Abstract Language testing for citizenship typically takes place in dominant national languages. This article examines the minoritized Swedish language as a pathway to naturalization in constitutionally bilingual Finland, where applicants can demonstrate proficiency in either Finnish or Swedish. Drawing on interviews, media, and policy documents, it investigates how naturalization applicants in majority-Finnish areas navigate between Finnish and Swedish, and how linguistic integration is imagined in a context where the tested language does not align with the languages of surrounding society. Perceptions of Swedish as easier to learn than Finnish, and a faster route to naturalization, are widespread. Naturalization applicants’ language choices are shaped by the instrumental value of Swedish in meeting the increasingly stringent citizenship requirements, despite its limited presence in everyday life. At the same time, learning Swedish can lead to new forms of belonging and transnational opportunities. Naturalization through Swedish can function not only as a means of obtaining citizenship but may also foster interest in Swedish-speaking or bilingual Finland and expand applicants’ agency in navigating barriers to membership. Yet, the competing nation-building interests of minority and majority institutions raise questions about the ethics of language requirements in multilingual nation-states.
Abstract This article discusses an English-speaking council established in 2022 in a small multilingual community in southern Iceland. It engages with literature on linguistic justice to explore the intersection of immigrants’ inclusion and language policies. Foreign-born residents make up more than half of the municipality’s total population, and English has already become the prominent language of communication among inhabitants. The decision to establish the council was positively received by local participants in our study, but sparked criticism and a media debate about the importance of the Icelandic language for immigrant integration and social cohesion. Based on an ethnographic study, we demonstrate the importance of understanding the regional context in which such decisions are made. By focusing on the local level, we examine how the use of English has become central to local integration policy, while simultaneously the English-speaking council has prioritised improving access to Icelandic-language courses and to Icelandic society.
Abstract This article examines the ethical dimensions of linguistic integration for deaf migrants in Sweden from the perspectives of teachers who have taught adult deaf migrants and staff members from three municipal service centres. The study explores challenges with language learning as well as accessing governmental services and sign language interpreting services. The findings show the complexities of deaf migrants’ experiences with language learning and in accessing government services. These findings also raise several ethical concerns related to the idea of linguistic integration. This study demonstrates that linguistic proficiency alone does not eliminate structural barriers, discrimination, or ableism, and raises questions about who defines linguistic integration and whether it is achievable under existing conditions.
