Language Rights and the Law in Sweden

Abstract

This chapter studies the ways in which Sweden addresses the language rights of the Swedish-speaking majority vis-à-vis linguistic minorities. First, a language test is not required for immigration purposes in Sweden. Swedish policy in this area seems to be based on the idea that the immigrant is the one responsible for learning Swedish, while the authorities are mainly responsible for providing language classes. Second, the right of access to the courts and government services for all linguistic minorities in Sweden is protected by law (i.e., interpreters are hired and compensated by the government). Third, the Education Act (2010) protects the right of all minority children to receive language acquisition support in both Swedish and Swedish Sign Language, official minority languages, or immigrant languages in Swedish preschools. The Education Act also aims to protect the language rights of minority children in compulsory education and high school. Thus, children who are deaf or hard of hearing have the right to attend special schools for the deaf, which are responsible for develo** students’ bilingualism in Swedish and Swedish Sign Language; or they can choose to go to a mainstream school in their municipality of residence, where teachers are required to adapt instruction to the unique needs of children who use sign language. Students who speak a language other than Swedish at home have the right to receive mother tongue instruction in compulsory and upper secondary education, if there are at least five students who wish to receive it and if a suitable teacher can be found. Students who belong to an officially recognized linguistic minority group (Sámi, Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib, and Yiddish) also have the right to receive mother tongue instruction in compulsory and upper secondary education, but this right is constraint by the School Ordinance (2011), which severely limits the amount of time that can be dedicated to mother tongue instruction in the schools. In higher education, the main teaching languages are Swedish and English, and immigrant languages remain on the periphery, while the official minority languages are absent.