In 2009, the Language Act legally stated Swedish as the official language of Sweden. Even if Swedish is a majority language within Sweden, it is a minority language in a European and global context. Swedish is currently spoken by about ten million people: mainly the inhabitants of Sweden and a minority (approximately 290,000) in Finland, where Swedish is one of the two official national languages. Furthermore, an increasing number of Swedes live abroad, often for limited periods of their lives (nearly 50,000 Swedes emigrate each year). It is therefore supported by libraries and research institutions, and promoted via literature grants, media, and education. In recent years, the government has placed great emphasis on children’s reading and speaking via support schemes for library purchases and reading campaigns. Knowledge of the Swedish language among immigrants has also been prioritised. Free introductory language courses for immigrants are provided by all municipalities. The agreement made between the government coalition and the Sweden Democrats (Tidöavtalet) emphasised language training for immigrants as a part of the integration process, and full knowledge of the language as a requirement for citizenship. Further changes in public policy and law to that effect are likely to be presented by the current government.
Measures intended to strengthen the position of the Swedish language have been a feature of government policy at least since the 18th century. Such measures include supervision of the development of the language, guidelines for setting language standards, the production of manuals and dictionaries, and promotion of relevant guidance and research. Measures taken by the government to support and protect the Swedish language, as well as the languages of the recognised national minorities, are coordinated by The Swedish Language Council, a government agency created in 2006 through the merger of the (previous) Swedish Language Council and the Centre for Technical Terminology. The Royal Swedish Academy (dating back to the 18th century) also serves several functions in language and literature policy, including the publication of Swedish dictionaries, as well as grants and prizes to writers.
In 1999, five minority languages were declared official in Sweden: Sami (all varieties), Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib (all varieties), and Yiddish. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was ratified by Sweden in January 2000 with regard to these minority languages. Swedish sign language has also been declared an official language. Sami, Finnish, and Meänkieli have, furthermore, been recognized as having further rights in specific regions of the country. Cultural policy directed at the national minority languages and sign language includes a number of measures intended to support and develop these. Of these languages, Finnish has, by far, the most speakers in Sweden. It is estimated that around 260,000 persons in Sweden are native speakers of Finnish.
Due to immigration, a large percentage of the population speak other languages than Swedish, or the recognised national minority languages, as their mother tongues. It is estimated that more than 200 languages are spoken in Sweden today. In 2016, it was estimated that around 155 000 people in Sweden spoke Arabic as their first language. As a consequence of the increased refugee immigration in the following years, it is likely that this number has increased significantly. Culture in these languages is not a prioritised area within cultural policy. Neither are they recognised in any official sense. The increased communication across national borders, including satellite television and the Internet, may, however, increase their connection to their respective linguistic communities transnationally and may thus influence the contribution of diaspora communities in Sweden both to culture in Sweden and to culture within their own respective linguistic communities.
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