsbruck/
  • Technische Universität Dortmund
  • Evangelische Hochschule Dresden
  • Evangelische Hochschule Freiburg
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd
  • Universität Augsburg
  • Katholische Stiftungshochschule München
  • Europa-Universität Flensburg
  • VIA University College
  • Queen's University Belfast
  • Stranmillis University College
  • Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow
  • Libera Universitá di Bolzano
  • Universitat de Vic
  • Universidad de Oviedo
  • Facultad Padre Ossó
  • Université de Fribourg
  • Pädagogische Hochschule FHNW
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich
  • Basque Country University, Bilbao
  • UNAM, Universidad del Atlantico Medio, Las Palmas
  • Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
  • International Black Sea University, Tbilisi
  • Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, Poltava 

Department Events:

  • Day of European Languages: “Drop Everything and Learn/Teach Languages”
  • English/German Translation Competition
  • German Advent Crafts Workshops
  • English Carol Singing Week
  • English Story Reading Competition
  • Christmas Party
  • Erasmus Information Afternoon

Staff:

Name

TITLE/POSITION

E-MAIL

MAIN PROFESSIONAL FIELDS AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES/INTERESTS

Valéria Árva PhD

Head of Department,

Associate Professor

arva.valeria@tok.elte.hu

Language development in bilingual kindergartens, ESP in infant and toddler care, storytelling and picture books, teachers’ professional development

Éva Márkus habil PhD

Faculty Rector, Associate Professor

markus.eva@tok.elte.hu

German minority studies, Hungarian German dialects, the past and present of national minority education in primary and pre-school education

Gizella Nagy Baloghné PhD

Senior Lecturer

bnagy.gizella@tok.elte.hu

German and English syntax, optimality theory, grammar, cultural studies and literature

Andrea Fenyődi

Senior Lecturer

fenyodi.andrea@tok.elte.hu

Teaching methodology, teachers' beliefs and mentalities, moral reasoning in childhood, learning styles

Gabriella Kiss

Language Instructor

kiss.gabriella@tok.elte.hu

English as a Foreign Language, Hungarian as a Foreign Language

Nikola Lasztity PhD

Language Instructor

lasztity.nikola@tok.elte.hu

Serbian minority studies, Serbian grammar, Serbian literature

Dorothee Lehr-Ballo

German Lector

lehr.dorothee@tok.elte.hu

German as a foreign language, methodology, children’s literature

Maya Jean Lo Bello

Senior Lecturer

lo.bello.maya.jean@tok.elte.hu

English literature and methodology, multicultural education, cultural studies, English as a Foreign Language

 

Réka Miskei-Szabó

Assistant Lecturer, currently on leave

miskei.reka@tok.elte.hu

Language attitudes, applied linguistics, Hungarian as a Foreign Language

Andrea Poros

Senior Lecturer

poros.andrea@tok.elte.hu

English grammar, English literature for children and young adults, visual arts, bilingual music for preschool, EFL Methodology, Scandinavian women's literature

Teréz Radvai

Expert Instructor

radvai.terez@tok.elte.hu

Methodology (German as a foreign language and German as a minority language), children’s literature

Éva Benkő Trentinné PhD

Associate Professor

trentinne.benko.eva@tok.elte.hu

Teaching English to young learners, bilingualism and CLIL, children’s literature, CLIL teacher education, teachers’ beliefs and professional development

Zoltan Csorba

Language Instructor

csorba.zoltan@tok.elte.hu

Romani as a Foreign Language

Dr. Songul Dogan Ger

Instructor

songul.doganger@btk.elte.hu

Cultural awareness, academic skills

Ilona Hudák

Instructor

hudak.ilona@tok.elte.hu

ESP for Early Childhood Education

Ildikó Vajda Kámánné

Instructor

vajda.ildiko@tok.elte.hu

English as a Foreign Language

Judit Kovács MEd PhD

Associate Professor, emerita

dr.judit.kovacs@tok.elte.hu

Bilingualism, CLIL teaching methods, EFL methodology

Slovak group:

Mónika Szabó

Instructor

 

Slovak as a minority language

Dr. Júlia Marlok, Szabóné

Instructor

 

Slovak as a minority language

Horváthné Dr. Farkas Éva

Instructor

 

Slovak as a minority language

Éva Szabó

Administrative Assistant

szabo.eva@tok.elte.hu