Scandinavian or English? The languages in the Nordic context

Abstract

The article provides an overview of the use of the Scandinavian languages and English in the context of the Nordic Cooperation. The article provides an overview of the history and current status of using the Scandinavian languages and English is given, as well as the description of the current language situation. The study concentrates on the topic as viewed by researchers, performing artists, politicians, journalists and celebrities of the Nordic countries, which confirms the relevance of ongoing debate about pros and cons of using Scandinavian or English in academic, political and everyday contexts. The article examines, inter alia, the use of Scandinavian and English in the Nordic countries in close connection with the institutionalized political cooperation that took shape in the 20th century. This cooperation is carried out mainly within the framework of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The institutionalization of cooperation resulted, among other things, in adoption of a number of strategic documents on language cooperation, such as the Declaration on a Nordic Language Policy and Nordic Language Convention. Since the article is an overview rather than an empirical study, and taking into account the relevance of the topic, further empirical research is proposed to identify trends in the attitudes of a wide range of respondents from the Nordic countries to the use of the Scandinavian and English languages in professional, cultural and everyday activities.