Language and International Integration into Finnish Working Life

Internationalisation can place new demands on employees, who might be expected to speak English to help staff settle into their new lives in Finland. For some, the growing use of English in Finnish companies and organisations is seen as a threat to Finnish working life. Those highly educated immigrants working in higher education institutions who refuse to learn Finnish are portrayed negatively in the media and looked on with disdain (see, Saarikivi 2024). There is growing concern over the segregation of internationals into cultural pockets and their ability to meaningfully participate in Finnish society without possessing fluent Finnish language skills. Yet, framed in this way, the conversation will remain unconstructive.

Instead, we should ask what factors might hinder international employees’ use of Finnish and how organisations might reduce the barriers to meaningful international integration in Finnish working life.

A double language barrier?

The language barrier is the most obvious structural challenge to effective participation in working life for international staff. While Finnish might be the obvious barrier, English can also be an issue. Working in monolingual environments, where all the administration is in Finnish, one might find it difficult or even resent suddenly having to speak English, especially if one has not studied or used the language in many years.

To overcome this, many organisations are investing in improving their English proficiency to meet the needs of internationalisation. Improving the overall level of English improves their capacity to meet the needs of international students and staff and participate in the global labour market. These measures serve both the individual and the organisation well. However, it’s important also to foster the development of Finnish language skills for international staff and take steps to reduce the level of language anxiety that both international and domestic staff might face.

So, how do we create an environment that encourages and supports language learners in actively using the language they are learning?

We start by valuing the diversity of language

Many organisations’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and practices often solely focus on traditional markers of diversity. Through these policies, we create inclusive spaces for gender and sexual minorities, promote equitable structures for students with learning disabilities, and ensure that race or gender are not barriers to participation. However, these are often visible markers of difference and are viewed as needing to redress structural issues, access, or prejudices. Language is often left out of the discussion or viewed through the prism of learning disabilities. When DEI policies do not address linguistic diversity, they fail to create an inclusive environment for non-native speakers, hindering their professional and academic advancement (Wolfram, 2023).

Some see language (un)proficiency as a marker of intelligence, and when one speaks poor Finnish or makes mistakes, one is treated very differently. The same worries might also apply to those who speak so-called “Rally English” or languages other than their first language. This is not just an issue for different languages; it can also apply to regional dialects, accents, and other linguistic mannerisms. The diverse ways in which everyone uses language should be valued and celebrated.  Enforcing strict pronunciation rules and gatekeeping language usage are not ways to do this. Language is constantly changing, and to fight against this is to fight against the tide.

By including linguistic diversity in DEI policies, we can value the diverse way language is used and spoken rather than seek homogenous language usage. 

Language diversity is not a zero-sum game

By embracing linguistic diversity, working life can move towards a more genuinely inclusive environment that values the contributions of all staff, regardless of their background. We can overcome language barriers with language training. Still, unless we take steps to foster the courage and bravery of our staff to speak, we are missing the benefits that diversity can bring to the team. Further, we hinder the career progression of non-native Finnish speakers who might not be able to learn professional Finnish without the means to speak it in a safe environment at the workplace.

Gaining the courage to speak a second language does not come easily for everyone. The high expectations we might put on ourselves to speak fluently might create anxiety and hesitation to speak up in the workplace. However, we can overcome these hurdles by valuing the diverse ways language is used and creating a safe environment, which can help facilitate an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

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This article was first published in Xamk READ online magazine (3 December, 2024).

References

Saarikivi, J. (20.10.2024) Eliitin englanti on köykäinen kielitaito (Elite English is a poor langauge skill)  https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000010769220.html

Läärä, K., & Teivainen, A. (2014) Number of foreign teachers at Finnish universities on the rise, Helsinki Times. Available at: https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/11095-number-of-foreign-teachers-at-finnish-universities-on-the-rise.html (Accessed: 14 October 2024).

Bourabain, D. (2023) ‘The University in Crisis: Why (Neoliberal) Diversity Is Not the Answer’, Politics of the Low Countries, 5(2), pp. 184–189. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5553/PLC/.000050.

King, J., Mitchell, T., McIntosh, A., & Bell-Ellwanger, E., (2016) ‘Advancing Diversity and Inclusion In Higher Education’. U-S- Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/rschstat/research/pubs/advancing-diversity-inclusion.pdf  

Siekkinen, T., Pekkola, E. and Kivistö, J. (2016) ‘Recruitments in Finnish universities: practicing strategic or pathetic HRM?’, Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 2016(2–3), p. 32316. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3402/nstep.v2.32316

Wolfram, W. (2023) ‘Addressing Linguistic Inequality in Higher Education: A Proactive Model’, Daedalus, 152(3), pp. 36–51. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_02016