Alþingishúsið in Reykjavik houses the Icelandic parliament, Althing. Source: Wikipedia, APK, CC BY-SA 4.0
The former prime minister says the Icelandic language could disappear in a generation due to the advent of artificial intelligence and the influence of the English language. It has never been more important for parents to keep Icelandic content with their children.
On November 16 was Icelandic Language Day. It is 218 years since the birth of one of the most important poets in Icelandic history, Jónas Hallgrímsson, and his award will be presented for the thirtieth time at a ceremony in Edda at two o’clock. On the same occasion, a special recognition of the Icelandic language will be given.
Former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and writer Ragnar Jónasson believe that Icelandic could disappear within a generation due to the advent of artificial intelligence and the influence of the English language on Icelandic. They discussed the influence of English on Icelandic in a British newspaper interview.
According to former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Icelandic is facing various challenges these days, and it is always important to celebrate this day.
“What I have been pointing out in this regard is the situation that our young people are surrounded by content in English. There is an incredibly large supply of content in English on the media that young people have access to. At the same time, Icelandic content is in a difficult competitive position, simply because we are few and there is a limited amount of content that can be produced in the Icelandic language,” says Katrín.
Results from a new reading survey, among Icelanders aged 18 and over, show that the nation spends an average of about an hour a day reading and/or listening to books. The total time people spend reading has decreased in recent years. More people say they spend no time reading than before, more men than women.
“Of course, we need to cultivate Icelandic, both in ourselves and in others, by working hard. Think about how we can use Icelandic in all different situations. I heard a man yesterday who said that he regularly writes short stories to maintain Icelandic. But this is no less important for us as parents. I also think it is very important to keep Icelandic content with our children and speak to them in Icelandic. I don’t think it has ever been more important because they have such unlimited access to English content,” says Katrín.
The Minister of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education has requested a meeting with the technology giant Apple to discuss the status of Icelandic. He wants more ways to promote the Icelandic language among the technology giants.
At one time, people were concerned about the influence of Danish on Icelandic.
“Then people joined hands for Icelandic and I think we need exactly that kind of thinking. We can do that individually, but also by discussing these issues and analysing what needs to be done,” says Katrín.
Source: Vísir (in Icelandic)