Imimgrants' Access to Icelandic Instruction

In recent years, the number of people in Iceland whose mother tongue is not Icelandic has increased dramatically. The immigrant population is getting close to 20% of all citizens. People tend to resort to English, especially given that English is the language of communication between Icelanders and different nationalities in the workplace. In addition, English is more accessible and due to its prevalence on the Internet it’s becoming somewhat of a universal language.

This could be described as a negative development for many reasons; both in terms of preserving the Icelandic language as well as the direct consequences this can have on people. Those who do not speak Icelandic are often unaware of their rights, and employers take advantage of that fact. This creates a class division within the Icelandic linguistic community, where those who do not speak the language are unable to take an active part in society, and may even be looked down upon. This gives Icelandic speakers all the power, and creates separation and division in Icelandic society. On the one hand, Icelanders miss out on the opportunity to learn about new cultures, attitudes and customs. On the other hand, isolated communities are formed where the main language is something other than Icelandic, and those groups can miss out on participating in society. Active community participation is precisely about following the local media, knowing what is going on in politics and being part of the community’s discourse.

Of course, the usage of other languages poses a threat to Icelandic - and we as a small nation cannot afford to keep such a large group outside our language community. Ironically, the people who are often most concerned about the state of Icelandic are often the first to criticize foreigners and immigrants for their “imperfect” Icelandic in terms of accent, word usage and imperfect inflection. After all, Icelanders’ attitude towards “imperfect” Icelandic is a big part of the problem, especially when it comes to Icelandic spoken by people of foreign origin.

There are two important factors to consider if this situation is to be improved. The former is for institutions, like the government, schools, employers and trade unions, to improve access to Icelandic teaching and resources related to it. The latter, but no less important, is to change Icelanders’ attitudes. It is of the utmost importance to encourage people to speak Icelandic, refrain from judging those who are still learning and allow people to speak “imperfect” Icelandic - it’s vital for native speakers to start all conversations in Icelandic and only switch to English when asked to. Starting a conversation in English, although done in good faith to simplify the interaction and help the person to whom we’re speaking, undermines the ambition of those eager to speak and removes the opportunity for practicing a new language. This can also send the subliminal message that the person does not belong here, or that they aren’t a part of the community. We cannot improve the state of things without addressing these two factors.

Regarding the accessibility of Icelandic instruction, there are many things to consider. It’s easier for wealthy individuals to cover the cost of Icelandic lessons. Also, learning Icelandic can be hard due to how time consuming it is. Work and taking care of one’s children inevitably comes first, and tends to eat up most of the time which could otherwise be used to study the language - this can especially be an issue for women of foreign origin. 

Ensuring the rights of all groups within Icelandic society is vital to protect the future of the Icelandic language. Judging from where we currently stand, it is clear that extensive improvements must be made in terms of incentives and accessibility to language instruction. The future of the Icelandic language and the rapid changes in society are closely interlinked, and it’s up to us to safeguard both at the same time; equality as well as our language.