Our analysis
Subotica is a multicultural city made up of more than 20 national communities: Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian, Bunjevac and many others. It has three official languages: Hungarian, Serbian and Croatian. As far as languages are concerned, we notice that on the one hand, Serbian and Croatian are very similar and almost totally mutually understandable. On the other hand, Hungarian’s syntax, grammar and vocabulary are very different from Serbian and Croatian. It leads to the fact that an efficient learning of languages is a condition for mutual comprehension.
These local communities have lived together for more than two centuries, when Vojvodina was colonized by settlers coming from the whole Habsburg Empire. Under Tito’s regime, Vojvodina benefited from an extended autonomy and minority rights were very well respected. Even today, official languages, media and education in Vojvodina and especially in Subotica have proven to play a great role in terms of managing and sustaining the local diversity.
The conflicts of the 90’s brought changes to the demography of Subotica . Indeed, a lot of Serbian refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo arrived. These newcomers were not used to live in such a multicultural environment. Their adaptation is still considered as a challenge today.
It was quite often reported to us that the over-nationalistic environment of the 90’s had brought a disaffection between the national communities. The current deep economic crisis could also lead to this kind of behavior. Along with good communication, a dynamic economy represents a great challenge for Subotica’s inhabitants to live in harmony and for the city to improve its intercultural aspect.
These local communities have lived together for more than two centuries, when Vojvodina was colonized by settlers coming from the whole Habsburg Empire. Under Tito’s regime, Vojvodina benefited from an extended autonomy and minority rights were very well respected. Even today, official languages, media and education in Vojvodina and especially in Subotica have proven to play a great role in terms of managing and sustaining the local diversity.
The conflicts of the 90’s brought changes to the demography of Subotica . Indeed, a lot of Serbian refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo arrived. These newcomers were not used to live in such a multicultural environment. Their adaptation is still considered as a challenge today.
It was quite often reported to us that the over-nationalistic environment of the 90’s had brought a disaffection between the national communities. The current deep economic crisis could also lead to this kind of behavior. Along with good communication, a dynamic economy represents a great challenge for Subotica’s inhabitants to live in harmony and for the city to improve its intercultural aspect.
Our ideas
> Workshop on 'Share your language'
Two-day workshop at the Open University, 18-19 June, 10-17h.
Within LDA Subotica's framework, we organised this workshop to strengthen the capacity of the participants to learn or improve themselves at local languages through sharing. Participants learnt about different methods and how to combine them: group-learning, tandem-learning, self-learning. All the fields of learning will be tackled: written and oral understanding, written and oral expression. The working language was basic English, as a neutral language.
Participants had the opportunity to meet and work with other participants having a different mother language. In that way they were able to create pairs and groups to start their learning process. The workshop was open to anyone willing to learn another of the local languages (Hungarian, Serbian/Croatian etc…) no matter if he was a beginner or an advanced learner, and willing to share his own mother language.
> Bilingualism in media
Some newspapers are writing articles in both languages such as the one dedicated to young people of Subotica Novine 5+. There is also the daily Hungarian newspaper Magyar Szo which is providing in its supplement magazine Képes Ifjúság a page in Serbian every Wednesday along with a vocabulary.
These kind of initiatives are helping people in Subotica to become familiar with another local language. It foster understanding and thus raises awareness on the variety of views that can exist on the same topic.
That is why the only weekly newspaper in Serbian about Subotica Suboticke Novine could also include a page in Hungarian with a help on vocabulary.
> Community centre in Subotica
The idea is to create a place bringing together inhabitants from different backgrounds without making a difference regarding their national communities. It will aim at providing the whole community with various services in areas such as local economic development (linked with businesses), art and culture promotion, children, sport, library...
In the long term, several community centres could be set up in different areas of the municipality being able to reach a wide range of people.
Two-day workshop at the Open University, 18-19 June, 10-17h.
Within LDA Subotica's framework, we organised this workshop to strengthen the capacity of the participants to learn or improve themselves at local languages through sharing. Participants learnt about different methods and how to combine them: group-learning, tandem-learning, self-learning. All the fields of learning will be tackled: written and oral understanding, written and oral expression. The working language was basic English, as a neutral language.
Participants had the opportunity to meet and work with other participants having a different mother language. In that way they were able to create pairs and groups to start their learning process. The workshop was open to anyone willing to learn another of the local languages (Hungarian, Serbian/Croatian etc…) no matter if he was a beginner or an advanced learner, and willing to share his own mother language.
> Bilingualism in media
Some newspapers are writing articles in both languages such as the one dedicated to young people of Subotica Novine 5+. There is also the daily Hungarian newspaper Magyar Szo which is providing in its supplement magazine Képes Ifjúság a page in Serbian every Wednesday along with a vocabulary.
These kind of initiatives are helping people in Subotica to become familiar with another local language. It foster understanding and thus raises awareness on the variety of views that can exist on the same topic.
That is why the only weekly newspaper in Serbian about Subotica Suboticke Novine could also include a page in Hungarian with a help on vocabulary.
> Community centre in Subotica
The idea is to create a place bringing together inhabitants from different backgrounds without making a difference regarding their national communities. It will aim at providing the whole community with various services in areas such as local economic development (linked with businesses), art and culture promotion, children, sport, library...
In the long term, several community centres could be set up in different areas of the municipality being able to reach a wide range of people.