Post on 18-Jan-2018
description
Multilingualism in professional life
A case study of bilingualismat an international law firm in Helsinki
BMU University of Helsinki
2.9.2005 Raija Hämelin
2BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
"Die Finnen sind ein Volk, das in zwei Sprachen schweigt"
- Bertolt Brecht -
3BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Contents
Scope and description of data
Language distribution of communication
Language skills
Attitudes towards bi- and multilingualism
4BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Scope and description of analysed data
10
23
27
9
59
Lawyers
Supportstaff
Students
Law FirmHEL office
6
14
3
7
20
0
5
3
1
Swedish speaking
Finnish speaking
Other**
* Data from other offices of Law Firm have been excluded from all analyses** Respondents with mother tongue other than Finnish or Swedish are not included in all analyses
OTH*
Number of respondents to the questionnaire in each sub-group
Law Firm total respondents 69
Swedish speaking
Finnish speaking
Other**
Swedish speaking
Finnish speaking
Other**
5BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Language distribution of communication
50 4155 63
3541
2629
15 19 20 8
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Finnish Swedish Finnish Swedish
SwedishFinnishEnglish
Speech Writing
Communication at internal meetings – HEL lawyers
Mother tongue
Language
%
6BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Language distribution of communication
40
8
5030
0
0
0
0
60
93
5070
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Finnish Swedish Finnish Swedish
SwedishFinnishEnglish
Speech Writing
Mother tongue
Language
Communication with Nordic colleagues – HEL lawyers
%
7BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Language distribution of communication
258
3918
6669
52
58
923
924
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Finnish Swedish Finnish Swedish
SwedishFinnishEnglish
Speech Writing
Mother tongue
Language
Communication with clients in Finland – HEL lawyers
%
8BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Role of Swedish at work – HEL lawyers
3,9
3,4
2,7
2,5
3,5
3,7
4,2
4,0
1 2 3 4 5
Reading
Listening
Spoken
Written
3
1
3
7 6
0 5 10 15
Less
Monthly
Weekly
Daily
FinnishSwedish
Number of respondentsAverage score1=not important
5=highly important
Importance of Swedish Frequency of Swedish used
Mother tongue
9BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Mother tongue and identity
3
20
14
5
7
6
1
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100%
Students
Support staff
Lawyers
Finnish Swedish Other
3
18
11
4
5
6
1
4
3
1
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100%
Students
Support staff
Lawyers
Finnish Swedish
Bilingual Multilingual
Mother tongue Identity# of persons
Share, %
# of persons
Share, %
10BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Language skills at work – two national languages
4
3
14
11
2
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100%
Students
Support staff
Lawyers
Only in mother tongue
Better in mother tongue than in the other national language
Equally well in both national languages
Finnish speaking Swedish speaking
1
2
6
4
5
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100%
Students
Support staff
Lawyers
Share, % Share, %
11BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Individual language skills – HEL lawyers
14
1
10
4
4
10
1
1
8
1
6
2
1
1 1
1
11
6
1
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
6. lang
5. lang
4. lang
3. lang
2. lang
1. lang
Finnish Swedish EnglishGerman French SpanishGreek Dutch DanishNorwegian Japanese RussianItalian Sign language None
Share, %
# of persons
2
4
6
4
2
1
1
4 1
1
1
1
5
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
6. lang
5. lang
4. lang
3. lang
2. lang
1. lang
Finnish Swedish EnglishGerman French SpanishGreek Dutch DanishNorwegian Japanese RussianItalian Sign language None
Share, %
Finnish speaking Swedish speaking# of persons
12BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Individual language skills – HEL support staff
20
4
9
6
8
12
2
9
1
1
2
3
1
1
3
1
1
1
17
13
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
6. lang
5. lang
4. lang
3. lang
2. lang
1. lang
Finnish Swedish EnglishGerman French SpanishGreek Dutch DanishNorwegian Japanese RussianItalian Sign language None
7
7
7
1
3
1
1 1
1
6
5
2
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
6. lang
5. lang
4. lang
3. lang
2. lang
1. lang
Finnish Swedish EnglishGerman French SpanishGreek Dutch DanishNorwegian Japanese RussianItalian Sign language None
# of personsFinnish speaking Swedish speaking
# of persons
Share, % Share, %
13BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Individual language skills – HEL students
3
2
1
1
2
3
2
3
1
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
6. lang
5. lang
4. lang
3. lang
2. lang
1. lang
Finnish Swedish EnglishGerman French SpanishGreek Dutch DanishNorwegian Japanese RussianItalian Sign language None
5
5
5
3 2
1 1
5
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
6. lang
5. lang
4. lang
3. lang
2. lang
1. lang
Finnish Swedish EnglishGerman French SpanishGreek Dutch DanishNorwegian Japanese RussianItalian Sign language None
# of personsFinnish speaking Swedish speaking
# of persons
Share, % Share, %
14BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Language skills Law office staff vs. law students
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Writing
SpokenProduction
SpokenInteraction
Reading
Listening
PartnersAssociate lawyersLawyersSupport staffStudents
CEF - Common Reference Levels
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
15BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Attitudes – Role of Swedish at Law Firm
2
4
3
16
9
2
1
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very important Important
Less important
1
3
3
4
2
3
2
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very important Important
Less important
# of personsFinnish speaking Swedish speaking
# of persons
Share, % Share, %
16BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Attitudes towards Swedish
1
4
11
2
16
3
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very positive Positive Less positive
1
2
2
4
5
4
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very positive Positive Less positive
# of personsFinnish speaking Swedish speaking
# of persons
Share, % Share, %
17BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Attitudes towards bi- and multilingualism
# of personsFinnish speaking Swedish speaking
# of persons
Share, % Share, %
2
13
13
1
7
1
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very positive Positive Less positive
3
5
5
2
2
1
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very positive Positive Less positive
18BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Attitudes of colleagues towards bi- and multilingualism
# of personsFinnish speaking Swedish speaking
# of persons
Share, % Share, %
1
10
9
2
10
5
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very positive Positive Less positive
3
2
5
2
5
1
0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
Students
Supportstaff
Lawyers
Very positive Positive Less positive
19BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Attitudes become evident through…
2
15
11
1
8
5
3
20
14
0 10 20 30
Students
Support staff
Lawyers
EmbarrassmentEncouraging commentsA living interest
Number of responses
5
3
2
2
21
5
7
6
0 2 4 6 8
Students
Support staff
Lawyers
EmbarrassmentEncouraging commentsA living interest
Number of responses
Finnish speaking Swedish speaking
20BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Preliminary findings for discussion A multilingual professional environment offers excellent opportunities for active
persons to grow their language skills. On average, a Swedish speaking person adapts more to the language of the counterpart (colleague, client, Nordic contact) than her Finnish colleague. However, in formal communication (i.e. writing) the dominance of English, as the official company language, is accentuated
Swedish speaking persons consider active language skills (spoken, written) in Swedish more important than the passive skills (listening, reading) compared to their Finnish colleagues
All respondents consider themselves being skilled in at least four languages. The second language, differs between the Swedish and the Finnish speaking. Depth of the language skills in Swedish of the Finnish speaking are modest, only few reach B2 level and beyond in active language use
Persons with Swedish as their mother tongue seem to prefer to have Swedish as their primary identity (at least in a strong minority culture) even if they consider themselves fluent in both national languages. Finnish speaking who are fluent in Swedish seem to more easily identify themselves as bilingual (differentiation)
Attitudes towards bi- or multilingualism are more positive than towards Swedish
21BMU 2.9.2005 © University of Helsinki / Raija Hämelin
Vive le bi- et multilinguisme!