Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway

Anika Lloyd-Smith; Fabian Bergmann; Laura Hund; Tanja Kupisch

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696

Can policies improve language vitality? The Sámi languages in Sweden and Norway

Front Psychol. 2023 Mar 29:14:1059696. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059696. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Anika Lloyd-Smith^{1

2}, Fabian Bergmann^{2

3}, Laura Hund^{1

2}, Tanja Kupisch^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Linguistics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
² Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality", University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
³ Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
⁴ Department of Language and Culture, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Troms, Norway.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Norway; Sweden; Sámi languages; indigenous languages; language policy; language vitality; revitalisation.