Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway
Introduction Language policies are often aimed at changing language behaviours, yet it is notoriously difficult to assess their effects. This study investigates language use and competence in the Indigenous Sámi populations of Norway and Sweden in light of the national-level policies the two countri...
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crfrontiers:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696 2024-09-15T18:25:01+00:00 Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway Lloyd-Smith, Anika Bergmann, Fabian Hund, Laura Kupisch, Tanja Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696/full unknown Frontiers Media SA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Frontiers in Psychology volume 14 ISSN 1664-1078 journal-article 2023 crfrontiers https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696 2024-08-06T04:05:57Z Introduction Language policies are often aimed at changing language behaviours, yet it is notoriously difficult to assess their effects. This study investigates language use and competence in the Indigenous Sámi populations of Norway and Sweden in light of the national-level policies the two countries have adopted. Methods We provide a cross-country comparison of relevant educational, linguistic and budgetary policies in Sweden and Norway. Next, we present novel data from a survey with 5,416 Sámi and non-Sámi participants in 20 northern municipalities, examining Sámi language use and proficiencies across generations and contexts. Lexical proficiency in North Sámi was tested in a small subset of participants. Results Sámi language use has dropped considerably over the past three generations. Only a small proportion of Sámi are highly fluent and use a Sámi language with their children (around 4% in Sweden and 11% in Norway). One fifth of Sámi adults use a Sámi language at least ‘occasionally’, and use is most common in the home context. Sámi language knowledge remains negligible in the majority population. Discussion The higher levels of language use and proficiency in Norway seem at least in part to reflect the more favourable policies adopted there. In both countries, more work is needed to increase speaker numbers, also in the majority population. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Sámi Sámi Frontiers (Publisher) Frontiers in Psychology 14 |
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Introduction Language policies are often aimed at changing language behaviours, yet it is notoriously difficult to assess their effects. This study investigates language use and competence in the Indigenous Sámi populations of Norway and Sweden in light of the national-level policies the two countries have adopted. Methods We provide a cross-country comparison of relevant educational, linguistic and budgetary policies in Sweden and Norway. Next, we present novel data from a survey with 5,416 Sámi and non-Sámi participants in 20 northern municipalities, examining Sámi language use and proficiencies across generations and contexts. Lexical proficiency in North Sámi was tested in a small subset of participants. Results Sámi language use has dropped considerably over the past three generations. Only a small proportion of Sámi are highly fluent and use a Sámi language with their children (around 4% in Sweden and 11% in Norway). One fifth of Sámi adults use a Sámi language at least ‘occasionally’, and use is most common in the home context. Sámi language knowledge remains negligible in the majority population. Discussion The higher levels of language use and proficiency in Norway seem at least in part to reflect the more favourable policies adopted there. In both countries, more work is needed to increase speaker numbers, also in the majority population. |
author2 |
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lloyd-Smith, Anika Bergmann, Fabian Hund, Laura Kupisch, Tanja |
spellingShingle |
Lloyd-Smith, Anika Bergmann, Fabian Hund, Laura Kupisch, Tanja Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway |
author_facet |
Lloyd-Smith, Anika Bergmann, Fabian Hund, Laura Kupisch, Tanja |
author_sort |
Lloyd-Smith, Anika |
title |
Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway |
title_short |
Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway |
title_full |
Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway |
title_fullStr |
Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway |
title_full_unstemmed |
Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway |
title_sort |
can policies improve language vitality? the sámi languages in sweden and norway |
publisher |
Frontiers Media SA |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696/full |
genre |
North Sámi Sámi |
genre_facet |
North Sámi Sámi |
op_source |
Frontiers in Psychology volume 14 ISSN 1664-1078 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Psychology |
container_volume |
14 |
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1810465424818569216 |