Abstract
The monograph presents the results of a common research of four scientific teams from the Pedagogical University in Cracow, Poland, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Budapest, Hungary, and Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia. The main aim of the research was to analyze the role of national languages in maintaining the cultural identity in the V4 countries, and to compare and contrast the conceptions of teaching national language and literature in the V4 countries.
As research methods we used document analysis, historical analysis, textbook analysis, curriculum analysis, observations in class, interviews, analysis of resources and specialized literature in the four languages (Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak) on the topic of the project. The individual chapters have the same structure: they look into the history and current practices of language and literature teaching in the individual countries, including the curricula, teacher training, standardised tests and examinations, textbooks, current school practices etc.