Language ideologies in motion: negotiating the choice of 'integration language' in a Swedish-dominant area of Finland

This paper examines negotiation of 'integration language' for migrants in a Swedish-majority area of Finland. The positions of Finnish and Swedish have fluctuated historically, and language ideologies continue to be in motion: Finnish is prioritized as dominant national language, and recent discourses portray migrant integration in Swedish as potentially crucial for the future of the Swedish-speaking minority. The study draws on interview data with 29 participants, among whom 16 arrived as forced migrants and 13 are other local residents in the particular municipality. The analysis focuses on agency, self-management and investment into language learning and how these are displayed in the interviews. The findings indicate that the choices between Finnish or Swedish as integration language cannot be separated from ideologies of language and integration at large, in turn affected by neoliberalism. Language learning is associated with social identities such as that of a 'good migrant' through e.g. finding employment. Finnish is often connected to mobility and future possibilities, while Swedish is needed locally. Migrants rarely have sufficient knowledge to make an informed decision, and while there is no any general 'right' or 'wrong' language choice, it needs to be grounded in each individual’s situation and goals.