In Iceland's parliament, six cleaners pause their duties to attend Icelandic language classes, seen as a key barrier to integration in the country. Of Iceland's approximately 400,000 residents, about one in five have an immigrant background, yet few speak Icelandic, a situation experts believe could impact social cohesion.
Six years ago, Kanyamon Juisikaew, 46, moved to Reykjavik from Thailand, married an Icelander, and now works as a cleaner in parliament. 'I would like to communicate with Icelandic people when they speak, and in my family because we are an Icelandic family,' Juisikaew told AFP in English. She also expressed disappointment at being unable to follow meetings at work. She has recently started taking classes during her working hours, an opportunity offered by a few companies and institutions in Iceland.
Her colleague, Carolina Rivas, hopes the classes will help her advance her career. 'It's really good to get to use working time to learn because this language really requires a lot of time to learn,' Rivas said, noting the difficulty of finding time to study outside work hours. Iceland has seen the sharpest rise in immigrant population among OECD countries, from three percent in the early 2000s to 20 percent last year. The country opened its doors to migrants in the 2000s to address a tourism boom and labor shortages in low-paid service jobs.
However, a recent OECD report noted that immigration increases have not been accompanied by sufficiently inclusive public policies. 'Where does Iceland want to be in the future? One cannot afford having 20 percent of the population not speaking the language. So this is really becoming an issue of social cohesion for Iceland,' said Thomas Liebig, a senior administrator at the OECD's International Migration Division.
Immigrants in Iceland, mainly from the European Economic Area (EEA), enjoy the highest employment rate in the OECD but face over-qualification due to language barriers. At the Mimir training institute in Reykjavik, students flock to take the Icelandic language exam for citizenship, with language classes in high demand. 'We see an annual increase every year around 20 percent,' said Joanna Dominiczak, director of Icelandic language programs at Mimir. However, funding constraints have forced them to halt classes.
The OECD has criticized Iceland for minimal public funding for language training, reserving fully subsidized courses for refugees and the unemployed. Kronan, one of Iceland's largest supermarket chains, employs 25 percent immigrants, presenting a challenge for HR director Asta Baerings. 'We are trying to make more languages available for employees,' Baerings said, highlighting the importance of communication. The company has set up a communication portal in Icelandic, English, and Polish, but plans to expand to over 30 languages next year to support its diverse workforce.
Anthony John Saunders, an assistant manager at Kronan, moved to Iceland from England post-Brexit. 'I think being a fluent English speaker, Iceland was quite easy to integrate in because everybody speaks very good English,' Saunders said. He uses a customizable app offered by Kronan to learn Icelandic, but notes that Icelanders' proficiency in English can hinder language practice for immigrants.
'It also relates to the way we Icelanders perceive our own language,' said Yrsa Tholl Gylfadottir, a writer and Icelandic teacher. 'Some of us have like an inferiority complex, and a disbelief that anyone would want to learn our language or would be able to. So Icelanders often resort to English when they speak to people with an accent.'
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