Living in two languages in Finland - BBC World Service

Summary

In Finland, a country with a unique linguistic landscape, people effortlessly switch between Finnish and Swedish, reflecting the cultural richness and bilingualism. Despite the minority status of Swedish speakers, the law mandates bilingual signs, and communities like Hanko embrace the linguistic diversity. Individuals, such as a Finnish couple in Ekenas, find the Swedish language and culture appealing, and the welcoming nature of the locals transcends language barriers. The video script emphasizes the importance of multilingualism in understanding and appreciating different cultures.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Multilingualism is common in Finland, with people often switching between Finnish and Swedish in their daily conversations.
• 🏷️ In areas with both Finnish and Swedish speakers, the law requires signs to be in both languages, with the majority language on top and the minority below.
• 🔄 Hanko, a city with nearly 50% Finnish and Swedish speakers, has had to change its majority language and road signs over time to accommodate population shifts.
• 🌟 The residents of these areas view the need to switch languages as a cultural richness rather than a problem.
• 👥 The Swedish-speaking population in Finland is small, at only 5%, but Swedish remains an official language of the country.
• 💬 Even though Swedish is a mother tongue for some, Finnish is often spoken with a mix of Swedish words, showing a blend of the two languages.
• ❄️ Finnish is described as a rich language with at least 30 words for snow, in contrast to Sweden's fewer terms.
• 📍 Most Swedish speakers in Finland are concentrated in the south and west, with towns like Ekenas being predominantly Swedish-speaking.
• 👫 A Finnish couple moved to a Swedish-speaking town, Ekenas, attracted by the culture and found the community to be welcoming to speakers of both languages.
• 🛍️ Businesses in these areas often communicate in both Swedish and Finnish, allowing customers to choose their preferred language.
• 🌍 The script emphasizes the importance of learning multiple languages to fully immerse in different cultures, with a suggestion that children could learn up to six languages.

Q & A

How do people in Finland switch between languages in their daily conversations?

In Finland, people switch between Finnish and Swedish naturally, sometimes even within the same conversation, and they don't consider it a problem but rather a richness of their culture.

What is the significance of language in public signs in areas with both Finnish and Swedish speakers in Finland?

The law in Finland requires signs to be in both languages, with the majority language on top and the minority language below, reflecting the bilingual nature of the society.

How does the city of Hanko manage its language policy considering its population of Finnish and Swedish speakers?

Hanko has had to swap languages regularly over the years, adapting its majority language and road signs based on the predominant language of its population at the time.

What is the percentage of Swedish speakers in Finland, and how is their language status recognized?

Swedish speakers make up only 5% of Finland's population, yet Swedish is still recognized as an official language in the country.

How do Swedish speakers in Finland incorporate Finnish into their language?

Swedish speakers in Finland often spice their conversations with Finnish words, showing the influence and integration of the two languages.

What is unique about the Finnish language in terms of its vocabulary?

Finnish is a very rich language with at least 30 words describing snow, which is more than the few words used in Swedish for the same purpose.

Where do most Swedish speakers in Finland reside, and what is the language distribution in the town of Ekenas?

Most Swedish speakers live in the south and west of Finland, and Ekenas is an 85% Swedish-speaking town in the south.

What was the experience of a Finnish couple moving to a predominantly Swedish-speaking town?

The Finnish couple found people in Ekenas who only speak Swedish and others who only speak Finnish, yet they managed to have conversations and were welcomed by the community.

How did the Finnish couple feel about their presence in a Swedish-speaking town as Finnish speakers?

Initially, they questioned whether they were allowed to be there as Finnish speakers, but after living there for two years, they found the people to be super welcoming and eager to get to know them.

What is the speaker's view on language learning and cultural understanding?

The speaker believes that everyone in the world should speak more languages, as language is key to truly getting into a culture, and hopes that kids learn multiple languages, even up to five or six.

How does the speaker describe the Swedish language and its appeal to them?

The speaker describes Swedish as a kind of round and soft language, which they find appealing, especially as it is the dominant language in Ekenas where they live.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Multilingual Harmony in Finland

The script discusses the natural bilingual environment in Finland, particularly in areas where both Finnish and Swedish speakers coexist. It highlights the cultural richness that comes with living in a region that switches between languages, with the law requiring signs in both languages. The town of Hanko is used as an example, where the majority language can change based on the demographic, and the community is open to such changes. The script also touches on the unique linguistic features of each language, such as the variety of words used to describe snow in Finnish compared to Swedish, and the distribution of Swedish speakers in Finland, mainly in the south and west. The narrative includes personal experiences of individuals who have moved to predominantly Swedish-speaking towns and have been welcomed regardless of their mother tongue, emphasizing the importance of multilingualism for cultural understanding.

Keywords

💡Bilingualism

Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak two languages fluently. In the context of the video, it is a natural part of life for people living in Finland, where they switch between Finnish and Swedish. It is central to the theme of multilingualism and cultural diversity, as seen in the script where people speak both languages interchangeably and consider it a richness of their culture.

💡Finnish

Finnish is a Uralic language primarily spoken in Finland and is one of the two official languages of the country. The script mentions that Finnish is the majority language and that even Swedish speakers often pepper their conversations with Finnish words, illustrating the prevalence and importance of the Finnish language in the country's linguistic landscape.

