Bilingualism, ideology and identity

Strandberg, Janine Astrid Elvina; Gooskens, Charlotte

doi:10.4324/9780429348037-13

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…Finland has two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, with 5.2 percent of the country’s population (i.e., approximately 290,000 individuals) being registered as native Swedish speakers in 2020 (Statistics Finland, 2021). Whereas the two linguistic groups were historically relatively separate, with monolingual or majority Swedish-speaking communities concentrated along the southern and western coast of Finland, internal migration due to industrialisation and urbanisation in the 20th century has led to increased language contact between Finnish and Finland Swedish speakers (see Tandefelt, 1996; Finnäs, 2015; Strandberg et al, 2021; Strandberg & Gooskens, in press). Although Finnish and Swedish are both official national languages, and the two linguistic groups have equal rights in Finland, at least half of the Swedish-speaking population today live in Finnish-dominant regions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regardless of such negative perceptions, fennicisms are becoming more central to the Finland Swedish vernacular. In the last few generations, the traditionally Swedish-speaking regions in mainland Finland have become more linguistically mixed, with native or early Finnish and Swedish bilingualism increasing amongst the Swedish-speaking population (see Tandefelt, 1996; Tandefelt & Finnäs, 2007; Strandberg & Gooskens, in press). With this increased language contact, fennicisms progressively become a more important part of the informal Swedish spoken in Finland (Clyne et al, 2009:128; Jamrowska, 1996:312).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Errors or identity markers? A survey study on the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish

2022

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This study examines the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish. Finlandisms are words or structures typical of the Swedish variety spoken in Finland, while fennicisms are a category of finlandisms for which the source language is Finnish. Fennicisms are often discussed in context of Finnish influence and consequent Finland Swedish language loss, suggesting that the use of these features in Swedish is stigmatised. The study analyses survey responses from 126 Finland Swedish individuals in order to investigate the use of and perceptions regarding fennicisms. The responses indicate that although finlandisms and, in particular, fennicisms are often seen as erroneous, they can also be used to indicate a uniquely Finland Swedish linguistic identity. Additionally, responses regarding fennicisms provide examples of previously overlooked Finnish loanwords, while also indicating that loanwords with origins in other languages are often misidentified as stemming from Finnish. The implications of these findings are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Errors or identity markers? A survey study on the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish

2022

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Re-examining the /eː-ɛː/ merger in Finland-Swedish: Regional and stylistic variation

2022

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This article examines regional and stylistic variation in the merger of front vowels /eː/ and /ɛː/ in Finland-Swedish. The study investigates the merger by comparing formant data from 141 speakers from four Swedish-speaking regions in Finland. Additionally, intraspeaker variation is explored by incorporating samples from three contextual styles. The results indicate cross-regional differences between Finland-Swedish dialects, with a more distinct variant of /ɛː/ being used on the monolingually Swedish-speaking Åland Islands, compared to other regions. However, the findings show that speakers from mainland Finland also demonstrate significantly different formant values for the vowels, particularly in formal speech styles. These results challenge the assumption of a complete /eː-ɛː/ merger in Finland-Swedish, instead pointing to a near-merger, whereby two sounds sound the same to speakers, despite them being differentiated in production. The findings also shed new light on stylistic variation in the variety.

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Regional background and donor-language fluency as predictors of Finnish loanword frequency in Finland-Swedish

Strandberg

Gooskens

Schüppert

2023

International Journal of Bilingualism

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Aims and objectives: This study examines fennicisms (i.e., Finnish loanwords and calques) in Finland-Swedish, a Swedish variety spoken in Finland. We investigate how fennicism frequency relates to speakers’ regional backgrounds and fluency in Finnish. Methodology: 134 participants from four regions in Finland performed a picture-naming task designed to elicit fennicisms. The participants also rated their own fluency in Finnish. Data and analysis: A regression analysis with the outcome variable of fennicism frequency and the predictors of region, fluency in Finnish, and gender was performed. Findings: Results show that speakers from the more bilingual regions of Southern Finland and Helsinki used significantly more fennicisms than speakers from Ostrobothnia or Swedish-speaking Åland. The study suggests that fluency in Finnish was a strong predictor for fennicism use, as speakers with low or moderate knowledge of Finnish used fewer fennicisms than speakers with high or native(-like) fluency. No significant effect of gender was found. Originality: While fennicisms are considered widespread in Finland-Swedish, there is little previous research on their use and distribution. Implications: The results demonstrate that while many of the fennicisms are well-established in the Finland-Swedish variety, their use is limited to certain groups and communities.

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Bilingualism, ideology and identity

Abstract: Fedorova (Eds.), Linguistic choices in the contemporary city: Postmodern individuals in urban communicative settings (pp. 154-171). (Routledge Studies in Language and Identity). Routledge.

Cited by 3 publications

References 17 publications

Errors or identity markers? A survey study on the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish

Errors or identity markers? A survey study on the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish

Re-examining the /eː-ɛː/ merger in Finland-Swedish: Regional and stylistic variation

Regional background and donor-language fluency as predictors of Finnish loanword frequency in Finland-Swedish

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