On the bilingual language use of the Estonian-speakers in Finland

Authors

  • Kristiina Praakli University of Tartu Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v8i3.14087

Keywords:

Estonians in Finland, bilingualism, code-copying, Estonian language, Finnish language

Abstract

Recent decades have witnessed a rapid increase in cross-border migration, particularly since the enlargement of the European Union (2004). Estonian-speakers in Finland are an example of today’s EU mobility. The aim of the present article is to describe bilingual language use by first-generation Estonian-speakers in Finland. Based on language data, one may claim that in a relatively early stage of language contact, bilingual speech is characterized by momentary ‘switchings’ with a clear conversational purpose. The speaker navigates within the frame of the Estonian language until a change takes place in the conversation that motivates the speaker to use Finnish inside of the base language (Estonian) of the conversation.

Author Biography

  • Kristiina Praakli, University of Tartu
    Kristiina Praakli holds a PhD from the University of Tartu and researches the Estonian language in the diaspora at the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics at the University of Tartu, Estonia. She is currently also a visiting lecturer in Estonian language at the University of Helsinki. Her main research interests are contact-induced changes in Estonian, Estonian language abroad and multilingualism. She has published mainly on the Estonian language in Finland and multilingual language use. She is the editor of the book Eestlased ja eesti keel välimaal [Estonians and the Estonian language abroad, 2002] and co-editor of the book Negotiating linguistic identity: Language and belonging in Europe (Peter Lang, 2014). Her main publications are: (2010) Eestlased ja eesti keel Soomes [Estonians and Estonian language in Finland], in K. Praakli and J. Viikberg (eds) Eestlased ja eesti keel välismaal [Estonians and Estonian language abroad] 455– 401; Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus; (with K. Koreinik) (2013) The construction of language maintenance and loss in semi-public discourses. Eesti Rakenduslingvistika Ühingu Aastaraamat 9: 131–148; (2015) The Estonian language in Finland. ELDIA (= European Language Diversity for All) Case-Specific Report. Studies in European Language Diversity 29. Mainz, Wien, Helsinki, Tartu, Mariehamn, Oulu, Maribor: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität.

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Published

2015-05-11

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2014): Estonian in Contacts

Section

Articles

License

© Equinox Publishing Ltd.

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How to Cite

Praakli, K. (2015). On the bilingual language use of the Estonian-speakers in Finland. Sociolinguistic Studies, 8(3), 383–407. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v8i3.14087