💡Swedish

Swedish is a North Germanic language and the second official language of Finland. The video discusses the presence of Swedish speakers in Finland, making up about 5% of the population, and how they maintain their language despite being a minority. The script also highlights the cultural significance of Swedish, especially in areas like Hanko and Ekenas, where it is more prevalent.

💡Language Environment

A language environment refers to the setting or context in which a language or languages are used and spoken. The video emphasizes the natural language environment in Finland where people live in a bilingual setting, effortlessly switching between Finnish and Swedish, which is a key aspect of the country's cultural identity.

💡Cultural Richness

Cultural richness denotes the variety and depth of cultural elements within a society. The script describes how the ability to speak multiple languages and the presence of both Finnish and Swedish enriches the culture of the areas in Finland where both languages are spoken, contributing to a diverse and vibrant social fabric.

💡Language Majority and Minority

In the context of the video, the majority language is the one spoken by the larger part of the population, while the minority language is spoken by a smaller group. The script explains that in areas with both Finnish and Swedish speakers, signs are required to be in both languages, with the majority language on top and the minority language below, reflecting the legal requirements and social dynamics of language use in Finland.

💡Hanko

Hanko is a city in Finland mentioned in the script as an example of a place where language has been adapted over the years due to the presence of both Finnish and Swedish speakers. It illustrates the fluidity of language use and the willingness of the community to adapt to changes in the linguistic majority.

💡Mother Tongue

A mother tongue is the first language learned by a person, typically the language spoken by their family or community. The video script includes individuals for whom Swedish is their mother tongue, and it discusses the ease with which they also speak Finnish, showcasing the bilingual capabilities of individuals in Finland.

💡Snow Vocabulary

The script highlights the linguistic richness of the Finnish language, which has at least 30 words to describe snow, compared to a few in Swedish. This example underscores the depth and specificity of the Finnish language, which is a part of the cultural and linguistic richness discussed in the video.

💡Ekenas

Ekenas is a town in Finland that is predominantly Swedish-speaking, as mentioned in the script. It serves as an example of a community where Swedish culture and language are preserved and appreciated, even by Finnish speakers who move there, emphasizing the theme of cultural and linguistic integration.

💡Multilingualism

Multilingualism is the use of multiple languages, either by an individual or a community. The video script suggests a desire for greater multilingualism, with the hope that children will learn several languages to better understand and engage with different cultures, which is a central message advocating for the value of linguistic diversity.

Highlights

People in Finland naturally switch between Finnish and Swedish languages in daily conversations.

Finnish and Swedish are both official languages in Finland, and signs are required in both languages.

Hanko has adapted to changing majority languages over the years, reflecting cultural richness.

The majority language can change based on population shifts, requiring updates to road signs.

Swedish speakers make up only 5% of Finland's population but have an official language status.

Swedish is spoken with a mix of Finnish words among friends, indicating a linguistic blend.

Finnish has a rich vocabulary for describing snow, with at least 30 words compared to Sweden's few.

Swedish speakers primarily reside in the south and west of Finland.

Ekenas is an 85% Swedish-speaking town, attracting Finnish speakers interested in Swedish culture.

People in Ekenas manage to converse despite language differences, offering a choice to customers.

A Finnish couple moved to Ekenas for the Swedish culture and found a welcoming community.

Finnish speakers can integrate into Swedish-speaking communities and feel welcomed.

The absence of Swedish in some areas makes people miss the linguistic diversity.

Language diversity is crucial for understanding and engaging with different cultures.

There is a hope for children to learn multiple languages to enhance cultural understanding.

Transcripts

The people that come here they speak sometimes  

Finnish sometimes Swedish sometimes  we switch between sentences.

Sometimes you forget, oh did they  speak Swedish did they speak Finnish?

Just speak whatever.

It's so natural for us  to live in a language environment like this.

Living in two languages in Finland.

Well in areas where you have both Finnish  and Swedish speakers, law requires you to  

have signs in both languages: majority languages  on top and the minority language on the bottom.

With a population of almost 50 per cent Finnish and Swedish speakers,

Hanko has had to swap languages regularly over the years.

We don't consider it a problem, we consider  it more a richness of our culture. So now the  

majority language Finnish if more Swedish people  move in the majority language would change then  

we would need to change all your  road signs. Se would do it happily.

Swedish speakers are only five per cent of Finland's population.

Still Swedish is an official language in Finland.

Swedish is my mother tongue then  I speak almost perfect Finnish. 

When we speak Swedish together with friends  we always spice it with Finnish words.

Finnish a very rich language and has at least 30  words describing snow, while Sweden has only a few.

Most Swedish speakers live in the south and west of Finland.

Ekenas is an 85% Swedish speaking town in the south.

This Finnish couple was attracted to move here by Swedish culture.

Here are people who only speak Swedish and  people who only speak Finnish but still  

we are like managing to have conversations.

They say everything in Swedish and Finnish and let you as a customer to choose which language you  

prefer. I grew up in central Finland and my  mother tongue is Finnish. I really like this  

Swedish language which is kind of round and  soft, like Ekenas is a perfect match for me,

because here i'm surrounded by the language. Once moving here we had this inner question  

that are we allowed to be here as finnish  speakers? But we have lived here for two years now  

people were super welcoming and open for  us and they were eager to get to know us.

When we go back to our parent's place where  you don't hear any Swedish I kind of miss that.

Everybody in the whole world should speak  more languages without the language you cannot  

really get into the culture. I hope that kids  learn more maybe three maybe five, why not six?