The Use of English in Iceland. Convenience or a Cultural Threat? A Lingua Franca or Lingua Detrimental?

Thórarinsdóttir, Hallfrídur (2011). « The Use of English in Iceland. Convenience or a Cultural Threat? A Lingua Franca or Lingua Detrimental? », dans Iceland and Images of the North, sous la dir. de Isleifsson, Sumarlidi R. et Chartier, Daniel. Québec, Presses de l'Université du Québec, coll. «Droit au pôle », pp. 373-404.

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Résumé

The Icelandic language has been the primary criterion for national identity and has played an important role in the image of Iceland within the Nordic countries. The article traces the role of how linguistic nationalism gained an indisputable position for the Icelandic language as the foundation of national identity in the country. During the period of independence struggle, Danish, the language of the colonizers, was considered to be enemy number one of the Icelandic language, but in recent times English has taken over that role. Equipped with the historical dimension of the role of Icelandic and Danish within the process of national identity-making in Iceland, the article aims to analyze the ongoing discourse on the alleged threat of English dominance in Icelandic society. Specific focus will be on the use of English as lingua franca in Icelandic businesses operating at an international level. In recent years the number of Icelandic corporations expanding their operation across the globe has multiplied. Recently some of these companies changed their official language of internal communication from Icelandic to English. This change stirred up great controversy, reflected in the media discourse and on blog sites on the Internet.

Type:	Chapitre de livre
Mots-clés ou Sujets:	English language, Iceland, Cultural Threat, Lingua Franca, Lingua Detrimental, Langue anglaise, Anglais, Islande, Menace culturelle, Islandais, Débats linguistiques, Nord, North, Linguistic debates, Icelandic, National Identity, Identité nationale, Nordic Countries, Scandinavie, Nationalisme, Nationalism, Danish, Danois, Internet
Unité d'appartenance:	Faculté des arts > Laboratoire international de recherche sur l'imaginaire du Nord, de l'hiver et de l'Arctique
Déposé par:	Daniel Chartier
Date de dépôt:	03 oct. 2017 07:56
Dernière modification:	03 oct. 2017 07:56
Adresse URL :	http://archipel.uqam.ca/id/eprint/10460

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