Interview with Zsolt Olah, November 17, 2020

Partial Transcript: Today is November 17, 2020. And I am Evelyn Ganzglass.

Segment Synopsis: When Olah was 18 in 1989, President George H. W. Bush went to Hungary as it was the first former Iron Curtain country involved with the Peace Corps. In 1994, Olah became a trainer of Hungarian culture and language for Peace Corps.

Keywords: Activities; America; Americans; Attitudes; Cohorts; Cultural differences; Cultural exchange; Culture; Foreigners; Language training; Peace Corps offices; Peace Corps staff; Preparation; Teaching; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Education, Higher; Emotions; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Teaching; Tutors and tutoring

Partial Transcript: I'm going to ask you, what do you think about Peace Corps training?

Segment Synopsis: Olah has degrees in computer science and teaching. Peace Corps language courses are intensive; it is about survival and volunteers really wanted to learn. For teachers, that is great. It is practical and immersive. Sites were rather randomly chosen. A large map was on the ground and volunteers stood where they would serve. The cohort, Hungary 8, was made up of volunteers in English language, environment, and business. The cultural training was prepared for weeks and it had already been done in past years. Volunteers expected "Third World" conditions but it was almost like America. In mid-service training, volunteers predictably missed family and friends. Teaching began with familiar sounding words. They learned well, enthusiastically. Olah says Hungarian language is really not easy.

Keywords: Activities; Americans; Attitudes; Cohorts; Hungarian (Language); Language barriers; Language skills; Language training; Languages; Peace Corps offices; Peace Corps staff; Preparation; Rural areas; Teaching; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Acculturation; Culture; Emotions; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Teaching

Partial Transcript: What was your impression of, of--I, I guess, what kind of a group was it?

Segment Synopsis: The volunteers were a mixed group. Some were coming from college or graduate school, in their 20s. The business people were a little older. They practiced speaking Hungarian among themselves. The cross-cultural experience for him as a trainer made him an "honorary" American. He married an American (not from Peace Corps). He had been in U.S. before. Many from Peace Corps are still his friends.

Keywords: America; Americans; Cohorts; Fluency; Hungarian (Language); Language skills; Language training; Languages; Peace Corps staff; Relationships; Teaching; United States; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Culture; Education, Higher; Interpersonal relations; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management

Partial Transcript: What was it like just being part of, of the staff?

Segment Synopsis: The director of Peace Corps Hungary was American and the staff was Hungarian. Olah says it was one of his best jobs, fun and creative, with useful learning. After class, everyone hung out together to continue lessons in everyday life issues.

Keywords: Activities; Customs; Language training; Peace Corps staff; Teaching; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Culture; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Teaching

Partial Transcript: So what do you take away from this whole experience?

Segment Synopsis: Olah says that volunteers were brave to go to a new culture and language and to commit for two years. He saw some of them at work and almost melting into the community. They changed their perspective of culture. They gained self-confidence. He saw that he could do the same, learning from the students. Travel became comfortable for him. Trying something new led to his moving to the U.S.

Keywords: America; Attitudes; Changes; Culture; Language skills; Lifestyles; Peace Corps staff; Travel; Traveling; United States; Voluntarism; Volunteering; Volunteers

Subjects: Acculturation; Culture; Emotions; Intercultural communication; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Language and culture; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Uh, how long did Peace Corps last in, um, in Hungary? W-was Eight the last group?

Segment Synopsis: The cohort, Hungary 8, was the last Peace Corps group in Hungary. Peace Corps had reached its goals and moved to other areas of the Eastern Bloc. The staff were sad to see it discontinue. It worked well for him. His Hungarian friends knew he did unusual things. It was work while having fun. As Hungarian staff he was a buffer to explain host family customs. Animal sounds are said differently in different languages. One volunteer thought the family was eating dogs when the family said the sound that animal made. It was pork.

Keywords: Cohorts; Cultural differences; Cultural exchange; Culture; Customs; Family; Food; Food culture; Language barriers; Local languages; Peace Corps staff; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Culture; Emotions; Families; Food habits; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management

Partial Transcript: Have you stayed in touch with Peace Corps at all?

Segment Synopsis: Olah has stayed in touch with volunteers and some even attended his wedding in Philadelphia. With social media, he maintains contact with Peace Corps friends. He had edited a yearbook for volunteers. Olah says that for Hungarians, learning English was less important than understanding culture and what the U.S. represents. Helping local government, business, and English were the tasks of Peace Corps. He was excited to use English (with native speakers) when they had learned Russian. He is still in education, in digital learning--in English.

Keywords: America; Americans; Cold War; Family; Friendship; International politics and government; Language skills; Language training; Languages; Local people; Locals; Peace Corps staff; Politics and government; Relationships; Teaching; United States; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Emotions; Families; Language and culture; Languages and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Um, I, I think just overall, it was, uh, one of my best de-decisions out of college to apply for that...

Segment Synopsis: Volunteers were enthusiastic about learning. Stories are still told among the group of those days. They learned to see new perspectives. Olah says he also gained new perspectives, recognizing that different views exist everywhere.

Keywords: Attitudes; Cultural differences; Cultural exchange; International communication; Peace Corps staff; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Subjects: Acculturation; Culture; Intercultural communication; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Hungary; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management