For the third time, a collaborative effort was made to map out the linguistic resources that are spoken in Icelandic schools. Staff in preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools across the country were encouraged to talk with children and ask them about their languages. The goal was to map all the languages spoken by children and young people in Icelandic preschools and primary schools—and for the first time, also in secondary schools. The purpose was to foster positive discussions about languages and multilingualism and to highlight how having multiple languages can enhance the quality of life and emotional well-being. Increased language awareness in the society boosts children’s and young people’s confidence and positive self-image and can also support schools in implementing plurilingualism and strengthening language skills among all students.
This years map and project discussion can be found here, and previous versions from the year 2021 and 2014 are equally available. Móðurmál has been a proud facilitator and collaborator of the language maps in Iceland.