It was truly an honor to be featured on the Duna TV program Ridikül.
As a Chinese coloratura soprano living in Budapest, I’ve come to appreciate just how much our mother tongue shapes who we are. Language isn’t just about words—it holds our history, emotions, and identity. That’s why conversations like the one we had on Ridikül are so important. Learning Hungarian has been an incredible journey for me, showing me how language connects people and cultures. Celebrating and embracing our mother tongues makes the world a richer, more colorful place!
About the program:
The mother tongue is one of the deepest bonds of maternal love and care, forming the foundation of our identity and culture. Currently, there are about 6,000–7,000 languages spoken worldwide, but half of them are endangered. A sad fact is that every month, two languages spoken by indigenous communities disappear forever. International Mother Language Day was first celebrated at the end of the last century. On this occasion, we will examine the language of Hungarian folk songs and explore old, forgotten expressions that now bring a smile to our faces.
However, we are also curious about how those who have learned our language perceive it and what impressions it leaves on them. Our guests for this discussion are folk singer Zsuzsanna Zsikó, singer Zhang Yu, university associate professor and linguist Dr. István Jánk, and historian Sándor Szilágyi, a tour guide at the Gyula Almásy Castle.
https://mediaklikk.hu/cikk/2025/02/20/ridikul-edes-anyanyelvunk
