Language politics

07-04-10, 02:11 PM

As an offshoot from the Swedish military service - thread I thought I'd start a thread about language politics in general. My beef is with so called forced Swedish as it is known that Finns are forced to speak in elementary school, college and university. Also all government offices are forced to be able to give service in Finnish and Swedish. There are also schools, universities etc. that are for the Finnish-Swedish - speaking minority of Finland. And of course Åland, an entire island much nearer to Finland then Sweden that is completely Swedish speaking and their men are also exempt from military service.

Actually the language that is tought to Finns is not Swedish as is spoken in Sweden but Finnish-Swedish, a dialect of Swedish spoken really only in Finland.

I know that for example in Belgium language politics have been a hot button - issue with the Flemish language etc. Would be interesting to hear views and opions about this matter, even from Swedes.

Wiki-article about mandatory Swedish.

07-04-10, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Wiki-article about mandatory Swedish.

Link does not seem to work for me.

Edit: Issue resolved in original thread.

Skybird · 07-05-10, 04:44 AM

Mandatory Swedish? Sounds better than Mandatory Russian!

07-05-10, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Mandatory Swedish? Sounds better than Mandatory Russian!

You almost knocked me out of the chair from sudden laughter.
Very well said.

Betonov · 07-05-10, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Mandatory Swedish? Sounds better than Mandatory Russian!

I second that motion

August · 07-05-10, 08:09 AM

Skybird isn't right very often about things foreign but when he is he nails it.

GoldenRivet · 07-05-10, 08:12 AM

my experience with language and politics is this... English is the standard language of the aviation industry... thankfully.

If it were Chinese, I'd be locking the office up and hitting the bricks in search of a new career right this very second

papa_smurf · 07-05-10, 10:49 AM

Im just glad I live in a country full of dialects, with no such forced language.
Can you imagine the whole UK being forced to speak "Queens English"?

07-04-10, 02:11 PM	#1
OneToughHerring Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Language politics As an offshoot from the Swedish military service - thread I thought I'd start a thread about language politics in general. My beef is with so called forced Swedish as it is known that Finns are forced to speak in elementary school, college and university. Also all government offices are forced to be able to give service in Finnish and Swedish. There are also schools, universities etc. that are for the Finnish-Swedish - speaking minority of Finland. And of course Åland, an entire island much nearer to Finland then Sweden that is completely Swedish speaking and their men are also exempt from military service. Actually the language that is tought to Finns is not Swedish as is spoken in Sweden but Finnish-Swedish, a dialect of Swedish spoken really only in Finland. I know that for example in Belgium language politics have been a hot button - issue with the Flemish language etc. Would be interesting to hear views and opions about this matter, even from Swedes. Wiki-article about mandatory Swedish.

07-05-10, 04:44 AM	#3
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,602 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Mandatory Swedish? Sounds better than Mandatory Russian! __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

07-05-10, 08:09 AM	#6
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Skybird isn't right very often about things foreign but when he is he nails it. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

07-05-10, 08:12 AM	#7
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	my experience with language and politics is this... English is the standard language of the aviation industry... thankfully. If it were Chinese, I'd be locking the office up and hitting the bricks in search of a new career right this very second __________________

07-05-10, 10:49 AM	#8
papa_smurf Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2,851 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Im just glad I live in a country full of dialects, with no such forced language. Can you imagine the whole UK being forced to speak "Queens English"? __________________