Is it mandatory to learn Swedish in Finland?

Swedish is a mandatory school subject for Finnish-speaking pupils in the last four years of primary education (grades 6 to 9). This other domestic language is also mandatory in high schools, vocational schools, and vocational universities.

Is Swedish important to learn?

For what it is worth, Swedish is the most useful Scandinavian language to learn. Knowing some Swedish can help you decipher written Norwegian and Danish to a great extent. Swedish is also commonly understood in Finland, and the main spoken language in many places in southern and western Finnish coasts.

Why is Swedish official in Finland?

First: Swedish is an official language of Finland, because a) Sweden and Finland had a long common history as Finland was a part of Sweden from early medieval times until 1809 (when Russia attacked and took it), b) since then there’s a significant Swedish speaking minority in Finland (ca 6\%), c) there’s also historical …

Do most Finns speak English?

English. The English language is spoken by most Finns. Official statistics in 2012 show that at least 70\% of Finnish people can speak English.

What Scandinavian language is easiest to learn?

Norwegian
But, Norwegian is definitely the easiest Nordic language to learn from the Scandinavian region. When it comes to Danish vs Norwegian, Norwegian is easier to understand.

The official term for both mandatory Swedish and Finnish is the other domestic language. However, the requirement to study Swedish is often referred to as pakkoruotsi, a somewhat charged term in Finnish meaning “mandatory Swedish”, or “enforced Swedish”.

What is the study of the Swedish language called in Finland?

In Sweden, the study of the Swedish language in Finland or elsewhere is referred to as educational Swedish or Swedish as a school subject ( skolsvenska ); Finnish talk of “mandatory Swedish” is seen as a bizarre phenomenon. The status of Swedish as a national language in Finland is defined by the Finnish constitution.

Why are there so many Finnish universities in Sweden?

There are several reasons… First and most obvious is the co-official status for Finnish and Swedish, enshrined at the highest level in the national constitution. Mandatory Swedish education was not explicitly specified in the constitution, but subsequent laws have formalised that requirement.

What is the difference between pakkoruotsi and mandatory Finnish?

The requirement to study Swedish is often referred to as pakkoruotsi, a somewhat charged term in Finnish meaning “mandatory Swedish”, or “enforced Swedish,” and similarly, Finnish as a mandatory school subject for native Swedish speakers in Finland is sometimes referred to as ” mandatory Finnish ” or “enforced Finnish” ( tvångsfinska ).