Teachers’ Perceptions of the Pedagogical Challenges of State Language Instruction to Hungarian Minority Students in Slovakia

This study investigates the pedagogical landscape of state language instruction in Hungarian-medium schools in Slovakia. Situated within the wider context of European minority language policies, this study explores the institutional ecosystems, didactic approaches and teaching strategies, and the relationship between teacher- and student-centered methodologies in state language instruction. A questionnaire survey based on a self-developed Multi-Level Diagnostic Model was administered to a representative sample of teachers, accounting for 23% of the total Slovak teacher population working in this distinctive sociolinguistic setting (N = 112). Although the results indicate that the educational process is shaped by various factors and there is an endeavor to promote communicative practice, the competence–use gap persists due to the reliance on conventional teacher-centered teaching approaches. This trend is driven by a methodological vacuum, the absence of specialized L2 teaching materials and the lack of modern digital resources; it also suggests that teachers are forced to prioritize instructional security rather than being resistant to innovation. The findings suggest that the current educational system is ready for change, but it requires systemic investment in resources to promote the balanced development of intercultural communicative competence. Addressing the linguistic distance between Hungarian L1 and Slovak L2 through specialized materials may promote a model of additive bilingualism that ensures professional credibility and the protection of minority cultural identity.