Iceland: Former President Disapproves of Bilingualism Policy

[Harold Schiffman]

11/16/2007 | 11:29

Former President Disapproves of Bilingualism Policy

Former President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir has expressed her
concern over a policy that has been adopted by some large Icelandic
companies on using English as a business language within their walls
in addition to Icelandic. "I don't think the companies should be
sending such messages out into society. They are attacking Icelandic,"
Finnbogadóttir, who will present the Reykjavík Educational Council's
Icelandic Awards today, the Icelandic Language Day, told Morgunbladid.
"They have also misunderstood the term bilingualism," the former
President said. "Bilingualism means being raised speaking two
languages and being able to manage both. But the companies have a
two-language policy and it saddens me […] that another language is
supposed to be as fully-fledged as ours." "I can say what I want in my
own language but only what I know in other languages," Finnbogadóttir
said, quoting Finnish author Antti Tuuri.

http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=40764&ew_0_a_id=294188

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