Language Co-Operation in Nordic Countries. Similarities for Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Speakers to Understand Each Other
Mutual understanding of each other’s languages promotes mobility between the Nordic countries and enhances the sense of affinity between the peoples of the Region. The main focus of the work to promote language understanding, both now and in the future, is on children and young people’s understanding of written and oral Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
The ability to communicate usually presupposes a common language, but there
are enough similarities for Danish, Norwegian and Swedish speakers to
understand each other. For historical reasons, Danish has enjoyed a strong
position as a foreign language in Iceland, and Swedish is one of Finland’s two
official languages. As part of the same kingdom, Danish is strong in Greenland
and the Faroe Islands. Swedish is the official language of Åland.
Responsibility for Nordic language work is divided between two different
councils of ministers. The main responsibility lies with the Nordic Council of
Ministers for Education and Research (MR-U). The Nordic Council of Ministers
for Culture (MR-K) has sectoral responsibility for language co-operation. Both
of them prioritise the Nordic language community and have children and young
people as one of the target groups in their work programmes. Indeed, the
Council of Ministers also has children and young people as one of its
inter-sectoral priorities.
Language agreements
The main source of regulation for language co-operation consists of the
four agreements: the Helsinki Treaty, the Cultural Agreement, the Language
Declaration and the Nordic Language Convention.
The Helsinki Treaty states that the Nordic countries must seek to preserve
and develop co-operation in the legal, cultural, social and economic spheres,
as well as in the areas of infrastructure and environmental protection.
Regarding mutual language understanding in the Nordic Region, Article 8 states
that “Educational provision in the schools of each of the Nordic countries
shall include an appropriate measure of instruction in the languages, cultures
and general social conditions of the other Nordic countries, .[...]”.
Similarly, the Cultural Agreement is based on an objective of enhancing and
intensifying co-operation between the Nordic countries – in this case, in the
cultural sphere. The purpose of the agreement is to help increase the overall
impact of national investment in education, research and other cultural
activities, and ensure that the countries work together to develop the Nordic
cultural community, e.g. by “promoting teaching in the other Nordic countries’
languages, cultures and social conditions [...]”.
The Language Declaration (the Declaration on Nordic Language Policy)
defines priorities for each country’s national work on language policy. In
other words, it points in an overall direction, but each country has its own
responsibilities at national level. Different national considerations mean,
therefore, that not all of the countries focus on the same issues at the same
time. The declaration focuses on the following areas of language policy:
teaching in Scandinavian languages as neighbouring languages and as foreign
languages; parallel language use between English and the main Nordic languages;
the multilingual society and multilingual citizens; and the language of
official agencies (plain language use). Every two years, the Council of
Ministers submits a report to the Nordic Council on how the countries have
followed up on the Language Declaration.
The Nordic Language Convention also applies. The Convention, which entered
into force in 1987, is legally binding for all five Nordic countries. The
Convention is aimed at governments. Its purpose is to help ensure that Nordic
citizens, in certain contexts, are able to communicate in their own languages
with official bodies in other Nordic countries. Responsibility for following up
on the provisions in the Convention rests with the appropriate national
agencies, while national legislation safeguards individual rights.
Priorities
Language work under the Nordic Council of Ministers for Education and
Research (MR-U) consists of the following three priorities:
Follow-up work on the Language Declaration
Responsibility for follow-up work on the Language Declaration rests at
national level, but from 2014 more attention will be paid to how Nordic
initiatives can help to support national efforts.
Efforts to enhance children and young people’s language comprehension
Focused and targeted efforts are needed to improve children and young
people’s mutual understanding of the neighbouring languages (Danish, Norwegian
and Swedish).
Listening comprehension
The teaching of neighbouring languages must emphasise the importance of
listening comprehension and mutual understanding between Danish, Norwegian and
Swedish.
MR-K also prioritises children and young people’s interest in and
understanding of Nordic languages in its cultural work (literature plays a
special role in this context). Digital solutions have significant potential
when it comes to providing shared cultural and linguistic experiences. As part
of a joint project between the educational and cultural sectors, funds are
allocated for distributing Nordic short films and documentaries via the website
Norden i skolen (the Nordic Region in the School).
Stakeholders
Responsibility for co-ordinating Nordic language co-operation lies with
Nordic Language Co-ordination (NOSK). For the period 2014–18, the actual work
is being organised by the Federation of the Norden Associations. The expert
group Nordic Language Council (ENS) assures the quality of the work. The ENS
website provides information about the expert group and stakeholders and about
activities such as Nordic Courses in Languages and Literature (Nordkurs),
Nordic Languages (Nordspråk), the Nordic Gems courses for student teachers, the
Nordic Language Pilots, the Network of Nordic Language Councils, the Nordic
Sign Language Network and the Nordic group for parallel language use.
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