[lg policy] Iceland: Language of Instruction

[Harold Schiffman]

Language of Instruction

 In June I attended a round table discussion at the Nordic House on
the significance of English in Iceland. The seminar was part of a
series of events to launch the Iceland branch of the English-Speaking
Union (ESU) and was co-hosted by the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute
of Foreign Languages. According to a 2005 study of words used by
speakers of the Scandinavian languages, the number of English words in
use has doubled during the last 30 years and is now 1.2 percent.

With a reputation as a conservative language, Icelandic has fewer
English loanwords than other Nordic languages, despite, according to
the study, Iceland being the country in the region which uses English
the most. Apparently this is because of the long tradition of native
language word formation since the 12th century and a strong puristic
language policy.

According to Ari Páll Kristinsson, an expert on language policy and
planning studies in Iceland who presented the study, basic Icelandic
vocabulary has remained relatively unchanged for over a thousand years
and for that reason it is easier to create Icelandic words than to
adapt loanwords into the language system.

The study looked at the frequency of borrowed words and found that
Icelandic borrowed just 17 words per 10,000 words, while Norwegian
used 111 per 10,000.

The issue of English as a language of instruction in universities was
also discussed. According to the study, 20 to 25 percent of Master’s
degrees in Norway are taught in English, with 80 per cent of students
speaking Norwegian.

When it comes to Master and PhD programs taught during the 2009-2010
academic year in Iceland, there were eight programs taught in English,
18 taught in both English and Icelandic (meaning that some courses are
taught in English, while others in the program are taught in
Icelandic), and 98 taught exclusively in Icelandic.

Just eight per cent of PhD dissertations submitted to universities in
Iceland in 2007-2008 were written in Icelandic, while 92 percent were
in English.

There are several academic study programs at Icelandic universities
which are taught entirely in English. Overall, there is a broad
selection of courses taught in English, with courses on everything
from European Integration Theory, International Law of Armed
Conflicts, Nanophotonics and Skaldic Poetry and Saga-Writing—but
that’s not to say that there isn’t room for improvement.

Some study programs at Icelandic universities offer both electives
taught in English and those in Icelandic, and of course some of those
courses taught exclusively in Icelandic are of interest to
non-Icelandic speaking students too. The issue of whether courses as
part of such programs which are normally taught in Icelandic, can or
should be taught in English, is an issue of debate.

>>From what I understand, foreign students can request a course they are
enrolled in to be taught in English, and as long as the course is not
a core course in an undergraduate program, the instructor is to at
least consider teaching the course in English.

However, it may ultimately come down to the individual teacher and
whether they wish to teach the course in English. Most course text
books are in English and most teacher’s will allow students to submit
assessment and will provide copies of exams in English, so foreign
students can usually get by on comprehension of reading material
alone, though that’s perhaps not the ideal way of learning at tertiary
level.

This causes a bit of a dilemma. Icelandic universities would like to
attract more foreign students, but unless international students
travel to Iceland with the specific intention of  studying Icelandic
they won’t have the language skills, nor interest, to take courses
taught in Icelandic.

Should universities expect foreign students to acquire a certain level
of local language proficiency, and therefore that students take a
foundation course in the language, before they pursue the rest of
their studies in that country?

According to an article in the Nordic Journal of English Studies by
Ásta Svavarsdóttir of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic
Studies at the University of Iceland, a new curriculum was introduced
in 1999 which replaced Danish as the first foreign language taught in
schools with English, which became compulsory from the ages of ten to
16.

This means that Icelandic children receive a minimum of six years of
English training. But does this mean that Icelandic teachers and
students should be expected to embrace tertiary studies taught in the
global language of English, or should they always have the right to
learn and teach in their mother tongue?

The continued influence of English in recent years is undeniable, and
while it presents both positive and negative aspects, it also poses
some complex questions.

The only way that I can see this particular issue being resolved in a
way which is fair to everyone is to ensure that those courses which
are advertised as being taught in English are, and those which are
not, are taught in Icelandic.

Courses which are usually taught in Icelandic but which prove popular
with foreign students, or are part of a program which offers courses
in both languages, should offer parallel courses taught in English.

This may not be immediately possible given the current economic
situation and budget cuts to the university system, but is perhaps the
only way to ultimately serve both foreign students looking for a
greater variety in course electives which correspond to their academic
program’s learning goals, and those Icelanders who may wish to study
in English, thereby improving their language skills.

Zoë Robert – zoe_robert3 [@] hotmail.com

http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/Language_of_Instruction_%28ZR%29_0_383254.news.aspx

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